SPEECH MARKS / The things they say about . . . Joan Collins

Joan Collins stars in Steven Berkoff's 'Decadence', which opens this Friday.

'Britain's answer to Ava Gardner.' The Rank Organisation on signing Collins, 1952

'Maida Vale's answer to Emmanuelle.' Janet Street-Porter, Evening News, 15 May 1978

'The biggest British turn-on since natural gas.' Tony Purnell, Sunday People, 10 Feb 1980

'The tones of the mid-Fifties British starlet, best described as a pout made audible.' Philip Norman, Sunday Times, 14 Nov 1982

'Joan is superb as the superbitch Alexis in Dynasty - and she was just as good in the role at home.' Husband Ron Kass, Sunday People, 1 May 1983

'Joan did not inherit my love for housework and cooking.' Elsa, her mother, quoted in 'Joan Collins' by Jeff Rovin, 1985

'A ravine of cleavage into which men would be thrilled to leap to their deaths.' Jean Rook, Daily Express, 21 Apr 1987

'The kind of woman you expect women to hate. But they don't' Dominick Dunne, Sunday Times, 1 May 1988

'Joan Collins says she and Alexis have but two things in common. They both like clothes and they both like men. If that's true, I'm Mickey Mouse.' Hilary Kingsley, Soapbox 1988

'The critics say she can't act. But that's not the point. She's more than an actress.' Michael Harrison, a fan, Sunday Telegraph, 23 Sep 1993

'She is an icon.' Steven Berkoff, Sunday Telegraph, 23 May 1993

(Photograph omitted)