Valli Kemp
Encyclopedia
Valli Kemp is a former Australian model and actress, turned fashion designer, painter and art teacher. She is best known for her involvement in several high-profile beauty contests in the early 1970s, and for her memorable role in the cult 1972 horror film Dr. Phibes Rises Again
, in which she appeared opposite Vincent Price
as the murderous doctor's silent assistant and accomplice, Vulnavia.
of the 1950s, Kemp's father "lost everything" (as she later put it) and the family, including seven-year-old Kemp, relocated to London. Kemp and her parents subsequently migrated to Australia when she was twelve years old, although her older brother George (eight years her senior) remained in England. The family settled in Sydney. Kemp, who had become interested in art while still a young child in Africa, left school at the age of fourteen and gained a position with Berlei Ltd
, a prominent and long-established Australian firm of brassiere and corset manufacturers, where she worked on poster design and window dressing.
, an enduring and popular illustrated magazine, on which she appeared as a cover girl on no fewer than 27 occasions. In 1967, she was photographed alongside an American sailor on board a visiting destroyer, the USS Epperson
. Her fame began to spread outside Australia as early as December 1969, when a revealing photograph of Kemp in a bikini ("in an old-fashioned check with braids and frills") was published in an Ohio newspaper.
Kemp's modelling profile rose steadily during 1970, when she entered the Quest of Quests, an annual beauty pageant sponsored by Waltons department store in Sydney, which, at that time, was Australia's most prestigious beauty contest. In July of that year, she was photographed on the arm of TV personality Graham Kennedy
, attending a special a gala performance of the musical Hair
, to celebrate the first anniversary of the show's Sydney premiere. Kemp was described in the press as "a stunning gypsy in a black dress with embroidered bodice and belt, set off with a brilliant scarf, hoop earrings and shiny red boots". Two months later, on 20 September, Kemp won the Quest of Quests and was duly crowned with the title of Miss World Australia in a ceremony held at the Wentworth Hotel. Later accounts of the Quest of Quests beauty contest noted that Kemp, with her "boudoir eyes and full lips", represented the epitome of early 1970s glamour.
In November 1970, Kemp travelled to London to represent Australia in the Miss World
competition. Upon her arrival, she announced to the press that she hope to make contact with her 27-year-old brother, George, whom she had not seen for seven years. After newspapers printed the story, her brother duly came forward and the two siblings were reunited. George Kemp reportedly quipped: "I work as a loader for BOAC
, but I didn't recognise Valli when she came off the plane. My, she's changed for the better".
, who became her mentor during the early part of her career. Kemp's experience as a model allowed her to break into other media, and in addition to her numerous commercials, she obtained small roles in episodes of several Australian TV series including Riptide and You Can't See 'Round Corners (both 1969). Her first film appearance was in The Games
(1970), starring Ryan O'Neal
, which was filmed in Sydney.
After moving to London in 1970, Kemp gained more offers. In April of that year, it was reported that she had been signed to appear in the new James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever
, opposite Sean Connery
and Jill St. John
. By her own account, Kemp also "amassed dozens of TV commercials" during this period, notably spots for Revlon
and Lamb's Navy Rum.
In January 1972, it was reported by UPI that Kemp had been cast in a supporting role in the forthcoming sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes
, which had starred Vincent Price in the title role and Virginia North
as his silent assistant, Vulnavia. As the latter character had been killed off at the end of the first film, the draft screenplay for the sequel intended to introduce an entirely new character as Phibe's assistant. This, however, was revised when the film studio, AIP, insisted that the name Vulnavia be retained. The original actress, Virginia North, had since become pregnant and was therefore unable to reprise her role, which prompted the casting of Valli Kemp as a suitable replacement. Kemp recalls that she was originally given a 10-year contract, as the producers were hoping to develop a Dr. Phibes franchise, with at least four subsequent films being proposed. This series however, did not eventuate.
During this time, Kemp also made several TV appearances, including the special Mike & Bernie's Show (1972), a semi-fictitious autobiography of comedian brothers Mike and Bernie Winters, who played themselves. At the time of her marriage in August 1973 (see below), Kemp was reported to be hosting her own TV programme in London.
