Simone Silva Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Simone Silva (1928-1957) was a budding screen actress with a tragic end, notable for her career quickly declining before it could ever truly begin. Known less for her acting and more for her appearance, Silva desired fame greatly, and was often cited as doing anything to get in the public eye. She began by appearing in a number of British B-films in mostly minor parts without obtaining any critical popularity. In an attempt to garner attention, Silva traveled to the 1954 Cannes Film Festival and was promptly named the title of "Miss Festival 1954".  When asked to pose for press photographs shortly after, Silva removed her top, and took photographs while cupping her breasts. The act was astonishing to photographers and caused quite a publicity stir, but was disliked by the festival committee, claiming that the publicity stunt was tacky. They asked Silva to leave the festival, shaming the actress. Afterwards, she traveled to the U.S. to use her newfound publicity, but had trouble picking up steady work, due to several contract issues, reported weight gain and immigration policies. Her career never picked up after the Cannes incident, and Silva died at age 29 from a stroke, with friends citing extreme crash diets as a possible factor to her early demise.