Grace Kelly

Fun Facts

In her youth growing up in the wealthy Kelly family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Dick Boccelli was one of her teenage boyfriends. “Grace knew I didn’t but that didn’t matter to her. She had a great personality, a good sense of humor, was bright, sharp and fun to be with.” Dick later became the drummer for Bill Haley and the Comets.

Living at the Barbizon Hotel for Women on Sixty-Third Street in New York City, Grace’s goal was to become self-supporting. With acting classes in the morning and modeling gigs in the afternoon, Grace became very successful very quickly. She was paid handsomely (sometimes as much as $2,000 per photo shot) promoting bug sprays, Old Gold cigarettes, Lux Toilet Soap, and live commercials hocking the latest appliances from Electrolux.

In her final year in Hollywood, Grace, nominated for Best Actress for her performance in The Country Girl, was up against Judy Garland for her role in A Star is Born. After the Oscars were awarded, Grace was sharing the post-awards ceremony with Marlon Brando (Best Actor for On the Waterfront). Afterwards, while sharing a bed with Brando at her Beverly Hills Hotel Bungalow the phone rings, and a famously slurred voice screams into the phone, “This is Judy Garland – JUDY FUCKING GARLAND YOU BITCH! You took what was rightfully mine. Tonight was my last chance for the Oscar. You’ll have many more chances in the future. This was it for me. I’ll NEVER FORGIVE YOU!” And Judy slammed down the phone.

Speaking of Brando there is a rumor that Grace enjoyed the company of men. Not true – she enjoyed the company of a LOT of men. So in the interest of time here is a condensed list of hookups: Bing Crosby, Tony Curtis, Clark Gable, William Holden, Ray Milland, Gene Lyons, Oleg Cassini, David Niven, Frank Sinatra, Prince Aly Khan (millionaire playboy who was married to Rita Hayworth), the Shah of Iran and Spencer Tracy. Not on that list include Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, and Jimmy Stewart. Co-stars yes but not lovers.

Two weeks after the official announcement of their engagement, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner published the first of a ten-part series entitled “My Daughter Grace Kelly: Her Life and Romances” by Mrs. John B. Kelly. Circulated to Hearst newspapers all across the country, Grace’s mother produced a stream of revelations regarding the men, ALL the men, in her life (no wonder it was a 10-part series). Even Prince Rainier would later confide, “how could her own mother do that?” What. A. Bitch.