PINKY (1949)

Here is my contribution to The Barrymore Trilogy Blogathon as hosted by In The Good Old Days Of Classic Hollywood

I had never seen this film before TCM aired it the other night and was completely blown away by it. The story follows a young light skinned black woman who passes for white, leaves her home in Mississippi and goes north to attend nursing school. Pinky as she is called and played by Jeanne Crain, returns home after graduation to see her grandmother (Ethel Waters). Once there Pinky finds out that Granny has been caring for the ailing Ms. Em (Ethel Barrymore) and doesn't like it too much. Granny's little shack house sits on Ms. Em very large plantation estate. Pink recalls how she was treated badly by Ms. Em when Pinky was a child and has issues with her when Granny asks her to take care of Ms. Em as her nurse. At first Pinky wants no part of it but changes her mind once Granny tells her of how Ms. Em cared for her when she was sick. So their first meeting is tense as expected but over the next few days Pinky and Ms. Em come to understand each other. The rest of the film deals with Pinky dating a white doctor who finds out later on about Pinky's heritage and a legal battle over Ms. Em's estate between Pinky and Ms. Em's sister. This is a strong and emotional film, expertly directed by Elia Kazan, who gets three remarkable performances from his three women. Ethel Waters is just effortless in her part as Granny, that you don't even view her acting, but as a person trying to deal with a headstrong granddaughter and race relations. The great Ethel Barrymore is superb as usual and gets the most of her performance via scenes with Ms. Crain. Her character may have been a fixture of the old South and their traditions and views, but she is willing to accept the new way of thinking by her interaction with Pinky. And finally Jeanne Crain who gives probably the best performance of her career. She plays Pinky perfectly which is amazing, because this type of role could have easily been either over the top or not strong enough. She is white but has to play a black woman and she pulls it off with grace and class. I was genuinely moved by her performance that had several scenes where she said that she should be treated as a person and not judged by the color of  her skin. She should have won the Academy Award that year but alas did not. But regardless, Pinky is a great film that needs to be seen by everyone. It ranks right up there with To Kill A Mockingbird in my opinion.
B+

Here's the link to go view other entries in this blogathon:

the-barrymore-trilogy-blogathon-has-now-arrived/

Another Cinematic World Tour post..this time from They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To

Patti of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To has posted her contribution to the cinematic world tour blogathon and hers is a beaut. Set on a cruise ship, her film choice is Dangerous Crossing (1953) starring Jeanne Crain and Michael Rennie. Please go to her wonderful blog to check out her terrific post. And like Whistlingypsy's earlier entry, Rome Adventure, I haven't seen Dangerous Crossing either. So that has been added to my must see list as well. Here's the link to go on this wonderful cruise: classicmoviesnippets.blogspot.com/dangerous-crossing

The Morning Movie: HOT RODS TO HELL (1967)

 One of the many hilarious moments from Hot Rods.....

Watching TCM as I get ready for work...my usual routine. This morning they are playing the 60's camp classic Hot Rods To Hell, starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews. The story is how this typical quaint family has a run-in with some hot rodders in the California desert. The hot rodders are two guys and a hot to trot girl named Gloria (played by Mimsy Farmer, who is the best thing this movie has going for it). I laughed quite a bit while watching it but I don't think they attended it to be a comedy.

Duke, Ernie and Gloria..hot rodders from hell? really?

THE FALL SERIES: Jeanne Crain

One of Jeanne's most beautiful photos...

Paulette is victorious over Jeanne...

I guess Paulette is gonna celebrate her win with some bananas?...strange girl...

Paulette Goddard won her first ever match play event by beating Jeanne Crain 16-5. It was Crain's second loss as she remains winless. But good news for Goddard fans as she won very impressively. Look for the next match within a few days.

Classic Stars Match Play #6: Paulette Goddard vs Jeanne Crain

As promised here is my next match play event. Featuring two very talented actresses that both had successful careers, Paulette Goddard and Jeanne Crain. Should be an intriguing match as Paulette will be making her first match play appearance ever and Jeanne in only her second match. Good luck to both women as the match begins immediately and will run through Sunday 1 pm EST. Now let's meet both women shall we...

Paulette Goddard

Name: Pauline Marion Goddard Levy
Birth Date: June 3, 1910 (Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York)
Height: 5 '4"
Academy Awards: 1 nomination - Best Supporting Actress  (So Proudly We Hail, 1943)
Monties: 1 nomination - Best Actress (Modern Times, 1936) so far...
My favorite Paulette film: The Women
Match Play record: 0-0 (this is Paulette's first match)


CLASSIC STARS MATCH PLAY

Jeanne Crain

Name: Jeanne Elizabeth Crain
Birth Date: May 25, 1925 (Barstow, California)
Height: 5 '4"
Academy Awards: 1 nomination - Best Actress (Pinky, 1950)
Monties: none so far....
My favorite Jeanne film: Pinky
Match Play record: 0-1 (lost to Ingrid Bergman 42-10 in the 40's era of Favorite
Classic Actress tournament)

Jeanne Crain - Classic Movie Goddess of the Month Part 4

Here are some photos of the lovely Jeanne Crain.

