"Peace, peace, perfect peace." ~ Kay Sheldon
In 1948 Carole starred in the British crime mystery Brass Monkey (also known as The Lucky Maskot). She had the leading role of Kay Sheldon, an American singer who gets mixed up with a murder while searching for a valuable brass statue. This was the first of two movies she made in England. The cast includes Carroll Levis (who plays himself), Edward Underdown (as Carole's love interest), Terry Thomas, Avril Angers, Herbert Lom, and Henry Edwards. Brass Monkey was directed by Thornton Freeland. It was filmed at Twickenham Studios in London between September and November of 1947.
Carole and Carroll Levis
Several scenes were filmed on the British ocean liner RMS Mauretania which was docked in Southampton. Carole was paid $30,000 for her role. The long beaded dress she wears in the film was from her Broadway show A Lady Say Yes. She sings the ballad "I Know Myself Too Well" and briefly plays the piano. Brass Monkey was released in England in December of 1948 but it was not released in the United States until October of 1951 (three years after Carole died). Unfortunately it got mixed reviews and was not a box-office hit.
Brass Monkey is available on DVD
