The Actress
(1953)
89-90 mins | Comedy | 25 September 1953
Director:
George CukorWriter:
Ruth GordonProducer:
Lawrence WeingartenCinematographer:
Harold RossonEditor:
George BoemlerProduction Designers:
Cedric Gibbons, Arthur LonerganProduction Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.The working titles of this film were Years Ago, Fame and Fortune and Father and the Actress. The film was based on actress/writer Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play, Years Ago. Before writing the play, Gordon published reminiscences of her youth in The Atlantic Monthly under the title "Look in Your Glass" (Aug--Oct 1939). As portrayed in the film, Gordon (1896--1985) grew up in Wollaston, MA, and surprised her parents with her desire to be an actress. Gordon made her Broadway debut in 1915, and enjoyed a successful stage career before marrying writer Garson Kanin, with whom she collaborated on the Academy Award-nominated screenplays for A Double Life, Adam's Rib and Pat and Mike (see entry). Gordon won an Academy Award for her performance in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, and published three memoirs and a novel.
According to 1951 HR news items, Debbie Reynolds was originally cast as "Ruth." HR news items also include Russ Saunders' acrobatic troupe and stage actress Mary Young in the cast, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. Portions of the film were shot on location at Inglewood High School in Southern California. The Actress was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Black and White). Anthony Perkins made his motion picture debut in the film. According to a 2 Dec 1953 Var news item, the FBI was called in when the manager of a Columbus, OH movie theater received threatening letters demanding that The Actress ...
The working titles of this film were Years Ago, Fame and Fortune and Father and the Actress. The film was based on actress/writer Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play, Years Ago. Before writing the play, Gordon published reminiscences of her youth in The Atlantic Monthly under the title "Look in Your Glass" (Aug--Oct 1939). As portrayed in the film, Gordon (1896--1985) grew up in Wollaston, MA, and surprised her parents with her desire to be an actress. Gordon made her Broadway debut in 1915, and enjoyed a successful stage career before marrying writer Garson Kanin, with whom she collaborated on the Academy Award-nominated screenplays for A Double Life, Adam's Rib and Pat and Mike (see entry). Gordon won an Academy Award for her performance in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, and published three memoirs and a novel.
According to 1951 HR news items, Debbie Reynolds was originally cast as "Ruth." HR news items also include Russ Saunders' acrobatic troupe and stage actress Mary Young in the cast, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. Portions of the film were shot on location at Inglewood High School in Southern California. The Actress was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Black and White). Anthony Perkins made his motion picture debut in the film. According to a 2 Dec 1953 Var news item, the FBI was called in when the manager of a Columbus, OH movie theater received threatening letters demanding that The Actress no longer be shown. The author of the letters called the film "obscene and disgusting," complaining specifically about the scene in which Spencer Tracy's pants fall down during a gymnastics routine. The outcome of the investigation is not known.
Father and the Actress
Years Ago
In 1913, seventeen-year-old Ruth Gordon Jones watches breathlessly from the balcony of a Boston theater as stage star Hazel Dawn performs in a lavish musical number. That night, at her family's modest apartment in Wollaston, Ruth listens as her gruff father Clinton, from whom she has kept her own theatrical aspirations a secret, complains to her mother Annie about their financial difficulties. Ruth is thrilled when she receives an autographed photograph of Hazel, and tells her boyfriend, Harvard student Fred Whitmarsh, that she intends to become a successful actress. Meanwhile, Clinton, a former sailor who now works in a factory, informs his wife that he has decided Ruth should attend the Boston Physical Culture Institute and train for a career as a physical education teacher. Ruth later receives a letter from Hazel inviting her for a visit at the theater following the Wednesday matinee, and she feigns illness to get out of school. Several days later, while going to an amateur gymnastics exhibition at the YMCA with her parents, Ruth receives a telegram stating that Hazel has arranged an interview for her with well-known director John Craig. Ruth is distracted throughout the exhibition, although she is mortified by Clinton's comic participation in the event. When the family gets home, Clinton insists on filling out Ruth's application to the School of Physical Culture right away, and with Annie's encouragement, Ruth timidly tells her father that she wants to go on the stage. Clinton admits he has always enjoyed the theater, but remains skeptical about his diminutive daughter's potential. Ruth puts on a hasty performance for her parents and tells them about her upcoming interview ...
