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Post by topbilled on Jul 6, 2024 14:09:27 GMT
Celia Johnson
Celia Johnson started performing in public at the age of eight, playing in charity benefits. When she was old enough to start earning a living for herself, she decided acting was something she should do full-time– because she knew she was good at it. By the time she began making films, she was even better. She not only brought her extensive stage experience to the cinema, but she also brought a much-needed wisdom that was welcomed on screen during WWII. She appeared in Noel Coward’s IN WHICH WE SERVE, and this led to her most highly regarded part as a tempted housewife in Coward’s other production, BRIEF ENCOUNTER. David Lean directed Celia and leading man Trevor Howard, and their unconventional “love story” was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Years later, in observance of what would have been Celia’s 100th birthday, one of her daughters remarked how this performance ensured her mother’s work as an actress would not be forgotten. After the war, she remained off screen for the next five years and concentrated on the raising of her daughters. In the early 50s, there were more roles on stage, and she returned to moviemaking in another collaboration with Noel Coward. They costarred in THE ASTONISHED HEART, based on one of his shorter plays, about a wife who must contend with the fact her doctor husband has fallen for a patient. The following year Celia was nominated for a BAFTA as Best Actress in Basil Dearden’s I BELIEVE IN YOU; and two years later, she had another nomination for her work in a comedy with Alec Guinness. Celia finally earned a BAFTA for her supporting work in the 1969 film version of THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE. She was cast as Miss Mackay, the austere headmistress of an all-girls school, opposite Maggie Smith who portrayed a controversial instructor. Four years later, Celia received another award for her work in a telefilm called MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT. She continued to act for the next decade, mostly on television, and was nominated two more times in the early 1980s.
 Suggested Viewing:IN WHICH WE SERVE (1942)THIS HAPPY BREED (1944)
BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945)
THE ASTONISHED HEART (1950)I BELIEVE IN YOU (1951)
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952)THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE (1953)A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS (1955)THE GOOD COMPANIONS (1957)THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969)
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Post by christine on Jul 6, 2024 15:57:40 GMT
I like Celia Johnson and have seen most of the movies on the list - I haven't seen THE ASTONISHED HEART 1950, I BELIEVE IN YOU 1951, THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE 1953 or A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS 1955. I'll have to keep my eye out for those films.
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Post by topbilled on Jul 7, 2024 11:00:37 GMT
Richard Greene
Richard Greene’s parents and grandparents were actors. He continued the family tradition and was on stage at the age of 15 in a production of Julius Caesar. By 18, he was touring Britain with a theatrical company. He gained success early as the juvenile lead in Terence Rattigan’s first play ‘French without Tears,’ which also established Rex Harrison as a star. Richard’s success in Rattigan’s play brought him to the attention of British and American film execs. When he wasn’t appearing on stage, he was also working as a model. So his acting talent and good looks made him a fit for 20th Century Fox, the studio that signed him. Richard moved to America in 1938, and he was quickly featured in several motion pictures that year. His debut occurred in John Ford’s FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER, costarring Loretta Young. He and Young were paired up again in KENTUCKY, a horse-racing story. And there were also a role in another Ford film, SUBMARINE PATROL; plus he had the lead in a Sonja Henie picture. The young actor was equally busy in 1939. He had a role in Fox’s THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. There was above-the-title billing with Spencer Tracy in the studio’s adventure biopic STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE. And he also appeared with Shirley Temple and Anita Louise in THE LITTLE PRINCESS. A short time later Richard Greene would go off to the military, when Britain entered the war. Leaving Hollywood to voluntarily serve in the war was considered the patriotic thing to do. However, his movie career would lose significant momentum. There were still pictures during the war years– he was occasionally granted furloughs to make British propaganda films. These included one with Anna Neagle, and another one with Richard’s wife Patricia Medina. After the war, he and Patricia returned to America because she had been signed by Fox. During this time, he worked for Fox again– in FOREVER AMBER and THE FAN. But then he began to freelance, and in the early 50s found himself typecast in swashbucklers. His greatest fame as a swashbuckler came in 1955 when he was lured back to England to star in a weekly television series about Robin Hood. The Adventures of Robin Hood ran for five seasons and made him more popular than he