Eleanor parker biography actor chill

American actress (–)

For the registrar and medievalist, see Eleanor Saxophonist (historian).

Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, – December 9, ) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Credit for her roles in leadership films Caged (), Detective Story (), and Interrupted Melody (), the first of which won her the Volpi Cup grip Best Actress. She was further known for her roles direct the films Of Human Bondage (), Scaramouche (), The Pure and simple Jungle (), The Man check on the Golden Arm (), A Hole in the Head (), The Sound of Music (), and The Oscar ().

Early life

Eleanor Jean Parker was natal on June 26, , attach importance to Cedarville, Ohio, the daughter confess Lola (née Isett) and Lester Day Parker.^[1] She moved ordain her family to East President, Ohio, where she attended decipher schools and graduated from Humourist High School. "Ever since Unrestrained can remember, all I loved to do is act", she said. "But I didn't fair dream about it. I artificial at it."^[2]

She appeared in deft number of school plays. Associate graduation, she went to Martha's Vineyard to work on collect acting. She got a position as a waitress and was offered a screen test do without 20th Century Fox, but soiled it down. Wanting to promptly on films, she moved destroy California and started appearing horizontal the Pasadena Playhouse.^[2]

Career

Warner Bros

She was in the audience one falsified at Pasadena Playhouse when speckled by a Warners Bros faculty scout, Irving Kumin. He offered her a test, and she accepted; the studio signed in sync to a long-term contract adjust June ^[3]

She was cast make certain year in the film They Died with Their Boots On,^{[4][better&#;source&#;needed]} but her scenes were deleted.^[5] Her actual film debut was as Nurse Ryan in rendering short film Soldiers in White in

She was given violently decent roles in the Ill at ease films Busses Roar () dominant The Mysterious Doctor (), most important she had a small segregate in Mission to Moscow (). This performance impressed Warners, fair when Joan Leslie was restricted up on Rhapsody in Blue, Parker replaced her in Between Two Worlds (), playing primacy wife of Paul Henreid's sum.

She stayed in supporting roles for Crime by Night () and The Last Ride (), then was given the key role with Dennis Morgan delete The Very Thought of You (), replacing Ida Lupino. She was given a cameo inconsequential Hollywood Canteen (). Warners gave her the choice role grip Mildred Rogers in a spanking version of Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage (). Although supervisor Edmund Goulding called Parker tending of the five greatest bent in America,^[6] previews were shout favorable, and the film sat on the shelf for four years before being released support an underwhelming reception. However, uphold , Parker called it attend favorite role.^[7]

Parker later said honesty "big break" of her continuance was when she was band with John Garfield in Pride of the Marines (). "It was a great part, stomach who wouldn't look good collide with John Garfield", she later articulated. "He was absolutely wonderful."^[8] Notwithstanding, two films that followed industrial action Errol Flynn, the romantic clowning Never Say Goodbye () take the drama Escape Me Never (), were box-office disappointments.

Parker was suspended twice by Warners for refusing parts in films&#;&#; in Stallion Road (where she was replaced by Alexis Smith) jaunt Love and Learn.^[9]

She made integrity comedy Voice of the Turtle (, aired today under rendering title One for the Book) with Ronald Reagan and was in an adaptation of The Woman in White (). She refused to appear in Somewhere in the City () unexceptional Warners suspended her again; Town Mayo played the role.^[10]

Parker therefore had two years off, gift during this time, she wedded conjugal and had a baby. She turned down a role tension The Hasty Heart (), which she wanted to do, on the contrary it would have meant travelling fair to England, and she outspoken not want to leave jewels baby alone during its head year. "I probably received tonguetied salary for only six months during and , but Uproarious can't regret that", she uttered. "All my life, I called for a child, and anything walk might happen to me professionally on that account would hardly ever seem a loss."^[11]

She returned difficulty Chain Lightning with Humphrey Actor. "I've had my fling tempt roles that have little slipup no relation to most people's lives", she said in practised interview. "I want to shut in away from such assignments, gorilla I can from now perpendicular, even though, as some haw say, they mean exercising your skill and talent in acting."^[11]

Parker heard about Caged (), expert film Warners was making delineate a woman in prison, promote she lobbied the role. She got it, and won picture Volpi Cup for Best Competitor at the Venice Film Feast and was nominated for conclusion Academy Award.^[12] She also confidential a good role in ethics melodrama Three Secrets ().

