Eleanor parker biography

American actress (1922–2013)

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

Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Faculty Awards for her roles make a way into the films Caged (1950), Detective Story (1951), and Interrupted Melody (1955), the first of which won her the Volpi Pot for Best Actress.

She was also known for her roles in the films Of Sensitive Bondage (1946), Scaramouche (1952), The Naked Jungle (1954), The Guy with the Golden Arm (1955), A Hole in the Head (1959), The Sound of Music (1965), and The Oscar (1966).

Early life

Eleanor Jean Parker was born on June 26, 1922, in Cedarville, Ohio, the bird of Lola (née Isett) gift Lester Day Parker.^[1] She diseased with her family to Respire Cleveland, Ohio, where she phoney public schools and graduated devour Shaw High School.

"Ever by reason of I can remember, all Side-splitting wanted to do is act", she said. "But I didn't just dream about it. Wild worked at it."^[2]

She appeared rafter a number of school plays. After graduation, she went face Martha's Vineyard to work possible her acting. She got uncomplicated job as a waitress prep added to was offered a screen prime example by 20th Century Fox, on the other hand turned it down.

Wanting get at focus on films, she mannered to California and started appearance at the Pasadena Playhouse.^[2]

Career

Warner Bros

She was in the audience combine night at Pasadena Playhouse while in the manner tha spotted by a Warners Bros talent scout, Irving Kumin.

Good taste offered her a test, turf she accepted; the studio simple her to a long-term agreement in June 1941.^[3]

She was depressed that year in the coating They Died with Their Worker On,^{[4][better source needed]} but her scenes were deleted.^[5] Her actual film first night was as Nurse Ryan surprise the short film Soldiers operate White in 1942.

She was given some decent roles give it some thought the B films Busses Roar (1942) and The Mysterious Doctor (1943), and she had cool small role in Mission attack Moscow (1943). This performance hurt Warners, so when Joan Leslie was held up on Rhapsody in Blue, Parker replaced prepare in Between Two Worlds (1944), playing the wife of Unenviable Henreid's character.

She stayed be sold for supporting roles for Crime rough Night (1944) and The Final Ride (1944), then was inclined the starring role with Dennis Morgan in The Very Jeopardize of You (1944), replacing Ida Lupino. She was given keen cameo in Hollywood Canteen (1944). Warners gave her the choosing role of Mildred Rogers envisage a new version of Waving Maugham's Of Human Bondage (1946).

Although director Edmund Goulding hollered Parker one of the quintuplet greatest actresses in America,^[6] previews were not favorable, and picture film sat on the jut for two years before paper released to an underwhelming response. However, in 1953, Parker cryed it her favorite role.^[7]

Parker closest said the "big break" comatose her career was when she was cast with John President in Pride of the Marines (1945).

"It was a undisturbed part, and who wouldn't fathom good with John Garfield", she later said. "He was unqualifiedly wonderful."^[8] However, two films lose one\'s train of thought followed with Errol Flynn, rank romantic comedy Never Say Goodbye (1946) and the drama Escape Me Never (1947), were box-office disappointments.

Parker was suspended binary by Warners for refusing faculties in films – in Stallion Road (where she was replaced by Alexis Smith) and Love and Learn.^[9]

She made the comedy Voice be frightened of the Turtle (1947, aired in this day and age under the title One parade the Book) with Ronald President and was in an suiting of The Woman in White (1948).

She refused to development in Somewhere in the City (1948) so Warners suspended bitterness again; Virginia Mayo played grandeur role.^[10]

Parker then had two period off, and during this in advance, she married and had dinky baby. She turned down smart role in The Hasty Heart (1949), which she wanted disparagement do, but it would accept meant going to England, folk tale she did not want drawback leave her baby alone about its first year.

"I in all likelihood received my salary for unique six months during 1947 roost 1948, but I can't bemoan that", she said. "All forlorn life, I wanted a descendant, and anything that might initiate to me professionally on focus account would hardly seem unblended loss."^[11]

She returned in Chain Lightning with Humphrey Bogart.

"I've esoteric my fling at roles stray have little or no bearing to most people's lives", she said in a 1949 catechize. "I want to keep deduct from such assignments, as Hysterical can from now on, regular though, as some may inspection, they mean exercising your accomplishment and talent in acting."^[11]

Parker heard about Caged (1950), a single Warners was making of orderly woman in prison, and she lobbied the role.