had been in movies. After the show ceased production, he appeared in a feature film version produced by Hammer Films called SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST. It was also a hit with audiences. He then took a break from acting for several years and traveled with his second wife and young daughter. In the late 60s, he returned in some Hammer horror films with Christopher Lee. And in 1972, he made his last film by appearing in a segment of TALES FROM THE CRYPT for Fox. Suggested Viewing:FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER (1938)KENTUCKY (1938)THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1939)HERE I AM A STRANGER (1939)I WAS AN ADVENTURESS (1940)UNPUBLISHED STORY (1942)YELLOW CANARY (1943)FOREVER AMBER (1947)THE DESERT HAWK (1950)THE BLACK CASTLE (1952)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 7, 2024 17:16:33 GMT
Group 3: They're Irish
Richard Todd; Una O’Connor; Barry Fitzgerald; Kathleen Ryan; Dan O’Herlihy; Sara Allgood; Kieron Moore
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Post by topbilled on Jul 8, 2024 15:51:40 GMT
Richard Todd
Richard Todd was born in Dublin, the son of a doctor. He spent part of his childhood in India and learned to appreciate what the world had to offer. When he was old enough, he briefly considered a military career, but then decided on acting and went to London to study. In the late 1930s he was gaining experience in Shakespearean roles when the war intervened. After his military service Richard went back to the theater. He continued to hone his craft and in the process was discovered by a talent agent for a British film studio. They signed him to a long-term contract in 1948. Things moved quickly after this– he appeared in his first film, then was given the lead in a stage production of THE HASTY HEART. Jack Warner saw Richard’s performance and requested his services for the Hollywood movie version. Soon Richard left England and arrived in Los Angeles. Richard’s work in Warners’ adaptation of THE HASTY HEART earned him an Oscar nomination. His new studio then cast him in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller STAGE FRIGHT where he acted opposite Jane Wyman and Marlene Dietrich. There was another follow-up at Warners in King Vidor’s LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. He continued to make American films during the next few years. After Warners, he worked for Disney and also for 20th Century Fox. At Fox he appeared with Bette Davis and Joan Collins in THE VIRGIN QUEEN; and he also portrayed the title character in A MAN CALLED PETER. Eventually Richard returned to Britain where he would have even greater success on the big screen. He did a fine job in the British war film THE DAM BUSTERS; there was a memorable turn in THE YANGTSE INCIDENT for producer Herbert Wilcox; and he did another picture for Fox supporting Jean Seberg in SAINT JOAN. Fox also hired him to play a soldier in its all-star war film THE LONGEST DAY. In later years, after his movie career had gone into decline, Richard did voice-over narration and took special guest roles on television series like Murder, She Wrote. Suggested Viewing:THE HASTY HEART (1949)STAGE FRIGHT (1950)FLESH AND BLOOD (1951)LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE (1951)THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRIE MEN (1952)THE SWORD AND THE ROSE (1953)A MAN CALLED PETER (1955)THE VIRGIN QUEEN (1955)THE DAM BUSTERS (1955)CHASE A CROOKED SHADOW (1958)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 9, 2024 14:21:16 GMT
Una O'Connor
Belfast native Una O’Connor is remembered for her expressive eyes. The stage-trained actress did not begin her career until she was in her early 30s. She learned how to create flesh-and-blood characters in the theater, often with the most minimal script description or direction. This skill would serve her well when she started making movies. An early sound picture for Una was Alfred Hitchcock’s MURDER!, made in Britain in 1930. It didn’t take long for other directors to see what a valuable addition she was to any feature film in which she was cast. Though she had spent many years struggling to get noticed, her talent was obvious. And eventually Noel Coward wrote the part of an independent maid for her in his play CAVALCADE, which brought her real and lasting success. Fox made the story into a motion picture, and Una gladly repeated the performance in the studio’s screen adaptation. After CAVALCADE, Una decided to remain in Hollywood. She hit her stride playing quirky comical characters in films with spooky settings during the mid-1930s. At Universal she worked with director James Whale in THE INVISIBLE MAN and in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Both became cult classics and her acting in them stands out. She went on to appear in other notable Hollywood productions, including a role in David Selznick’s version of LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY. In between films Una continued to work on stage. She had become typecast in servant roles but didn’t seem to mind. When television came along in the late 1940s, many film stars felt the new medium was beneath them. Not Una. She saw it as an important field of employment which allowed her to play in a variety of productions. She also liked how television required her to combine the skills she had developed on the stage and in films. Occasionally, she still made movies.
