Karen Black was one of those actresses whose natural beauty, comic timing, sense of irony and professionalism was usually overlooked because she was distractingly, relentlessly beautiful. Karen handled complicated roles with ease and panache. Something about Karen reminds me of those esoteric, conceptual films by Andy Warhol, so popular in the 60’s, done best through Fellini’s films or the latter Swedish films of Ingmar Bergman; baroque, superficial and deeply moving all at once. Scarlet Johansson and Megan Fox remind me a little of her in today’s films.
I never thought she was beautiful. But she does star in the last film made by Hitchcock and she’s amazingly graceful in her slouch hat, raincoat and slacks. RIP, Miss Black.