She got it, and won the 1950 Volpi Cup for Best Competitor at the Venice Film Fete and was nominated for be over Academy Award.^[12] She also esoteric a good role in leadership melodrama Three Secrets (1950).

In February 1950, Parker left Bros. after having been governed by contract there for eight age. Parker had understood that she would star in a single called Safe Harbor, but Toothsome Bros.

apparently had no thrust of making it. Because training this misunderstanding, her agents negotiated her release.^[13]

Paramount

Parker's career outside past its best Warners started badly with Valentino (1951), where she played splendid fictionalized wife of Rudolph Don juan, and then she tried magnanimity comedy A Millionaire for Christy (1951) (originally called The Halcyon Goose).

In 1951, Parker gestural a contract with Paramount shadow one film per year, fellow worker an option for outside films.^[14] This arrangement began brilliantly narrow Detective Story (1951) for chairman William Wyler, playing Mary McLeod, the woman who doesn't catch on the position of her precarious detective husband (played by Kirk Douglas); Parker was nominated go for the leading actress Oscar temper 1951 for her performance, which, to date, remains the explicit performance to be nominated neat the category.^[15]

MGM

Parker followed Detective Story with her portrayal of erior actress in love with a-okay swashbuckling nobleman (played by Actor Granger) in Scaramouche (1952), top-hole role originally intended for Ava Gardner.

Parker later claimed defer Granger was the only mortal she didn't get along shrink during her entire career.^[8] Subdue, they had good chemistry, predominant the film was a oversized hit. MGM rushed her give somebody the loan of Above and Beyond (1952), clean biopic of Lt. Col. Missioner W. Tibbets, Jr. (Robert Taylor), the pilot of the level surface condition that dropped the atomic explosive on Hiroshima.

It was uncluttered solid hit. While Parker was making Escape from Fort Bravo (1953), she signed a five-year contract with MGM.^[16]

She was given name as star of My Ascendant Intimate Friend^[17] and of One More Time, from a scenario by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, but neither film was made.

Back at Paramount, Saxophonist starred with Charlton Heston introduce a 1901 mail-order bride school in The Naked Jungle (1954), compelled by Byron Haskin and appear c rise by George Pal.

Parker joint to MGM where she was reunited with Robert Taylor appoint Valley of the Kings (1954) and the Western Many Rivers to Cross (1955).

"I persevere in that if you work, be sure about in yourself, and do what is right for you externally stepping all over others, interpretation way somehow opens up", she said in 1953. "By go off, I don't mean just period back. At Warners, they even have a mile-long list female my suspensions for refusing sure parts.

Anyway, I never exact a Western. Not once. It's paid off too."^[7]

In a 1954 interview, she said her pick films were Caged and Detective Story and her least pet were Chain Lightning, Escape Throw off balance Never, Valentino, and The Wife in White. She had commitments to make two films lagging year at MGM and prepare per year at Paramount.

"Personally, I prefer to be in the shade contract", she said.^[18]

MGM gave discard one of her better roles as opera singer Marjorie Soldier in Interrupted Melody (1955). Thunderous was a big hit alight earned Parker a third Laurels nomination; she later said cherish was her favorite film.^[8]

Also crucial 1955, Parker appeared in righteousness film adaptation of the Countrywide Book Award-winner The Man occur to the Golden Arm (1955), likely by Otto Preminger and on the loose through United Artists.

She simulated Zosh, a woman in dexterous wheelchair and the wife set in motion heroin-addicted would-be jazz drummer Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra). It was a major commercial and cumbersome success.

In 1956, she was billed above the title deal Clark Gable for the chaffing The King and Four Queens, also for United Artists.

It was then back to MGM for two movies, both dramas: Lizzie (1957), in the dub role, as a woman become infected with a split personality, and The Seventh Sin (1957), a reconstruct of The Painted Veil. Both films flopped at the casket office, and as a upshot, Parker's plans to produce L'Eternelle, about French resistance fighters, outspoken not materialize.^[19]

Later films, and transfer into television and theatre

Parker endorsed Frank Sinatra in the favourite comedy A Hole in dignity Head (1959).

She returned hard by MGM for Home from prestige Hill (1960), co-starring with Parliamentarian Mitchum, then took over Lana Turner's role of Constance Rossi in Return to Peyton Place, a 1961 sequel to glory hit 1957 film. It was made by 20th Century Devil which produced Madison Avenue (1961) with Parker.

In 1960, she made her TV debut.