Jeanne Crain: Classic Movie Goddess of the month Part 3

Here are my favorite Jeanne Crain films, or her essential must see films. Either way, I recommend them strongly.

HOME IN INDIANA (1944) This is Jeanne's first credited movie role and she is terrific as Char Bruce, a tomboyish young girl who loves horses and and young troubled boy. A picturesque film with solid co-stars in Walter Brennan, Charlotte Greenwood, and June Haver. Crain was a fresh faced 18 year old when cast in this film.

STATE FAIR (1945) Another homespun family film with Jeanne now as the leading lady. While this may not be my favorite of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, State Fair is still a really good movie with Jeanne showing signs she is about to become a breakout star.

LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1946) Classic 40's melodrama that is mainly remembered for the unforgettable performance of Gene Tierney as the woman who does just about anything to keep her marriage intact. But Jeanne Crain gives a solid performance as Gene's younger sister. Grand Hollywood stuff.

APARTMENT FOR PEGGY (1948) A very underrated film which has Jeanne as a young mother to be who helps a old man (Edmund Gwenn) get over his suicidal tendencies. A very different kind of film which tackled the very serious issue of suicide. Jeanne gave one of her best performances ever. Co-starring William Holden as her husband.

A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949) Great drama focusing on three women who must deal with the fact that one of their husband has ran off with another woman and the details are left in a letter addressed to all three. Jeanne shares billing with Ann Sothern and Linda Darnell and they all give terrific performances.

PINKY (1949) Terrific film with three amazing performances by the three women: Jeanne, Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters. In this drama, Jeanne plays Pinky, a light skinned black woman, who returns to her grandmother's house in the South after graduating from a Northern nursing school. She was able to pass as a white woman and had to problems up north. But once back home, she has to deal with racism all over again. All three women were nominated for Oscars for their performances: Jeanne with a Best Actress and the two Ethels each received Best Supporting Actress nods. None of them won, but the fact they were all nominated shows how good a film this is.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950)  based on the real-life story of the Gilbreth family, follows them from Providence, Rhode Island, to Montclair, New Jersey, and details the amusing anecdotes found in large families. Co-starring Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy and Edgar Buchanan. Charming movie.

Jeanne Crain - Classic Movie Goddess of the Month Part 2

Here are notable facts and trivia about Jeanne found on IMDB:

Devoutly Catholic mother of 7.


Although frequently cast in musicals, she herself was not a singer. Louanne Hogan was specifically under contract so that she could dub the singing in all her musicals.
Won the "Miss Camera Girl of 1942" title in Long Beach, Florida, and given a contract by Fox.


By the time she left Fox studios in 1956, she was making $3,500 a week.

Long-time husband, Paul Brooks, was an RKO contract player at one time, briefly appearing in the movie Those Endearing Young Charms (1945). He went by the stage name of Paul Brooks, but gave it all up to become a highly successful businessman.


Children with Paul Brooks: Paul F. Brinkman Jr. (b. 6 April 1947), Michael (b. 21 January 1949), Timothy (b. 2 August 1950), Jeanine (b. 5 March 1952), Lisabette (b. 21 November 1958), Maria (b. 10 January 1961), Christopher (b. 5 May 1965).
Two of her children, Michael and Christopher, predeceased her.

In her retirement years, she and her husband spent most of their time working at two of their ranches.

Crain, who starred in the original 1950 film version of Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) sadly passed away just twelve days before the release of the remake of the same film starring Steve Martin.


Her youngest child, son Christopher Brinkman, was the original lead guitarist for the rock group Jane's Addiction (1985-1986). He died of a drug overdose in 1997.

Jeanne Crain - Classic Movie Goddess Of The Month Part 1

Here is Jeanne's bio provided by Denny Jackson on IMDB:

She was born Jeanne Elizabeth Crain on May 25th, 1925 in Barstow, California.While in junior high school, Jeanne played the lead in a school production which set her on the path to acting. When she was in high school Jeanne was asked to take a screen test to appear in a film b... read morey Orson Welles. Unfortunately, she didn't get the part, but it did set her sights on being a movie actress.After her high school career, Jeanne enrolled at UCLA to study drama. At the age of 18, Jeanne won a bit part in Fox Studio's film entitled The Gang's All Here (1943) and a small contract. Her next film saw Jeanne elevated to a more substantial part in Home in Indiana (1944) the following year, which was filmed in neighboring Kentucky. The movie was an unquestionable hit. On the strength of that box-office success, Jeanne was given a raise and star billing, as Maggie Preston, in the next film of 1944, In the Meantime, Darling (1944). Unfortunately, the critics not only roasted the film, but singled out Jeanne's performance in particular. She rebounded nicely in her last film of the year, Winged Victory (1944). The audiences loved it and the film was profitable.In 1945, Jeanne was cast in State Fair (1945) as Margie Frake who travels to the fair and falls in love with a reporter played by Dana Andrews. Now, Jeanne got a bigger contract and more recognition. In 1949, Jeanne appeared in three films, A Letter to Three Wives (1949), The Fan (1949), and Pinky (1949). It was this latter film which garnered her an Oscar nomination as Best Actress for her role as Pinky Johnson, a nurse who sets up a clinic in the Deep South. She lost to Olivia de Havilland for The Heiress (1949). Jeanne left Fox after filming Vicki (1953) in 1953, with Jean Peters. She had made 23 films for the studio that started her career, but she needed a well-deserved change. As with any good artist, Jeanne wanted to expand her range instead of playing the girl-next-door types.Jeanne died of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California, on December 14, 2003. Her husband Paul Brooks had died two months earlier.