Notwithstanding the failure of the proposed Dr. Phibes franchise, she went on take small roles in several other films, including Rollerball
(1975) and The Great Muppet Caper
(1981), in which she appeared, appropriately enough, as a model.
In April 1981, Kemp announced her intention to return to Australia permanently, due to the "depressing state of the British film industry". She was quoted as saying: "The trouble is, in England I can make about one film a year, which I can hardly live on. The Australian movie and television business is really booming, so there will be no problem getting parts. I know most actresses try their luck in America, but I couldn't face that place". She later admitted to the Australian press that "comedy is what I like best, and I'd love to do some television work, maybe co-hosting a show".
, comedians Mike & Bernie Winters
, musical entrepreneur Gordon Mills
and TV presenter Michael Parkinson
.
After returning to Australia in 1982, Kemp rented a house in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi and began working as a fashion designer. As he later told the press, "modelling and acting was a means of getting some money, but I think I'll get more designing – it's a daily job". In September 1984, she held her first fashion parade at Pronto, a popular restaurant and bar in the exclusive suburb of Double Bay.
Kemp continues to work as an artist and art teacher in Newcastle, north of Sydney.
.
In August 1973, Kemp married Robert Winsor, a 32-year-old English advertising executive, who had been introduced to her only a few months earlier by actor Richard Johnson
. Kemp herself had reportedly proposed to Winsor during a voyage on a friend's yacht on the Mediterranean. She had an engagement ring specially made to her own design – a ruby in a heart-shaped setting, surrounded by diamonds. The couple wed at the Registry Office at Totteridge, near London, where Winsor was in the process of erecting a large house.
The marriage lasted only 18 months, reportedly due to the stresses of Kemp's acting commitments. The couple divorced in 1975, but remained friends. On Christmas 1976, Kemp introduced her ex-husband to her friend, actress Koo Stark
, to whom he subsequently became engaged. Stark and Winsor never married; the former went on to be romantically linked to Prince Andrew
, while the latter married singer and TV presenter Grace Kennedy.
After Kemp returned to Australia permanently in 1985, she remarried and had three children.
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Dr. Phibes Rises Again! is a sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes. It was directed by Robert Fuest, and stars Vincent Price as Dr. Anton Phibes.-Plot:...
, in which she appeared opposite Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
as the murderous doctor's silent assistant and accomplice, Vulnavia.
Early life
By her own account, Valli Kemp was born in Kenya to British parents. During the Mau Mau UprisingMau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
of the 1950s, Kemp's father "lost everything" (as she later put it) and the family, including seven-year-old Kemp, relocated to London. Kemp and her parents subsequently migrated to Australia when she was twelve years old, although her older brother George (eight years her senior) remained in England. The family settled in Sydney. Kemp, who had become interested in art while still a young child in Africa, left school at the age of fourteen and gained a position with Berlei Ltd
Berlei
Berlei is a brand of women's lingerie and in particular bras and girdles.-History:The brand originated in Australia in 1917. Berlei undergarments are now sold in Australia by Pacific Brands and in the United Kingdom by Courtaulds Textiles....
, a prominent and long-established Australian firm of brassiere and corset manufacturers, where she worked on poster design and window dressing.
Modelling career
It was also at the age of fourteen that Kemp began her career as a model. She appeared in numerous TV commercials as well as a promotional video made by the Beach Boys during their first tour of Australia in 1964. Kemp was later discovered by the publishers of the Australasian PostAustralasian Post
Australasian Post, or "Aussie Post," was Australia's longest-running weekly picture magazine.The origins of Australasian Post date back Saturday 3 January 1857 to the first volume of the publication Bell's Life in Victoria and Sporting Chronicle...
, an enduring and popular illustrated magazine, on which she appeared as a cover girl on no fewer than 27 occasions. In 1967, she was photographed alongside an American sailor on board a visiting destroyer, the USS Epperson
USS Epperson (DD-719)
USS Epperson was a of the United States Navy, named for United States Marine Corps Private Harold G. Epperson , who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Battle of Saipan....
