The Ear of the Heart

Dolores Hart stunned Hollywood in 1963, when after ten highly successful feature films, she chose to enter a contemplative monastery. Now, fifty years later, Mother Dolores gives this fascinating account of her life, with co-author and life-long friend, Richard DeNeut.

Dolores was a bright and beautiful college student when she made her film debut with Elvis Presley in Paramount's 1957 Loving You. She acted in nine more movies with other big stars such as Montgomery Clift, Anthony Quinn and Myrna Loy. She also gave an award-winning performance in the Broadway play The Pleasure of His Company and appeared in two television shows, including The Virginian. A turning point in her life occurred while playing Saint Clare in the movie Francis of Assisi, which was filmed on location in Italy.

Born Dolores Hicks to a complicated and colorful Chicago family, Mother Hart has travelled a charmed yet challenging road in her journey toward God, serenity and, yes, love. She entered the Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, Conn., at the peak of her career, not in order to leave the glamorous world of acting she had dreamed of since childhood, but in order to answer a mysterious summons she heard with the "ear of the heart". While contracted for another film and engaged to be married, she gave up everything to become a bride of Christ. Lavishly illustrated with many photos.

"Listen and attend with the ear of your heart."-- Saint Benedict

Mother Dolores Hart

Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., is prioress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. A former actress, she remains a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Richard DeNeut

For many years Richard DeNeut was a publicist for the Hollywood firm Globe Photos. He co-authored actress Patricia Neal's autobiography As I Am (Simon and Schuster, 1988) and wrote the text for Inside Hollywood: 60 Years of Globe Photos (Konemann, 2001).