Belinda Lee - Blue Plaque
Belinda Lee was an actress in the 1950's who was born in Budleigh Salterton on 15 June 1935. Â
Her parents, Robert Lee and Stella Graham, owned the Rosemullion Hotel in the town. The hotel was located in a prominent location at the top of Cliff Road overlooking Budleigh Bay. The hotel was demolished in the 1980's to make way for the Rosemullion Flats which continue to have wonderful views towards the beach.
Belinda Lee studied at St Margaret’s Boarding School in Exeter and then at the Tudor Arts Academy in Surrey.  At the age of 18, she had her first film role with The Runaway Bus which starred Frankie Howerd, Margaret Rutherford and Petula Clark. While working on the film, Belinda met Cornel Lucas who was a still photographer on the set. They married later that year in June 1954.
In 1955, Belinda signed a contract with The Rank Organisation and by June 1956 had made nine films, six of which were for Rank.
In 1957 Belinda was working in Italy when she met Prince Filippo Orsini, head of the Italian Orsini family. Her romance with the married prince resulted in her leaving her husband later that year. In 1958 there was a scandal when both Belinda and Filippo were admitted to hospital - Belinda with an overdose of sleeping pills and the prince with cuts to his wrists. Both survived and denied any suicide pact, and their love affair continue until the relationship ended in 1960.
On 12 March 1961, Belinda was a passenger in a car on her way from Las Vegas to Los Angeles when a tyre blew causing the car to skid. Although the other three men in the car were uninjured, Belinda was thrown from the car and was found lying 63 feet away. She was pronounced dead at the age of just 25.
References: Wikipedia