. Her fame began to spread outside Australia as early as December 1969, when a revealing photograph of Kemp in a bikini ("in an old-fashioned check with braids and frills") was published in an Ohio newspaper.
Kemp's modelling profile rose steadily during 1970, when she entered the Quest of Quests, an annual beauty pageant sponsored by Waltons department store in Sydney, which, at that time, was Australia's most prestigious beauty contest. In July of that year, she was photographed on the arm of TV personality Graham Kennedy
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
, attending a special a gala performance of the musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
, to celebrate the first anniversary of the show's Sydney premiere. Kemp was described in the press as "a stunning gypsy in a black dress with embroidered bodice and belt, set off with a brilliant scarf, hoop earrings and shiny red boots". Two months later, on 20 September, Kemp won the Quest of Quests and was duly crowned with the title of Miss World Australia in a ceremony held at the Wentworth Hotel. Later accounts of the Quest of Quests beauty contest noted that Kemp, with her "boudoir eyes and full lips", represented the epitome of early 1970s glamour.
In November 1970, Kemp travelled to London to represent Australia in the Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
competition. Upon her arrival, she announced to the press that she hope to make contact with her 27-year-old brother, George, whom she had not seen for seven years. After newspapers printed the story, her brother duly came forward and the two siblings were reunited. George Kemp reportedly quipped: "I work as a loader for BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
, but I didn't recognise Valli when she came off the plane. My, she's changed for the better".
Film and TV acting career
According to Kemp herself, she was "discovered" by eminent Australian theatre director Robert HelpmannRobert Helpmann
Sir Robert Helpmann CBE was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.-Early years:He was born Robert Murray Helpman in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer...
, who became her mentor during the early part of her career. Kemp's experience as a model allowed her to break into other media, and in addition to her numerous commercials, she obtained small roles in episodes of several Australian TV series including Riptide and You Can't See 'Round Corners (both 1969). Her first film appearance was in The Games
The Games (film)
The Games is a 1970 film based on the Hugh Atkinson novel and adapted to the screen by Erich Segal. It was directed by Michael Winner.The plot concerned four marathon competitors at a fictitious Olympic Games in Rome, played by Michael Crawford, Ryan O'Neal, Charles Aznavour, and Athol Compton...
(1970), starring Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
, which was filmed in Sydney.
After moving to London in 1970, Kemp gained more offers. In April of that year, it was reported that she had been signed to appear in the new James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)
Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
, opposite Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
and Jill St. John
Jill St. John
Jill St. John is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Tiffany Case, the lead Bond girl in Diamonds Are Forever.-Early life:...
. By her own account, Kemp also "amassed dozens of TV commercials" during this period, notably spots for Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
and Lamb's Navy Rum.
In January 1972, it was reported by UPI that Kemp had been cast in a supporting role in the forthcoming sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a 1971 horror film starring Vincent Price. Its art deco sets, dark humor and performance by Price has made the film and its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again classics.-Plot:...
, which had starred Vincent Price in the title role and Virginia North
Virginia North
Virginia North was an English-American actress who appeared in small roles in five movies and one TV program between 1967 and 1971.-Life and career:Born Virginia Anne Northrop in London to a British mother and a U.S...
as his silent assistant, Vulnavia. As the latter character had been killed off at the end of the first film, the draft screenplay for the sequel intended to introduce an entirely new character as Phibe's assistant. This, however, was revised when the film studio, AIP, insisted that the name Vulnavia be retained. The original actress, Virginia North, had since become pregnant and was therefore unable to reprise her role, which prompted the casting of Valli Kemp as a suitable replacement. Kemp recalls that she was originally given a 10-year contract, as the producers were hoping to develop a Dr. Phibes franchise, with at least four subsequent films being proposed. This series however, did not eventuate.
During this time, Kemp also made several TV appearances, including the special Mike & Bernie's Show (1972), a semi-fictitious autobiography of comedian brothers Mike and Bernie Winters, who played themselves. At the time of her marriage in August 1973 (see below), Kemp was reported to be hosting her own TV programme in London.
