Spotlight on Hope Lange

A very talented and underrated actress that I first remember seeing in the film adaption of the best selling book Peyton Place (1957)as Selena Cross, the young woman who is in constant conflict with her step-father. Lange was so good, the Academy nominated her for Best Supporting Actress. It was a shame that she didn't win for her performance. Hope was born on November 28, 1931 in Redding Ridge, Connecticut. She actually had did one role of Kraft Televison Theater before getting the plum part of Elma Duckworth in the 1956 film Bus Stop headlining Marilyn Monroe. It's on this film she met her future husband Don Murray. As a matter of the fact, the two were wed within less than a year after meeting on the set of Bus Stop. Their marriage only lasted 5 years but did produce 2 children. Hope would marry two more times. One to director Alan J. Pakula and finally to Charles Hollerith, and would remain with Charles until her death in 2003 after being married to him for 23 years. Hope had a solid career, nothing spectacular, but nothing to be disappointed with either. She starred in the films The Young Lions (1958) with Dean Martin, Marlon Brando, and Montgomery Clift. The Best Of Everything (1959) with Joan Crawford and Martha Hyer. I have seen that film and it was actually pretty good. She also paired up with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford for the whimsical Pocketful of Miracles (1961). Hope then turned to TV for the most part and that's where she would find her greatest success. Starring in the beloved fantasy comedy, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir which lasted three seasons (1968-1970). She would land on another show very quickly when Dick Van Dyke relaunched his show called The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971-1974)which produced 72 shows. Hope enjoyed one of her biggest hits ever with 1974's Death Wish, starring with Charles Bronson. She would keep herself quite busy in the 80's guesting on several TV shows like The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, and Hotel. She would continue to make films too such as Blue Velvet (1986), Clear and Present Danger (1994) with Harrison Ford and Just Cause (1995) with Sean Connery. I enjoyed Hope performances in the film and TV roles I have seen her in and I wish she would have achieved even bigger success. Regardless she left her mark on the entertainment world and I hope I have piqued some interest in followers of my blog to watch some of her past work.

Hope Lange's Essentials:

PEYTON PLACE (1957)as Selena Cross
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING (1959) as Caroline Bender
POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961) as Queenie Martin
THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1968-1970) as Carolyn Muir
DEATH WISH (1974) as Joanna Kersey