An actress in one of my favorite movies passed away earlier this year. That actress was Anne Francis. She starred in the movie Forbidden Planet. The movie is a sci-fi cult classic. She played the character Altaira Morbius the beautiful daughter of Dr. Edward Morbius. The two were the only survivors of a scientific expedition to a planet located in a far away galaxy where a hideous monster roamed. I will not go into full detail about the movie. However if you are a sci-fi movie fan, I recommend you rent it.
Ann played Altaira barefoot through out the whole movie. For a guy like me who has a foot fetish, you understand why Forbidden Planet is a favorite. I will add if you are a fan of ladies being barefoot in movies, rent it. I have to say after seeing the movie many times, Anne being barefoot is not the only reason I this movie is a favorite. It is also the way Ann played her role. Altaira, was intelligent, strong, and independent along with be exotic. I liked her outfits which accented her qualities. Altaira was sexy. Those same qualities were in Anne’s role as the TV private detective Honey West. I loved how she used her martial arts skills to subdue the bad guys in the show. At the time the show was aired to me Honey West was like a female James Bond.
Those character traits that Anne put into her characters also inspired me for my book heroine the Barefoot Burglar. In 2007 after the Barefoot Burglar was first published I wrote Ann a letter. I had been intrigued with what inspired Anne to play Altaira barefoot. I asked about that in my letter. Anne’s response was that she wanted to feel free and not bound by anything in the world, which was why Altaira was barefoot. Her words fueled my inspiration to write more stories with barefooted heroines. Ann Francis was truly an inspiration to me. Much Love Anne, Rest in Peace.