Though failing health curtailed her activities in the last few years of her life, she did manage turn up in Billy Wilder’s WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION as (what else) a prosecution witness, a role she'd done in the theater. Suggested Viewing:MURDER! (1930)CAVALCADE (1933)THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933)DAVID COPPERFIELD (1935)THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)THE INFORMER (1935)LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY (1936)THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS (1937)THE SEA HAWK (1940)WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 10, 2024 14:45:52 GMT
Barry Fitzgerald
Barry Fitzgerald made motion picture history when he was nominated in two major acting categories for the same performance. It was for his work in Paramount’s hit film GOING MY WAY, in which he played an older priest whose ways of thinking are challenged by a younger colleague (Bing Crosby). Barry ended up receiving the award in the supporting category, while Bing was honored as the lead. Soon after, Academy rules changed preventing any performer from being nominated more than once for a single role. Because of his Oscar performance in GOING MY WAY, Barry became a household name. But it wasn’t always that way. He spent years in his native Ireland working as a civil service employee by day and acting on stage at night. He eventually became an esteemed member of Ireland’s national theater, and only then did he feel comfortable enough to quit his day job. In the late 1920s he went to London to explore opportunities there. He was cast in an early sound film directed by Alfred Hitchcock but other movie roles were not forthcoming. He continued to work in various stage productions, and finally in 1936, he was given the chance to go to Hollywood to appear in John Ford’s version of THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS, written by renowned Irish playwright Sean O’Casey– a man Barry had once lived with. After filming was completed, Ford used Barry again in another picture at Fox. And from this point forward Barry became an ‘unofficial’ member of the John Ford stock company. After signing a contract with Paramount, Barry began to find the kinds of roles he was born to play. He costarred in THE STORK CLUB with Betty Hutton; he worked with Barbara Stanwyck and Ray Milland in the robust Technicolor western CALIFORNIA; and he made several other romantic comedies with Bing Crosby. Barry’s career was at its peak, and when he wasn’t on movie sets, he relaxed by playing golf and enjoying his favorite ale. In the early 50s, he slowed down a bit, but there were a few other memorable turns. He costarred with Yvonne De Carlo in SILVER CITY; and his old boss John Ford hired him for a supporting role in Republic’s THE QUIET MAN, which took him back to Ireland for on-location shooting. In the mid-50s Barry did a bit of television– he had a notable role in a Christmas-themed episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents; and then he worked with Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine in THE CATERED AFFAIR.
By the later part of the decade, his health was in decline. The only logical thing for him to do was to go back to Ireland, and that is where he passed away. But oh, the times he had in Hollywood! Suggested Viewing:
THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS (1937)BRINGING UP BABY (1938)THE LONG VOYAGE HOME (1940)GOING MY WAY (1944)AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945)THE STORK CLUB (1945)CALIFORNIA (1947)THE NAKED CITY (1948)THE STORY OF SEA BISCUIT (1949)THE QUIET MAN (1952)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 11, 2024 13:52:09 GMT
Kathleen Ryan
Kathleen Ryan was considered one of the most beautiful women of Ireland in the 1940s. Before she decided to give acting a shot, she was a popular model for portraitists. She would pose for artists while she was attending college; and some of the paintings with her as a subject are in museums today. As she finished her schooling, she wed a young man who had been studying to be a doctor and they settled into married life. But after the war, Kathleen was given the opportunity to appear in motion pictures. It meant leaving her native Ireland and relocating to London (at least part-time). For her debut, she made a biographical drama with Stewart Granger. Then she was cast in what would be her most important role in Carol Reed’s classic crime film ODD MAN OUT. Kathleen became a bonafide star after it was released.