Notwithstanding the failure of the proposed Dr. Phibes franchise, she went on take small roles in several other films, including Rollerball
Rollerball (1975 film)
Rollerball is a 1975 American dystopian fiction film directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by William Harrison, who adapted his own short story "Roller Ball Murder", which first appeared in 1973 in Esquire magazine.-The Game:...
(1975) and The Great Muppet Caper
The Great Muppet Caper
The Great Muppet Caper is a 1981 mystery comedy film directed by Jim Henson. It is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Henson's Muppets. This film was produced by Henson Associates, ITC Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and premiered on 26 July 1981. The...
(1981), in which she appeared, appropriately enough, as a model.
In April 1981, Kemp announced her intention to return to Australia permanently, due to the "depressing state of the British film industry". She was quoted as saying: "The trouble is, in England I can make about one film a year, which I can hardly live on. The Australian movie and television business is really booming, so there will be no problem getting parts. I know most actresses try their luck in America, but I couldn't face that place". She later admitted to the Australian press that "comedy is what I like best, and I'd love to do some television work, maybe co-hosting a show".
Art and fashion design career
Shortly after moving to London, Kemp revived her earlier interest in painting. Her works during this period included a semi-abstract self-portrait, which was to be exhibited in a London disctecque. Kemp's talent for the visual arts received an unexpected boost while filming Dr. Phibes Rises Again in 1972, when her co-star Vincent Price, an art collector and art critic of some distinction, expressed interest in seeing her work. After doing so, he was sufficiently impressed to arrange for her to hold an exhibition in London, where she sold thirty paintings in two hours. She went on to became, as she put it, "an artist to the British show biz families". Amongst her celebrity clients were singer Des O'ConnorDes O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
, comedians Mike & Bernie Winters
Mike & Bernie Winters
Mike & Bernie Winters were English brothers who formed a comedy double act, consisting of Mike Winters, born Michael Weinstein and Bernie Winters, born Bernie Weinstein...
, musical entrepreneur Gordon Mills
Gordon Mills
Gordon William Mills , was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter who was born in Madras, India and grew up in Trealaw in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales...
and TV presenter Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
.
After returning to Australia in 1982, Kemp rented a house in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi and began working as a fashion designer. As he later told the press, "modelling and acting was a means of getting some money, but I think I'll get more designing – it's a daily job". In September 1984, she held her first fashion parade at Pronto, a popular restaurant and bar in the exclusive suburb of Double Bay.
Kemp continues to work as an artist and art teacher in Newcastle, north of Sydney.
Personal life
While living in London in 1971, Kemp was reported to be romantically involved with pop singer Jonathan KingJonathan King
Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...
.
In August 1973, Kemp married Robert Winsor, a 32-year-old English advertising executive, who had been introduced to her only a few months earlier by actor Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson (actor)
Richard Johnson is an English actor, writer and producer, who starred in several British films of the 1960s and has also had a distinguished stage career. He most recently appeared in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.-Life and career:...
. Kemp herself had reportedly proposed to Winsor during a voyage on a friend's yacht on the Mediterranean. She had an engagement ring specially made to her own design – a ruby in a heart-shaped setting, surrounded by diamonds. The couple wed at the Registry Office at Totteridge, near London, where Winsor was in the process of erecting a large house.
The marriage lasted only 18 months, reportedly due to the stresses of Kemp's acting commitments. The couple divorced in 1975, but remained friends. On Christmas 1976, Kemp introduced her ex-husband to her friend, actress Koo Stark
Koo Stark
Kathleen Dee-Anne Stark, better known as Koo Stark , is an American film actress and photographer. She is known for her appearance in the film Emily and subsequent relationship with Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, before his marriage to Sarah, Duchess of York.-...
, to whom he subsequently became engaged. Stark and Winsor never married; the former went on to be romantically linked to Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, while the latter married singer and TV presenter Grace Kennedy.
After Kemp returned to Australia permanently in 1985, she remarried and had three children.