All Good Things in January

Here is a preview of what I will be doing on my blog in the month of January. The classic movie goddess will be the lovely Jeanne Crain, who I feel never got the attention she deserved. I will do the usual posts about her life and films with facts and photos. My guest blogger will be my friend and co-worker Mariah Meyer, who just adores Irene Dunne, among her many favorite classic actors and actresses. I can't wait to read her responses to my questions. I will post my top 10 favorite movies of 2010, which despite the slew of negative critiques, wasn't too bad of a year. And finally, I will start a new series that will compare a classic movie actor/actress with their modern counterpart. To kick of the first one will be Jimmy Stewart and Tom Hanks, which I think most people will understand that comparison. So here's to another great year on All Good Things, and I hope everyone will keep checking it out.

Happy Birthday Jeanne Crain

(1925-2003)


Happy Birthday to Jeanne Crain

Jeanne Crain was born in Barstow, California, on May 25, 1925. The daughter of a high school English teacher and his wife, Jeanne was moved to Los Angeles not long after her birth after her father got another teaching position in that city. While in junior high school, Jeanne played the lead in a school production which set her on the path to acting. When she was in high school Jeanne was asked to take a screen test to appear in a film by Orson Welles. Unfortunately, she didn't get the part, but it did set her sights on being a movie actress.

After her high school career, Jeanne enrolled at UCLA to study drama. At the age of 18, Jeanne won a bit part in Fox Studio's film entitled The Gang's All Here (1943) and a small contract. Her next film saw Jeanne elevated to a more substantial part in Home in Indiana (1944) the following year, which was filmed in neighboring Kentucky. The movie was an unquestionable hit. On the strength of that box-office success, Jeanne was given a raise and star billing, as Maggie Preston, in the next film of 1944, In the Meantime, Darling (1944). Unfortunately, the critics not only roasted the film, but singled out Jeanne's performance in particular. She rebounded nicely in her last film of the year, Winged Victory (1944). The audiences loved it and the film was profitable.

In 1945, Jeanne was cast in State Fair (1945) as Margie Frake who travels to the fair and falls in love with a reporter played by Dana Andrews. Now, Jeanne got a bigger contract and more recognition. Later that year, Jeanne married Paul Brooks on New Year's Eve. Although her mother wasn't supportive of the marriage, the union has lasted to this day and produced seven children. Her 1947 was an off year for Jeanne as she took time off to bear the Brinkman's first child.

In 1949, Jeanne appeared in three films, A Letter to Three Wives (1949), The Fan (1949), and Pinky (1949). It was this latter film which garnered her an Oscar nomination as Best Actress for her role as Pinky Johnson, a nurse who sets up a clinic in the Deep South. She lost to Olivia de Havilland for The Heiress (1949). Jeanne left Fox after filming Vicki (1953) in 1953, with Jean Peters. She had made 23 films for the studio that started her career, but she needed a well-deserved change. As with any good artist, Jeanne wanted to expand her range instead of playing the girl-next-door types.

She went briefly to Warner Brothers for the filming of Duel in the Jungle (1954) in 1954. The film was lukewarm at best. Jeanne, then, signed a contract, that same year, with Universal Studios with promises of better, high profile roles. She went into production in the film Man Without a Star (1955) which was a hit with audiences and critics. After The Joker Is Wild (1957) in 1957, Jeanne took time off for her family and to appear in a few television programs. She returned, briefly, to film in Guns of the Timberland (1960) in 1960. The films were sporadic after that. In 1967, she appeared in a low-budget suspense yarn called Hot Rods to Hell (1967). Her final film was as Clara Shaw in 1972's Skyjacked (1972).

Jeanne died of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California, on December 14, 2003. Her husband Paul Brooks had died two months earlier.

Photo of the Day

A lovely pic of the beautiful Jeanne Crain...

Pinky on TCM tonight at 8pm EST

Never seen this film before and it sounds interesting. I'm a fan of Jeanne Crain so I think I'm gonna check it out tonight. It also stars Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters. Directed by the great Elia Kazan. The story is about a light skinned black woman (Crain) who returns to her grandmother's house in the South after graduating from a Northern nursing school. Of course complications arise when she comes home. I'm really interested in seeing this film and glad TCM is showing it tonight.