Belita in Gene Kelly’s dance extravaganza Invitation to the Dance, 1956.
Belita Jepson Turner was an English ice skater with ballet training. She represented the UK at the 1936 Winter Olympics. Years later she was on an exhibition tour of the US when WWII broke out. She stayed in the US, continuing to skate until a talent scout convinced her to sign a movie contract with Republic Pictures. During the Forties she starred in several film noir B-pictures that have gained recognition with the film noir revival, but she was not much interested in being a movie star. Invitation to the Dance was her last American film. After that she returned to skating in touring ice shows.