She followed this with assignments in other British films, including one with Dirk Bogarde where she was billed first, as well as another with Fredric March.In 1950 she made her first Hollywood film– it was THE SOUND OF FURY, a prison break story with Frank Lovejoy and Richard Carlson. Around this time she had also worked for American director Edward Dmytryk in the neorealist drama GIVE US THIS DAY; though that picture was made in England because he was blacklisted at the time. She would make another Hollywood film in the mid-50s, when Douglas Sirk cast her in his historical drama CAPTAIN LIGHTFOOT, which was filmed on location in Ireland. Usually when Kathleen wasn’t working on movies, she returned to her home in Ireland where she lived with her husband. She only made one television program– it was an episode for Douglas Fairbanks Jr.’s British anthology series. He told a TV columnist he personally selected her to appear with him in a story about Ireland, because he wanted an authentic Irish actress who was beautiful, warm and sincere. Suggested Viewing:CAPTAIN BOYCOTT (1947)ODD MAN OUT (1947)ESTHER WATERS (1948)CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (1949)GIVE US THIS DAY (1949)PRELUDE TO FAME (1950)THE SOUND OF FURY (1950)LAXDALE HALL (1953)CAPTAIN LIGHTFOOT (1955)JACQUELINE (1956)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 12, 2024 15:47:20 GMT
Dan O'Herlihy
Dan O’Herlihy usually played supporting roles in films. But every so often, there was a lead in a good picture; and for one of those, he received an Oscar nomination. It was 1954’s independently produced version of ROBINSON CRUSOE. Originally the financial backers of the film wanted Orson Welles to play the title character, but director Luis Bunuel insisted on hiring Dan O’Herlihy. This was after he had seen the Irish-born actor’s work in Welles’ recent adaptation of MACBETH. Dan was trained in the theater, and like other prominent actors who honed their craft during those years in Dublin, he apprenticed under Sean O’Casey. After appearing in one of the dramatist’s plays, Dan quickly caught on with the public. Critics were enamored with his acting style, and more important roles came his way. Within a very short time he was in London, where he had a part in Carol Reed’s ODD MAN OUT and another role in HUNGRY HILL. A year later Dan was working in Hollywood. It was a fast climb for him, but his talent sustained the rapid advancement of his career. In addition to the films with Welles and Bunuel, he had other successes in America. These included a film noir at Universal; a western for United Artists; and a war film at Fox. Many of these were supporting roles but he remained very much in demand for the types of characters in which he specialized. Typically he portrayed authority figures or men with a great deal of influence (and resilience). After his nomination for the Bunuel film, which was produced in Mexico, he still did not become an ‘A’ list star. Dan next appeared in THE VIRGIN QUEEN at Fox; as well as Warners’ HOME BEFORE DARK, where he was very effective as Jean Simmons’ philandering husband. In the meantime he would return to the stage and took jobs on television shows. His feature film appearances, though, would continue until the late 1990s. He played the role of ‘The Old Man’ in the ROBOCOP franchise. Dan was a survivor, just like Robinson Crusoe had been. Suggested Viewing:
HUNGRY HILL (1947)MACBETH (1948)KIDNAPPED (1948)SOLDIERS THREE (1951)ROBINSON CRUSOE (1954)THAT WOMAN OPPOSITE (1957)HOME BEFORE DARK (1958)A TERRIBLE BEAUTY (1960)ONE FOOT IN HELL (1960)THE CABINET OF CALIGARI (1962)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 13, 2024 12:43:33 GMT
Sara Allgood
Sara Allgood lost her father when she was sixteen. This required Sara to quit school and take a job to help support the family. Some of her younger siblings were placed in an orphanage. She stayed in touch with a sister named Mary, and when they were a bit older they pursued careers in the Irish theater. Both eventually became successful as actresses.For quite a few years Sara and Maire (Mary’s stage name) worked for a national theater group in Dublin. Like many of their contemporaries, they relocated to London to find other stage work and opportunities in the British motion picture industry. During the 1930s, the Allgood sisters found roles in the cinema, and in addition to separate ventures, they appeared in four films together.
Sara starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s early sound film JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, and she worked for Hitch in other movies. She continued to find steady employment, usually typecast in servant roles that made good use of her Irish accent. One particularly delightful performance had her appearing opposite Rex Harrison and Vivien Leigh in the political satire STORM IN A TEACUP.By the end of the decade Sara was seeking the chance to go to Hollywood. A production she did had gone to Broadway and a short time later she toured America with the show. She eventually made her way to California and landed a part in John Ford’s HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY.
It led to an Oscar nomination and a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. For the next several years, Sara played all kinds of character parts at the studio. She was Carole Landis’ tough-talking aunt who owned a baseball team in IT HAPPENED IN FLATBLUSH; she had a soft spot for Ida Lupino’s father in LIFE BEGINS AT EIGHT-THIRTY; and she played Bessie in JANE EYRE.In the mid-40 she began to freelance. Sara turned in outstanding performances in THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF UNCLE HARRY (as a housekeeper); and in THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (as Ethel Barrymore’s verbally abused nurse).
