Career Change!


I've been putting together a travel website of Connecticut and New England as a sort of first step in exploring the possibility of generating income online. ANYWAY...in researching my lovely home state I came across a local story of the ultimate career change.
Dolores Hart, who was the recipient of Elvis' first on-screen kiss in the 1957 film Loving You, and went on to star in the 1960 cult classic, Where The Boys Are, made the ultimate career change when she left Hollywood behind to become a nun at the tender age of 25. She joined the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis, in the rolling hills of Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Here, in a 1961 interview, we can perhaps see evidence of her future inclinations when the subject turns to men and marriage:
"Every man," she said good humoredly, albeit with conviction obviously born of experience, "is guilty until proven innocent." She had men neatly pigeon-holed in two classifications—those who want to tarry and those who want to marry. Nor did she lack the sophistication to recognize that the two roles were easily interchangeable. " [A] girl has to be on guard until she gets married. She must keep a wary eye on the situation. Now when I'm tempted to relax and have a good time, I try to think of how the man may react—what he may have in mind."


For another career change story....

26 comments:

ThePeachTree said...

great post! Wasn't she just gorgeous :)

Unknown said...

Hello Marie Louise :)

Firstly, read in detail about your friend, Tierney about her photographs. Have always strong woman with guts and stand firm in what she believes in. Thanks for the link, it was really interesting.

Secondly, I agree on the guilty until proven innocent part..for sure (hahaha..). And to be a nun, that's just wow..it takes lots of faith for her to move on from the big screen to something totally of the opposite, again, great admiration for what Dolores believed in. Reading the previous post on Tierney...you seemed to have lived a very exciting life not too long ago.

cheers :)

Unknown said...

sorry, i meant to write ...have always ADMIRED strong woman..on the 2nd para.

Lydee said...

good story!

Marie Louise said...

Yes, I am looking for a second career but not sure if I would be nun material - gulp!

M.Kate - as for Tierney - I do admire the stand she has taken although I understand why people are so taken aback by her work. It has been fun to look back on those I've known. Sometimes life moves so quickly - it's nice to stop and contemplate.

SandraRee said...

Marie Louise, thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind words.

Love this post! :)

Mrs.French said...

The ultimate life change...fantastic story!

littlebyrd said...

Good story! I suppose after you kiss Elvis, well, no other man could compare, right?! I'm kidding. I love visiting your blog and seeing what you've come up with for each post - always good!

Robin said...

Trust me people, ML is not nun material.

My lovely cottage said...

amazing story. but hey, when youve been kissed by elvis no other man will do so best choise is becoming a non

Teal Chic said...

thanks for visiting my blog! what a great post. she has a quality, most in hollywood could never possess...authenticity!

Brooke Ahana Bailey said...

it strikes me how much knowledge such a young woman possessed, but it says so little about my beloved Elvis - I mean was he a bad kisser to go off men entirely?

Tongue in cheek of course.

Brooke Ahana Bailey said...

ps teal chic, I take offense to that comment about "most in Hollywood". Authenticity is anywhere you look if indeed you have it to offer.

Marie Louise said...

Littlebyrd & Lovely Cottage - you both have the same take on the story - no man can compare after kissing Elvis.

Brooke - perhaps you are right and he was a bad kisser. He went on to marry a teenager who probably wouldn't have known the difference at the time.

Elvis was known as a momma's boy - and for me, that's a deal breaker.

Robin - I may not be nun material but I look fabulous in black! ;-)

SimplyGrove said...

Great post! Very interesting story!

Unknown said...

i've no doubt you look fabulous in black... but i fear the whole *vow of poverty* might interfere with your income potential.

;)
thanks for stopping by amuse-bouche.

Hey Harriet said...

What a wonderful post about a most interesting character. Wow! That's quite a career change!

Marie Louise said...

Harriet - thanks for stopping by!

Lelly - riiiiight - the poverty thing. I was still stuck on the little matter of chastity!

High Desert Diva said...

I like your idea of earning income better...couldn't do the nun thing, myself.

please sir said...

Great idea!

Unknown said...

wow, what a change in careers!! she was such a pretty girl...but it's nice that she chose a life that would be fulfilling.
xo alison

breathing in the dreaming world said...

I've always loved her story and even looked into staying at the nunnery a few years ago. Did you know that her boyfriend became a successful Hollywood producer? He never married, saying that she was the love of his life, and still visits her on major holidays, to this day. Now that's romantic!

Laura @ the shorehouse. said...

les reveurs yeux...I was totally coming to post the same thing after i read this! There was a great, great profile of her a while back on TV...He (Don Robinson) was with her at a fundraiser - she's suffering from neuropathy and made her first trip back to Hollywood to raise awareness. They talked of being engaged (!) and how she left him to become a nun (!!). She started to cry when interviewed about Don. OMG...such an amazing story.

Teal Chic said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rumour has it said...

Hello Marie Louise, thank you so very much for your visit and nice comment! I read up here that the story of this woman is 'amazing'. Is is just because she became a nun? For the person who answers God's call and who gives his/her entire life to Him, there's nothing amazing about it! It's just as normal as to be married :D
I've been myself for 7 years a nun and I think God's humor is the most amazing: now I'm married with a former monk and we have got 3 wonderful children... But nevertheless it's a nice story about this actress and the man who never married because of her. I'll be back here. Have a good day and sunny greetings from Belgium, Marjolijn

Lorraine said...

I did not know this story. Thanks for sharing - very interesting for sure.

"It's never too late to be who you might have been." --George Eliot