Kerima (actress)
| Kerima | |
|---|---|
Kerima in 1952
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| Born |
Miriam Charrière February 10, 1925 Toulouse, France |
| Nationality | France |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1951–1970s |
| Spouse(s) | Alexis Revidis m.1953 Guy Hamilton (1964-2016) (his death) |
Kerima (born February 10, 1925) was an actress best known for her role in Outcast of the Islands. Although commonly believed to be Algerian as she was portrayed when she gained fame as an actress, she is actually French.
Outcast of the Islands was set in Indonesia and her role was that of a native girl. In casting the role, director Carol Reed sought someone "seductive, radiant", "as the soul of the country with its mysterious forests." He felt no available actresses were right for the part. In an interview with Der Spiegel, he claimed to have searched for almost a year in Egypt, Singapore, and Borneo, auditioning "dancers, fashion models, beauty queens" before friends recommended Kerima, daughter of a very wealthy Arab in Algiers. Although her background was not Indonesian, film publicity sought to portray her as an indigenous islander. In London, she was quoted as saying "I live the life of Nature. I ride bareback, I walk barefoot, I swim bare." As she had no acting experience, her role was completely non-verbal. Reed never used the voice of amateurs or children in his films. Had her voice been used, a French accent would have been obvious. A heavily publicized kissing scene in the movie lasted 112 seconds. This "marathon kiss" was the subject of a Life magazine article which included the photo of Kerima on the cover. This scene was used in advertising to entice people to see the film. It was considered "shocking" to some critics and "met with difficulty" by American censors.
Kermia was active in film throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, working with Italian and American directors including Joseph Mankiewicz and Howard Hawks. Her last known work were minor parts in 1972, the last being a bellydancer in one episode of The Adventurer, a British TV series.
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