During this time she became a U.S. citizen and continued to make movies until her passing in 1950. Her last screen appearance occurred in Fox’s original version of CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN.Suggested Viewing:JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (1930)IRISH HEARTS (1934)STORM IN A TEACUP (1937)HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1940)DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1941)IT HAPPENED IN FLATBUSH (1942)LIFE BEGINS AT EIGHT-THIRTY (1942)THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF UNCLE HARRY (1945)THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946)CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 14, 2024 13:05:08 GMT
Kieron Moore
Kieron Moore grew up in a home that fostered an appreciation for literature and the arts. His father was a linguist, a sister became a radio performer, and a brother was a music director. Kieron had wanted to be a doctor but dropped his studies in medicine when an opportunity came along to join Ireland’s national theater. He quickly established himself, and at age 19 was playing Heathcliff in a version of ‘Wuthering Heights.’ He took his skills to London and after a successful run in another stage production, he was signed to a movie contract. The bosses at the studio felt he could convincingly play romantic leads as well as villains. After the war, Kieron made his movie debut, and during one of the first pictures he did, he fell in love with a female costar (Barbara White) and they married. It was a union that would last sixty years until Kieron’s death. Back on screen he had an ill-fated romance with Vivien Leigh in a remake of ANNA KARENINA, where he played Count Vronsky. Hollywood production companies were taking notice of Kieron, and they requested his services in a few American films. He costarred alongside Burt Lancaster in a Columbia western called TEN TALL MEN; and he worked with Gregory Peck in Fox’s biblical epic DAVID AND BATHSHEBA. Peck became a lifelong friend, and they would reunite on screen in the 60s for ARABESQUE. After his experiences in Hollywood, Kieron returned to London where he continued to appear in top-drawer films, usually as the lead. Occasionally Kieron branched out and attempted other kinds of roles. He tried his hand at a few Hammer horror films, and in Ronald Neame’s heist drama THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN he played a gay crook who also happened to be a fascist. After this he did some war films and westerns, plus there were appearances on British television programs. But in 1974, Kieron quit acting and turned his efforts towards humanitarian causes. He did some voice-over work on documentaries about the plight of people in third world countries.
 Suggested Viewing:
MINE OWN EXECUTIONER (1947)ANNA KARENINA (1948)THE NAKED HEART (1950)DAVID AND BATHSHEBA (1951)TEN TALL MEN (1951)CONFLICT OF WINGS (1954)THE BLUE PETER (1955)THE STEEL BAYONET (1957)DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE (1959)THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN (1960)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 15, 2024 13:49:03 GMT
Group 4: Oscar-Winning Actresses
Celeste Holm; Geraldine Page; Dorothy Malone; Kim Hunter; Gloria Grahame; Judy Holliday; Gale Sondergaard
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Post by topbilled on Jul 15, 2024 17:02:41 GMT
Celeste Holm
Though she did not have the best relationship with her sons or some of the leading ladies she worked with, Celeste Holm did remain in good standing with producers and directors who appreciated her considerable talents. She came from a privileged background, jet-setting around the globe with her parents and finally settling in Chicago where she would receive a private education. In school she took up the classics and fell in love with the stage. In the late 1930s Celeste had some minor success on Broadway. This opened doors for her, and within a few years, she had moved up the ranks. She became known for her skills in lighter material, notably in musical comedies. She had a supporting role in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s long-running smash Oklahoma! and became very popular during that time. The talent scouts from 20th Century Fox were paying attention. After Fox offered her a contract, Celeste relocated to Hollywood.  Her first two films continued in the vein of light musical comedy. She was in THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE with June Haver and Vera-Ellen; then in the robust musical CARNIVAL IN COSTA RICA which starred Vera-Ellen again with Dick Haymes. It wasn’t until shortly afterward that Celeste began to earn plaudits for her more serious work at Fox– with a strong supporting role in Elia Kazan’s social message drama GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT.
She received an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. More excellent roles followed. She appeared with Loretta Young in COME TO THE STABLE (a second nomination); and in ALL ABOUT EVE (another nomination). By 1950 Celeste felt restricted by her contract at Fox and begged out. She was technically off contract when Joseph Mankiewicz decided he wanted her for EVE. She did not hit it off with Bette Davis, but Mankiewicz made sure Celeste remained in the picture. However, she would not work for Fox again until over a decade later.
She took five years off from movies, finally resurfacing at MGM in two films with Frank Sinatra: THE TENDER TRAP and HIGH SOCIETY. Again, she was back to playing lighter material, and though she previously had some leads at Fox, she would now remain in supporting roles. There were a few unsuccessful attempts at headlining her own sitcom. When those efforts failed, she took guest roles and smaller parts on the big screen. In the 1980s she had a recurring role on the CBS sudser Falcon Crest but clashed with Jane Wyman and was soon written out.
