Stella Quality

American actress Kim Hunter, who won an Oscar for her unforgettable portrayal of Stella Kowalski opposite Marlon Brando in the 1951 screen classic A Streetcar Named Desire, has died at the age of 79. Born Janet Cole in Detroit, her hugely varied film and stage career spanned seven decades and was kicked off when Hunter was spotted by Hollywood talent scouts while appearing in a local theatre production. With a change of name, she confirmed her star quality in Hollywood starring opposite the likes of Brando and Bogart only to be blacklisted as a communist during the red-hunting 50s. Subsequently confined mostly to stage roles, her later film appearances included the ape-woman Zira in the 1968 original Planet of the Apes as well as its two sequels. Her Planet of the Apes co-star, Charlton Heston, saluted Hunter as "a fine actress and a wonderful person," and remarked that