suzanne leigh

Suzanna Leigh
Paradise, Hawaiian Style, 1966

Real Name: Sandra Elieen Anne Smith
Born: July 26, 1945 in Cavisham, Berkshire, England.

Suzanna was born in Berkshire England, but, in her own words, "My family had two homes at the time: No 128 Mount Street, Mayfair and a large country farmhouse at Cavisham called "The Lodge". My father was one of that rarest of breeds, a successful gambler. He was co-owner of an English Derby winner Never Say Die.". At the age of 13, Suzanna made her film debut as an extra in 1958's tom thumb, appearing in the "Dancing Shoes" scene. She also made a small appearance in Oscar Wilde (1960) with Robert Morley. In 1965, producer Hal Wallis caught sight of newspaper photos of Suzanna in a sedan chair, dressed up as Madame Du Barry for a costume ball in London, and signed her to a contract. Her first film for Hollywood was Boeing Boeing with Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis.

Being an Elvis fan, Suzanna was thrilled to work on her next film, Paradise, Hawaiian Style. As Judy Hudson, Suzanna plays Elvis' assistant, and, going along with advice from James Shigeta, pretends to be married to ward off Elvis' romantic advances. Whether or not that tactic actually does any good...well, you'll just have to watch, won't ya? Along the way, you get to see some great Hawaiian scenery, and hear some pretty silly songs!