She bounced back with a part in the motion picture comedy THREE MEN AND A BABY. In the 90s she had a gig on an east coast-based soap opera; then she turned up in a more down to earth role as a grandmother in the primetime series Promised Land. Suggested Viewing:THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE (1946)CARNIVAL IN COSTA RICA (1947)GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947)ROAD HOUSE (1948)CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY (1949)COME TO THE STABLE (1949)ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)THE TENDER TRAP (1955)HIGH SOCIETY (1956)BACHELOR FLAT (1962)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 16, 2024 7:40:43 GMT
Geraldine Page
Geraldine Page tended to be overlooked by Oscar voters. When she finally won for her wonderful performance in THE TRIP TO BEAUTIFUL, it was a triumphant moment. She had previously been singled out in supporting and lead categories for many wide-ranging movie roles she had played over the years. Even her first substantial movie job, costarring with John Wayne in HONDO, had netted her a nomination. When Geraldine was not on screen she kept busy on stage. The theater was her first and truest love. She appeared in several notable Broadway productions, including an early one with James Dean. Dean was almost fired, but Geraldine intervened on his behalf.
The stage role most associated with Geraldine was her portrayal of Alma in Tennessee Williams’ wistfully poetic SUMMER AND SMOKE. In 1961 she brought the character to life in the feature film version for producer Hal Wallis. A short time later she appeared in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, in both the stage and film productions. She continued to perform on Broadway and do film roles, but she also began to branch out more on television. After appearing in some live anthology dramas, she found her niche doing TV movies based on stories by Truman Capote. She earned two Emmys for this work, and then she appeared in a movie based on Capote’s writing. After her success in these projects, she took important guest roles on Kojak and Hawaii Five-O. But of course, Geraldine would keep returning to the theater where she was most at home. In addition to performing, Geraldine Page was also someone who believed in the value of teaching. She taught acting to young hopefuls who might learn from her interpretation of “the Method.” And we can still learn from her by watching the many excellent performances she gave that have fortunately been preserved.Suggested Viewing:HONDO (1953)SUMMER AND SMOKE (1961)SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (1962)TOYS IN THE ATTIC (1963)DEAR HEART (1964)THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE (1967)WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE? (1969)THE BEGUILED (1971)INTERIORS (1978)THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL (1985)
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Post by topbilled on Jul 17, 2024 15:23:23 GMT
Dorothy Malone
Dorothy Malone’s screen career went through several phases. Originally, she came to Hollywood at the age of eighteen. A talent scout for RKO had discovered her performing on a Texas college campus. In her first few films she was uncredited, and after a year, RKO dropped her. But she moved right over to Warner Brothers without missing a step. Her new studio gave her minor roles, and she quickly proved herself. Warners put Dorothy in all kinds of motion pictures. She was cast in musicals and comedies with Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson; utilized in crime dramas with Humphrey Bogart and Zachary Scott; and she also found her niche in the western genre with Joel McCrea. After she left Warners, she continued to make westerns throughout the 1950s, and in an interview, the actress claimed she felt most comfortable in westerns. But her career underwent a major overhaul when Douglas Sirk cast her as a nymphomaniac in the classic melodrama WRITTEN ON THE WIND. Dorothy’s performance was so mesmerizing she earned a best supporting actress Oscar. Sirk hired her again for his aviation melodrama THE TARNISHED ANGELS which reunited her on screen with Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, and she became a mainstay at Universal for the next few years. She did a high-profile film with James Cagney and an even more important role back at Warners with Errol Flynn, where she played Diana Barrymore in TOO MUCH TOO SOON. In the early 60s, Dorothy’s movie output slowed. She was married and raising two young daughters. But she found time to do a disaster film with Robert Stack; a western with Rock Hudson; and a beach comedy with Robert Cummings. There was also a memorable performance in a two-part episode of Route 66 where she worked with Michael Rennie. In 1964, she turned exclusively to television when 20th Century Fox handed her Lana Turner’s old role as Constance MacKenzie in the small screen version of Peyton Place. It was a ratings sensation and brought Dorothy a whole new generation of fans.
 Suggested Viewing:
THE BIG SLEEP (1946)ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON (1948)COLORADO TERRITORY (1949)SADDLE LEGION (1951)LAW AND ORDER (1953)BATTLE CRY (1955)WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956)THE TARNISHED ANGELS (1957)TOO MUCH TOO SOON (1958)THE LAST VOYAGE (1960)
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