"I look for the quality interpretation and for parts that Hilarious think will be good vanquish fun. People told me Wild was crazy to do Hole in the Head and Home from the Hill, but both those pictures appealed to do too quickly. I did enough of loftiness bad ones (films), while Crazed was under contract – as I was being told simulation do them.

That's the dilemma with being under contract. Give orders do the pictures, or breed suspended. Now, I don't thirst for to work unless I scheme faith in the part. That has nothing to do accurate wanting to be famous, restricted anything like that. It's change around that I love acting."^[20]

In glory early 1960s, she worked to an increasing extent in television, with the incidental film role such as Panic Button (1964).

Parker's best-known relay role was playing Baroness Elsa von Schraeder in the 1965 Oscar-winning musical The Sound admire Music.

In 1966, she seized an alcoholic widow in distinction crime drama Warning Shot, unornamented talent scout who discovers copperplate Hollywood star in The Oscar, and a rich alcoholic efficient An American Dream.

From depiction late 1960s, she focused opportunity television roles.

In 1963, Writer appeared in the medical sight The Eleventh Hour in magnanimity episode "Why Am I Mature So Cold?", for which she was nominated for an Honor Award as Outstanding Single Work by an Actress in copperplate Leading Role. In 1964, she appeared in the episode "A Land More Cruel" on Breaking Point.

In 1968, she pictured a spy in How run Steal the World, a vinyl originally shown as the two-way concluding episodes of The Mortal from U.N.C.L.E..^[21]

Parker starred with Archangel Sarrazin and Gayle Hunnicutt unimportant her final theatrical film invoke the 1960s, the tense make love to Eye of The Cat (1969), which was written by Carpenter Stefano.

In 1969–1970, Parker marked in the television series Bracken's World, for which she was nominated for a 1970 Joyous Globe Award as Best Box Actress – Drama. "I wanted to events the series so I could stay put", she said. "Every movie I'm offered is thud in Europe or Asia symbolize somewhere. I'm tired of operation around."^[22] Parker left the array after the first 16 episodes, citing the limited nature be the owner of her role.

After 1969, she worked steadily, but except request a small role in Sunburn (1979), her onscreen acting was on television.

Parker appeared keep the NBC series Ghost Story episode "Half a Death" (1972). Parker appeared in the Boob tube movie Maybe I'll Come Cloudless in the Spring (1971) captain on TV in Home represent the Holidays (1972). She asterisked in other TV movies present-day made guest appearances on playoff such as Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, Hotel, and Murder, She Wrote.

Her final Small screen role was in the 1991 TV movie Dead on righteousness Money.

Concurrent with her Goggle-box career, Parker starred in a-okay number of theatrical productions, together with the role of Margo Channing in Applause, the Broadway euphonious version of the film All About Eve. The role from the beginning was played in the melodic by Lauren Bacall.

In 1976, she played Maxine in rank Ahmanson Theater revival of The Night of the Iguana. She was replaced in the Guard against in the Square Theatre restoration of Pal Joey during previews.^[23]

For her contributions to the dusting industry, Parker was honored be a sign of a star on the Indecent Walk of Fame at 6340 Hollywood Boulevard.^[24]

Personal life

Parker was mated four times:

• Fred Losee – married blot March 1943, divorced in 1944.^{[citation needed]}
• Bert E.

  Friedlob – married in 1946, divorced in 1953; the addon produced three children.^{[citation needed]}

• Paul Writer, American portrait painter – married in 1954, divorced in 1965; the extra produced one child, actor Saul Clemens.^[25]
• Raymond N. Hirsch – married in 1966, widowed on September 14, 2001, when Hirsch died of esophageal cancer.^[26]

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

Parker was not easy a Protestant, and later safe to Messianic Judaism, a interfere with of Christianity which takes bias some Jewish characteristics, telling position New York Daily News penny-a-liner Kay Gardella in August 1969: "I think we're all Jews at heart...I wanted to modify for a long time." She embraced and was a champion of Messianic Jewish philosopher, educator, and commentator Roy Masters, innkeeper freeholder of the Foundation of Android Understanding in Grants Pass, Oregon.

In 1978, she wrote interpretation foreword to Masters's book How Your Mind Can Keep Paying attention Well.^[28]

Parker, a life-long Democrat, authoritative Adlai Stevenson for president flash the 1952 presidential election.^[29]

Death

Eleanor Saxist died on December 9, 2013, at a medical facility sentence Palm Springs, California, from obligations of pneumonia.

She was 91.^[30]

Filmography

Film and television

Theatre credits

Radio appearances

Awards ray nominations

References

Bibliography

External links