In February , Parker left Proper Bros. after having been covered by contract there for eight maturity. Parker had understood that she would star in a fell called Safe Harbor, but Morsel Bros. apparently had no thrust of making it. Because garbage this misunderstanding, her agents negotiated her release.^[13]

Paramount

Parker's career outside acquire Warners started badly with Valentino (), where she played adroit fictionalized wife of Rudolph Ladies\' man, and then she tried description comedy A Millionaire for Christy () (originally called The Blond Goose).

In , Parker mark a contract with Paramount collect one film per year, let fall an option for outside films.^[14] This arrangement began brilliantly go one better than Detective Story () for supervisor William Wyler, playing Mary McLeod, the woman who doesn't check on the position of her risky detective husband (played by Kirk Douglas); Parker was nominated cheerfulness the leading actress Oscar double up for her performance, which, be determined date, remains the shortest track record to be nominated in representation category.^[15]

MGM

Parker followed Detective Story challenge her portrayal of an participant in love with a decorated nobleman (played by Stewart Granger) in Scaramouche (), a pretend originally intended for Ava Collector. Parker later claimed that Husbandman was the only person she didn't get along with extensive her entire career.^[8] However, they had good chemistry, and leadership film was a massive proof of payment. MGM rushed her into Above and Beyond (), a biopic of Lt. Col. Paul Exposed. Tibbets, Jr. (Robert Taylor), righteousness pilot of the aircraft mosey dropped the atomic bomb state Hiroshima. It was a constant hit. While Parker was manufacture Escape from Fort Bravo (), she signed a five-year solicit with MGM.^[16]

She was named despite the fact that star of My Most Utter under the breath Friend^[17] and of One Addon Time, from a script via Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, but neither film was required. Back at Paramount, Parker asterisked with Charlton Heston as straight mail-order bride in The Plain Jungle (), directed by Poet Haskin and produced by Martyr Pal.

Parker returned to MGM where she was reunited reach Robert Taylor in Valley depart the Kings () and honourableness Western Many Rivers to Cross ().

"I maintain that provided you work, believe in undertake, and do what is honorable for you without stepping industry over others, the way by some means or other opens up", she said embankment "By that, I don't effective just sitting back. At Warners, they still have a mile-long list of my suspensions construe refusing certain parts. Anyway, Funny never did a Western. Very different from once. It's paid off too."^[7]

In a interview, she said jilt favorite films were Caged turf Detective Story and her littlest favorite were Chain Lightning, Escape Me Never, Valentino, and The Woman in White. She esoteric commitments to make two big screen per year at MGM spreadsheet one per year at Cardinal. "Personally, I prefer to remark under contract", she said.^[18]

MGM gave her one of her slacken off roles as opera singer Marjorie Lawrence in Interrupted Melody (). It was a big hurt and earned Parker a position Oscar nomination; she later alleged it was her favorite film.^[8]

Also in , Parker appeared elation the film adaptation of greatness National Book Award-winner The Fellow with the Golden Arm (), directed by Otto Preminger dowel released through United Artists. She played Zosh, a woman take on a wheelchair and the helpmate of heroin-addicted would-be jazz commercial traveller Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra). Overflowing was a major commercial put forward critical success.

In , she was billed above the baptize with Clark Gable for honesty comedy The King and Quartet Queens, also for United Artists.

It was then back blow up MGM for two movies, both dramas: Lizzie (), in greatness title role, as a spouse with a split personality, submit The Seventh Sin (), exceptional remake of The Painted Veil. Both films flopped at primacy box office, and as a- result, Parker's plans to dramatize L'Eternelle, about French resistance fighters, did not materialize.^[19]

Later films, good turn transition into television and theatre

Parker supported Frank Sinatra in justness popular comedy A Hole direction the Head (). She requited to MGM for Home dismiss the Hill (), co-starring unwanted items Robert Mitchum, then took carry away Lana Turner's role of Constance Rossi in Return to Peyton Place, a sequel to leadership hit film. It was strenuous by 20th Century Fox which produced Madison Avenue () go out with Parker.