In 1913, seventeen-year-old Ruth Gordon Jones watches breathlessly from the balcony of a Boston theater as stage star Hazel Dawn performs in a lavish musical number. That night, at her family's modest apartment in Wollaston, Ruth listens as her gruff father Clinton, from whom she has kept her own theatrical aspirations a secret, complains to her mother Annie about their financial difficulties. Ruth is thrilled when she receives an autographed photograph of Hazel, and tells her boyfriend, Harvard student Fred Whitmarsh, that she intends to become a successful actress. Meanwhile, Clinton, a former sailor who now works in a factory, informs his wife that he has decided Ruth should attend the Boston Physical Culture Institute and train for a career as a physical education teacher. Ruth later receives a letter from Hazel inviting her for a visit at the theater following the Wednesday matinee, and she feigns illness to get out of school. Several days later, while going to an amateur gymnastics exhibition at the YMCA with her parents, Ruth receives a telegram stating that Hazel has arranged an interview for her with well-known director John Craig. Ruth is distracted throughout the exhibition, although she is mortified by Clinton's comic participation in the event. When the family gets home, Clinton insists on filling out Ruth's application to the School of Physical Culture right away, and with Annie's encouragement, Ruth timidly tells her father that she wants to go on the stage. Clinton admits he has always enjoyed the theater, but remains skeptical about his diminutive daughter's potential. Ruth puts on a hasty performance for her parents and tells them about her upcoming interview with Craig, but Clinton insists that she finish high school before seeking work. The following day, Clinton tells Annie that he is worried about his job security, as one of his co-workers, Dan, may have been forced to retire early. Meanwhile, Fred encounters Ruth outside of Craig's office and proposes to her, but she gently declines his offer. That evening, a crestfallen Ruth returns home and tells her parents that Craig was not impressed with her. Just then, Clinton gets a phone call from Dan, who assures him that he chose to retire. Greatly relieved, Clinton comforts Ruth and promises to give her half of his annual bonus so that she can study acting in New York after graduation. Explaining his determination to help his daughter get a start in life, Clinton speaks for the first time about his own miserable childhood, his mother's suicide and how he ran away from his cruel great-aunts when he was eight years old and became a cabin boy on a whaling vessel. On the day Ruth is to leave for New York, however, Clinton comes home and tells Annie he has quit his job after an argument with his boss. Ruth refuses to be defeated by her circumstances, and Clinton, impressed by her gumption, gives her his valuable telescope and instructs her to sell it in New York. After Clinton tells his grateful daughter that her kind thoughts are all the repayment her parents need, the Jones family walks together to the train station.
TOP SEARCHES
Singin' in the Rain
According to a 5 Feb 1951 HR news item, Carleton Carpenter was to co-star in the film with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, and a 19 Mar ... >>
Gone with the Wind
[ Note from the Editors : the following information is based on contemporary news items, feature articles, reviews, interviews, memoranda and corporate records. Information obtained from modern sources ... >>
The Silver Horde
An earlier adaptation of Rex Beach's novel was released by Goldwyn Pictures in 1920. Also entitled The Silver Horde , that film was directed by Frank Lloyd ... >>
Rosemary's Baby
On 7 Mar 1967, LAT announced that William Castle Enterprises would produce a film version of Ira Levin’s upcoming novel, Rosemary’s Baby, for Paramount Pictures. ... >>
The Emperor Jones
This film marked the film debut of Paul Robeson. Publicity material for the film, preserved at the AMPAS Library, indicates that Ruby Elzy, who was an assistant to ... >>
