Suzanna Leigh was 21 when John d Green photographed her on 2 August 1966 at his Kensington studio. If you have ever looked at the photograph as it appeared in Birds of Britain in 1967 you probably wondered exactly what was that strange transparent globe which appears to rest on Suzanna’s nose. Was it a Man Ray-esque big glass tear?
A study of the session contact sheets reveals that it is actually a bubble from a child’s bubble blowing kit. At the bottom of this article you will see the proof.
Born Sandra Eileen Anne Smith, actress Suzanna Leigh changed her name whilst under the tutelage of her godmother Vivien Leigh. Her career began as a pre-teen when she appeared as an extra in several British productions. She was the love interest in the 1966 Elvis Presley film Paradise, Hawaiian Style and starred in several Hammer Horror films and other cult British horrors.
In 2000 she published her autobiography Paradise, Suzanna Style, where she wrote about her experiences working with Elvis Presley: “Elvis and I were not lovers. For all the physical attraction between us, we had kept our relationship on a platonic level; he the brother I wished I’d had; me the little sister he’s always longed for.”
She now lives in the United States.
