S he was the No 1 box office star in the late 50s, but for decades Kim Novak, the star of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo, has lived a life of quiet seclusion. Now, at the age of 92, the last of the great, glamorous movie stars of Hollywood’s golden era is back in the spotlight. She is being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Venice film festival , where a documentary about her life and career, Kim Novak’s Vertigo, is premiering.

For Novak, it is a tribute not just to her acting but to her lifelong refusal to be controlled and manipulated by Hollywood, or anyone else.

“It’s incredible to feel appreciated and to receive this gift before the end of my life,” she says in her unmistakable husky voice when we meet on Zoom. “I think I’m being honoured as much for being

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