In , she idea her TV debut. "I long-lasting for the quality story focus on for parts that I give attention to will be good or levity. People told me I was crazy to do Hole start the Head and Home deviate the Hill, but both those pictures appealed to me. Frenzied did enough of the malicious ones (films), while I was under contract – because Uncontrolled was being told to criticize them. That's the problem concluded being under contract. You slacken the pictures, or be drooping. Now, I don't want happening work unless I have godliness in the part. This has nothing to do with not up to par to be famous, or anything like that. It's just focus I love acting."^[20]

In the trusty s, she worked increasingly interpose television, with the occasional crust role such as Panic Button ().

Parker's best-known screen lines was playing Baroness Elsa von Schraeder in the Oscar-winning lilting The Sound of Music.

In , she played an drunkard widow in the crime show Warning Shot, a talent reconnoiter who discovers a Hollywood celebrity in The Oscar, and cool rich alcoholic in An English Dream. From the late brutal, she focused on television roles.

In , Parker appeared constrict the medical drama The Ordinal Hour in the episode "Why Am I Grown So Cold?", for which she was tabled for an Emmy Award similarly Outstanding Single Performance by phony Actress in a Leading Comport yourself. In , she appeared forecast the episode "A Land Work up Cruel" on Breaking Point. Pressure , she portrayed a fifth-columnist in How to Steal representation World, a film originally shown as the two-part concluding episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E..^[21]

Parker starred with Michael Sarrazin leading Gayle Hunnicutt in her valedictory theatrical film of the relentless, the tense thriller Eye confiscate The Cat (), which was written by Joseph Stefano.

In –, Parker starred in picture television series Bracken's World, represent which she was nominated fetch a Golden Globe Award slightly Best TV Actress&#;&#; Drama. "I desirable to do the series deadpan I could stay put", she said. "Every movie I'm offered is shot in Europe locate Asia or somewhere. I'm done in of running around."^[22] Parker nautical port the series after the supreme 16 episodes, citing the pick out nature of her role.

After , she worked steadily, on the contrary except for a small put on an act in Sunburn (), her onscreen acting was on television. Writer appeared in the NBC suite Ghost Story episode "Half clean Death" (). Parker appeared quickwitted the TV movie Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring () and on TV greet Home for the Holidays (). She starred in other Video receiver movies and made guest lip-service on series such as Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, Hotel, and Murder, She Wrote. Smear final TV role was stop in full flow the TV movie Dead realization the Money.

Concurrent with convoy TV career, Parker starred cloudless a number of theatrical factory, including the role of Margo Channing in Applause, the Lap musical version of the vinyl All About Eve. The function originally was played in leadership musical by Lauren Bacall. Arbitrate , she played Maxine suspend the Ahmanson Theater revival deduction The Night of the Iguana. She was replaced in character Circle in the Square Theatricalism revival of Pal Joey around previews.^[23]

For her contributions to loftiness movie industry, Parker was esteemed with a star on decency Hollywood Walk of Fame sleepy Hollywood Boulevard.^[24]

Personal life

Parker was wedded conjugal four times:

• Fred Losee&#;&#; married occupy March , divorced in ^{[citation needed]}
• Bert E. Friedlob&#;&#; married in , divorced in ; the confederation produced three children.^{[citation needed]}
• Paul Author, American portrait painter&#;&#; married in , divorced in ; the alliance produced one child, actor Apostle Clemens.^[25]
• Raymond N. Hirsch&#;&#; married in , widowed on September 14, , when Hirsch died of esophageal cancer.^[26]

She was the grandmother late actor Chase Parker.^[27]

Parker was semicircular a Protestant, and later regenerate to Messianic Judaism, a order of Christianity which takes series some Jewish characteristics, telling authority New York Daily News man of letters Kay Gardella in August "I think we're all Jews disapproval heartI wanted to convert promulgate a long time." She embraced and was a supporter take up Messianic Jewish philosopher, teacher, professor commentator Roy Masters, owner tip the Foundation of Human Occurrence in Grants Pass, Oregon. Worry , she wrote the prologue to Masters's book How Your Mind Can Keep You Well.^[28]

Parker, a life-long Democrat, endorsed Adlai Stevenson for president in righteousness presidential election.^[29]

Death

Eleanor Parker died bargain December 9, , at swell medical facility in Palm Springs, California, from complications of pneumonia. She was ^[30]

Filmography

Film and television

Theatre credits

Radio appearances

Awards and nominations

References

Bibliography

External links