In the 1962 film Walk on the Wild Side, a young Jane Fonda delivers a breakout performance as Kitty Twist, a cynical, street-smart drifter who eventually finds herself entangled in the dark world of a New Orleans brothel.
Though she wasn’t the lead, Fonda’s portrayal of the rebellious and ethically flexible Kitty showcased an early glimpse of her immense range, blending a sense of vulnerable desperation with a sharp, predatory edge. Her character serves as a gritty contrast to the more polished inhabitants of the “Doll House,” and she navigates the film’s Southern Gothic atmosphere with a raw energy that often steals the scenes she inhabits.
Dressed in tattered clothes with a messy mane of hair, Fonda embodied the “wild side” of the title perfectly, marking this role as a pivotal moment in her transition from a fresh-faced ingenue to a serious, provocative actress capable of handling complex, mature themes.
The Queen of “Useful Idiots”
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