Anne Heywood, born Violet Pretty, was a stunning English brunette who won the prestigious title of "Miss Great Britain" in 1950 at the tender age of 17. Born on December 11, 1931, she was the daughter of a violinist and initially trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Anne gained early experience on the stage with the Highbury Players in Birmingham and transitioned to television work. The Rank Organization took notice of her talent and offered her a seven-year contract, during which she was relegated to playing "nice girl" types in the 1950s and 1960s.
Anne's film career was marked by controversy, as she seemed drawn to complex, troubled characters. She gained immense popularity among Italian audiences and, although she didn't resonate with American filmgoers, she did generate curiosity with her performances in films like the pioneering lesbian drama "The Fox" (1967). Starring alongside Sandy Dennis, Anne and Sandy portrayed an unhappy, isolated couple whose relationship was irreparably shattered by the arrival of a handsome stranger (Keir Dullea). The film's publicity was further fueled by a nude and auto-erotic spread in Playboy magazine, which appeared just before the film's release.
At the height of the film's popularity, Anne earned a "Best Actress" nomination and "The Fox" won the "Best Foreign Film" Golden Globe Award. Anne's husband, producer Raymond Stross, was instrumental in reshaping her image through his work on films like "The Night Fighters" (1960),"The Very Edge" (1963),"90 Degrees in the Shade" (1965),"Midas Run" (1969),"I Want What I Want" (1972),and "Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff" (1979). Despite being aggressively promoted, Anne remained a distinct European film product. Her last television appearance was in the "The Equalizer" series in 1985.
After her husband's passing in 1988, Anne remarried and retreated from the public eye. She and her new husband, a former New York Assistant Attorney General, settled in Beverly Hills.
