Cocaine Princess here.
For the past week or so I pondered and pondered what to post on what is considered the most romantic day on the calendar year, until one night I was channel surfing and came across a documentary titled “God Is The Bigger Elvis.” After watching it I decided it would make a good entry for February 14th. You're probably thinking, God? Elvis? How does this relate to that naked chubby angel and his arrow of love? Well, in some way it does because if anything this is a documentary about an unusual love story. The 40 minute Academy Award Nominated for best documentary attempts to explain why former Hollywood actress Dolores Hart who co~starred with Elvis Presley in the 1957 film “Loving You,” left Hollywood at age 24 to become a cloistered Benedictine nun-- a decision that stunned friends, fans and most notably her fiancé.
Dolores Hart (pictured above) is now the Mother Prioress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. She explained she was in New York when exhaustion and fatigue set in after doing nightly shows on Broadway. It was during this time her friend suggested she head to the Abbey for the weekend to relax. At first she hesitated, being surrounded by nuns was the last place she’d ever want to be but went anyways. Little did she know that trip would change her life for it was there she felt more at peace than ever. At one point during her stay Dolores questioned the Reverend Mother if perhaps being a nun was her calling? Reverend Mother replied it wasn’t and told her to return to Hollywood.
-Dolores Hart with George Hamilton (Where The Boys Are)
Returning to the film industry, Dolores continued making films with some of Hollywood’s A-listers: Marlon Brando, George Peppard, Montgomery Clift and once more with Elvis Presley in “King Creole.” She became engaged to architect Don Robinson who makes an appearance in the documentary. He says: “From the moment I met her I knew I could relax with her and after dinner on our first date I proposed.” Dolores responded she needed time with her answer and Don replied that she could take all time she needed for he would always wait for her. Although eventually she said yes, Dolores’ still had unresolved feelings for the religious life. When asked if she prayed to get the lead with Elvis, she answers wearing her nun's habit which are the only clothes she possesses to this day, “You bet your sweet I did.”
As wedding preparations began, Dolores received a letter from the Abbey asking if she was still interested in becoming a nun and if so there was an opening. That same evening as Don and her were heading out to an engagement party being thrown in their honor she dropped a bombshell to her fiancé when asked why she’d been so distant with him all day. The look on Don’s face as he re-tells the story of that night in the documentary is heartbreaking that one can’t help but feel a lump in their throat. With tears in her eyes Mother Prioress (Dolores) says upon remembering that night, “How do you explain God? How do you explain love?”
So what made this actress who was billed as the next Grace Kelly leave Hollywood and her fiancé for the cloistered life of a nun? Mother Prioress says, “Because of the capacity it offered for true communion with God.”
Sometimes we forget that nuns were once regular people before they made the decision to devote their lives to God. The use of archival footage and photos, tracing the course of several decades, makes you realize that all of the nuns at the Abbey were once very much in the same position as Dolores. Director Rebecca Cammisa and producer Julie Anderson briefly speak to another nun, Laura Adshead, jet-set society girl and the ex-girlfriend to British PM David Cameron who left it all to surrender herself to God. Another nun tells the reason for leaving her spouse was so she could make a spousal commitment to God instead.
What’s interesting is all the nuns on camera said the same thing, they all felt it was their calling. Life inside the Abbey is also shown and I don't think I have to tell you the monastic life is not for this Princess. Aside from the one obvious big thing, you must cut your hair, sing hymns 7 times a day on top of the 3 periods of silence each day, listen and offer hope and faith to those who are in need of it no matter how bad of a day you’re having and if you happen to be having a bad day, there’s no much you can do other than pray.
It was her continued communication with her ex~fiancé Don Robinson that acted as a bridge between her former life and the one she leads now. Up until his death in November 2011 for the past 47 years Don made frequent visits to the Abbey. He says on camera he never married and admits it’s because he never found anyone like Dolores. “There’s no one that can ever replace her.”
There's an intense moment towards the end when Dolores and Don are walking hand in hand in the garden of the abbey and although she says she has found something of peace there's the look of anguish on her face, perhaps she still struggles between the marriage of Christ and that of marriage to man or maybe deep inside she hasn’t gotten over Don, after all True Love Never Dies.
If you're interested in watching the documentary click here.
The song ♥Love Me Tender♥ from the film “Loving You”
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How do you explain love? Is it something that comes walking in and attacks you without any warning? How do you put into words the feeling love brings you? I've always believed love is something that can't be explained or put into words. You see, love is something you feel and some feelings are impossible to describe.
My lovelies, for those of you with a Valentine~
Love, Kiss & Embrace Your Beloved.
Get Naked & Misbehave, Not Just Today But Everyday.
Whatever You Do & However You Celebrate This Day, Make Sure It
Come Straight From The Heart.
For any lonely soul who thinks Cupid has forgotten about them, no, dear Cupid hasn't forgotten about you. For every lock there is a key and when the time is right that key will unlock your heart but only Cupid knows when. See, the angel of love operates on the universe’s time, so just hold on.
Just as I pondered what to post today I couldn't decide what song to post. So many songs were running though my mind: Rhianna's song Diamonds, Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars, Arms by Christina Perri, Whitesnake's Is It Love or something from Madonna or Duran Duran.....the list kept just growing. In the end I went with my heart's choice, my all time favorite Euro song. I love the lyrics and the music, I love the way she sings it and I love dancing to it.
And finally~
My loyal and dear readers, Happy Valentine's Day.
Whatever your plans are have a loving weekend. ~x
XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess
