By Tom Lisanti
Over the past year, a number of 60s personalities have died, but the one that has most saddened me is Jill Haworth who died in her sleep earlier this week. She was one of my most favorite interviews, as she graciously invited me into her home in 1999. She was just so saucy and honest, holding nothing back. What makes it even sadder for me is that I am reading the new entertaining Sal Mineo bio by Michael Gregg Machaud and Jill is quoted extensively throughout as she had a long romance with the actor.
Petite blonde Jill Haworth made three movies while under personal contract to Otto Preminger--Exodus (where she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Female Newcomer), The Cardinal, In Harm's Way--before going freelance. After starring in the British horror movie It! she landed the role of Sally Bowles on Broadway in Cabaret. The musical was a huge hit and Jill remained in the role for 2 1/2 years.
Surprisingly, when she returned to Hollywood in 1969 all she could get were TV guest spots and horror films, theatrical and made-for-TV, including one that gave me the creeps as a kid, Home for the Holidays. Though Jill never stepped on a Broadway stage again, she did do regional theater during the late 70s and 80s and then concentrated solely on voice over work. She did one last movie Mergers & Acquisitions in 2000 playing a loopy ex-hippie mother of two competing sons. She stole the movie.
Below are some of Jill's sassiest comments to me:
When asked what she thought of John Wayne from In Harm's Way.
"He was the meanest, nastiest man with the worst attitude I ever worked with."
Asked why she stayed in Cabaret so long, she jokingly replied:
"Just to spite Walter Kerr." (Who in his NY Times review said "the musical's one wrong note is Jill Haworth whose worth no more to the show than her weight in mascara.")
When asked if she ever had a chance to play Sally in the film version of Cabaret, she said:
"No, they always wanted Liza Minelli for the movie. She's still doing the movie!"
When Cabaret was revived on Broadway in 2000 with Natasha Richardson and Alan Cummings, Jill was miffed that she was not invited to the opening. When I said "maybe they couldn't find you", she snapped, "I have only been living in the same apartment since 1966!"
Jill never let her stardom go to her head. She was in awe of her Sutton Place neighbor Greta Garbo who walked her dog almost the same time Jill would walk hers. But Jill was too shy to ever say anything. After Cabaret opened, she passed the reclusive star who said, "Good morning Miss Haworth" to which Jill replied, "Good morning Miss Garbo." Jill told me that was worth more to her than anything.
Finally, I received one of the nicest compliments from her after my book Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema (now available in soft cover at www.sixtiescinema.com) was released. She called to thank me for including her and told me that of all the interviews she had given, the piece I wrote really sounded like her and she appreciated that. Farewell dear Jill.
