Why I’d Bring Deborah Kerr Back From the Dead for One More Film

Her outstanding performances in Black Narcissus and The Innocents make her ideal for an adaptation of a ghost story penned by yours truly

Deborah Kerr in Black Narcissus (1947). Credit: General Film Distributors/BFI

(NOTE: What follows is a piece originally intended for use as part of Fanfare’s May 2025 prompt on who you’d bring back from the dead for one more film. The entire series coming up this month on Fanfare (on Medium) will feature some terrific articles from a lot of strong writers. I know, because I’m the Film Editor there. But in the meantime, here’s my contribution.)

It’s always fun to indulge in fantasy casting for adaptations of one’s novels. I expect any film version of my horror-thriller tales is a long way off at present, but I still imagine who might play my imperilled heroine protagonists caught up in the sinister, often supernaturally tinged mysteries that are my mainstay as a writer. This month’s Fanfare prompt also gives me the ideal excuse to take this a step further and resurrect one of my all-time favourites: Deborah Kerr.