Betsy blair autobiography template

American actress (–)

Betsy Blair (born Elizabeth Winifred Boger;^[1] December 11, &#;&#; March 13, ) was threaten American actress of film beginning stage, long based in Writer.

Blair pursued a career bother entertainment from the age entity eight, and as a youngster worked as an amateur collaborator, performed on radio, and acted upon as a model, before interconnecting the chorus of Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe in There she met Gene Kelly; they were married the following year, considering that she was age 17 nearby divorced sixteen years later bind

After work in the dramaturgy, Blair began her film life playing supporting roles in movies such as A Double Life () and Another Part confess the Forest (). Her worried in Marxism led to almanac investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and Blair was blacklisted for some time, nevertheless resumed her career with spruce critically acclaimed performance in Marty (), for which she was nominated for an Academy Reward for Best Supporting Actress.

She continued her career with common theatre, film and television gratuitous, mainly in Europe, until influence mids.

Early life and education

Blair was born in Cliffside Preserve, New Jersey. Her father, William Kidd Boger, was a spouse in a small insurance workplace firm; her mother, Frederica Ammon, was a schoolteacher. Both were Episcopalians.^[2] At the age capture eight, she was enrolled take away the Swift Sisters School oust Dance, and recalled performing beforehand Eleanor Roosevelt in , win an amateur contest shortly later, joining a touring amateur county show and performing on local cable, as motivating influences in go to pieces desire to pursue a shuffle career.^[2] She joined the Lav Robert Powers modeling agency submit by the age of 12 was in regular demand. She enrolled in the Professional Trainee School but, as it was not accredited, her mother common her to her local faculty so that she might long run attend college. She graduated bully 15, securing a scholarship weather Sarah Lawrence College. However, representation board of admission considered churn out too immature for entry present-day requested she wait one year.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Stage

In the interim, Blair married the chorus at the Cosmopolitan Casino in Times Square, delighted when it closed down, affected in the chorus of League together Rose's Diamond Horseshoe from Jan where Gene Kelly was crucial as choreographer. "Gene fought in behalf of me. He said I could dance, and he needed low down good dancers," she wrote weighty her autobiography.^[3] Blair and Kelly's relationship blossomed, culminating in their marriage in October She obtain Kelly remained married for 16 years and had one maid, Kerry Kelly Novick (b. ),^[4][5] together before divorcing in ^{[citation needed]}

Blair left Rose's show curry favor accept an offer from choreographer Robert Alton to join description chorus of Panama Hattie, fact list illustrious line-up which included June Allyson, Doris and Constance Dowling, and Vera-Ellen. Alton—who previously disclosed Gene Kelly—had spotted her considering that she unsuccessfully auditioned for unembellished part in Louisiana Purchase.^[6] Next to this period, she developed straight strong interest in Marxism, acceptance been introduced to Lloyd Gough by Kelly, and attended Gough's weekly Marxist study group, which Kelly did not attend. "And it was very serious. Contact textbook was The History ticking off the Communist Party of say publicly Soviet Union I was one hundred per cent enthralled by the ideas."^[7]

In completely , Blair secured her eminent role in a stage drive at when Kelly's friend William Author chose her to play magnanimity female lead role of Immoderate. Agnes of the Mice subtract his play The Beautiful People at the Lyceum Theatre, doing opposite Eugene Loring, and receipt excellent reviews from leading critics George Jean Nathan and Richard Watts, Jr. Watts stated, "The gently sweetly sincere and tick moving gravity and innocence reminisce Miss Blair's utterly right facilitate is so infinitely touching with the addition of beautiful than any studied characterization could be, that her tax to the work is lightly enchanting."^[8]

In , she understudied picture role of Laura Wingfield, counterfeit by Julie Haydon, in high-mindedness original Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie, starring Laurette Taylor.^[4]

Film

Blair was featured in such flicks as A Double Life (), Another Part of the Forest (), and The Snake Pit (). She continued to engage left-wing political views and confessedly attempted to join the Socialist Party.^[2] In her autobiography, she revealed her application was spurned because the party felt she would be more valuable translation the wife of the growing Kelly.^[2] Kelly himself was fret a Communist and his eminence as a valuable star granting the couple some protection.^{[citation needed]}

In the s, Blair was fall investigation from HUAC and blacklisted for several years. She near lost one of her monogram roles, that of Marty's sweetheart in Marty (), but was restored to the role aft Kelly threatened to pull take charge of of It's Always Fair Weather.^[2] For her performance, she agreed an Academy Award nomination keep watch on Best Supporting Actress and rob from the Cannes Film Commemoration. Her film career, nonetheless, was damaged during the "red scare" era and she had belong seek work on stage export New York and in Europe.^[9]

Following her divorce from Kelly, Statesman moved permanently to Europe position she paired with French artiste and director Roger Pigaut, existing continued to appear in flicks, including Juan Antonio Bardem's Calle Mayor () and Michelangelo Antonioni's Il Grido (). By these years, she self-confessedly became adroit conspicuous member of the avant la lettre European gauche caviar.^[10]

Blair married Czech-born British director/producer Karel Reisz in and performed infrequently in later years, working cotton on Costa-Gavras in on the husk Betrayed and on the mini-series Scarlett in Reisz died entertain ^{[citation needed]}

In , she was a member of the rough and ready at the 30th Berlin Omnipresent Film Festival.^[11]

Blair filmed scenes liberation Stephen Daldry's The Hours (), initially playing the older kind of Julianne Moore's character. Undertaking is unclear if she was dropped or if she withdrew from the project. In , she published her autobiography The Memory of All That.^[10][9]

Death

Blair monotonous of cancer in London foul language March 13, She was survived by a daughter, Kerry Actress Novick, three stepchildren and very many grandchildren.^[12][4]

Filmography

Features

Bibliography

References

External links