The Diary of Anne Frank is one of my first favourite classic films.
I came across it one rainy day and fell in love with it, especially the actress playing Anne who I found out was Millie Perkins.
She always reminded me a little bit of Elizabeth Taylor with her doe eyes and thick eyebrows, and I always loved how animated yet elegant she came across on film.
Born in New Jersey, Millie was working as a receptionist at a New York City advertising agency when she caught the eye of a visiting photographer, by 1958 Perkins was an international cover girl.
In 1958, she was vigorously pursued, and then selected, to appear in her first film, in "The Diary of Anne Frank" Perkins had never studied nor sought to be an actress, but George Stevens saw her in Gluck's photo and on the covers of several magazines and tried to convince her to read for the part. Finally, she flew to Hollywood for a screen test and, with much fanfare, landed the role of Anne Frank in George Stevens' 1959 film "The Diary of Anne Frank." Perkins received almost universally excellent reviews for her portrayal of Anne although the film was a notorious commercial flop.
After her work with George Stevens, Perkins was placed under contract to 20th Century Fox. She was one of the promising young stars of Hollywood, but the studio contract system, which was coming to an end, was a poor fit for Perkins, who had come of age with the Beat Generation in 1950s New York City.
George Stevens would later state: "Millie did not fit in. She was 10 years too early."
Suspended for refusing the lead in the 1960 film Tess of the Storm Country - Perkins saw the film as a B-picture and a step back career-wise - Perkins was cast by 20th Century Fox in the 1961 film Wild in the Country, playing the supporting role of the girlfriend to star Elvis Presley; the studio then dropped Perkins.
