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Home , Caged, Eleanor Parker, Interrupted Melody, Stewart Granger

SUMMER 2010 Noir City Sentinel 25 A SENTINEL EXCLUSIVE

leanor Parker was one of the most distinctive actresses of the Eclassic era. The con- summate professional, she combined overwhelming beauty with flawless Incognito, but Invincible acting, always playing the character, never herself. Nominated three times for the Best Actress Oscar for perform- ances in (1950), Detective Story (1951) and (1953), Parker proved to be incredibly versa- tile, turning in singular performances in every genre. An unlikely star who always shunned the limelight, the still- hale Parker, 88, discussed her career during a recent conversation with Sentinel senior editor Alan K. Rode.

AKR: When did you first break into the movies?

Parker: I signed with Warner Brothers on my birthday. I was 19 years old. And would you believe Jack L. Warner’s wife, Ann, wanted to change my name to Ann Wiggins! Well, I didn’t know anything about the movies at that time, but shades of Mrs.Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1934)! I came from Cleveland with a background as a stage actress. I was determined to keep my name and the result was that Eleanor Powell and I kept getting mixed up by the movie fans. I would get complimented on my Chilean tap dance or something she had done, and Eleanor would be praised over some Warner Bros. movie that I appeared in. It became a joke between the two of us.

AKR: The arc of your career was upwardly mobile at Warners; ini- tially appearing in bit parts, with your roles gradually becoming more worthy as you worked with some of the top directors on the lot such as Michael Curtiz in Mission to Moscow in 1943.

Parker: That was the studio system. It was a system; Warners brought you along and you learned the business. There is acting, which I knew, and then there is filmmaking—which you have to learn. As for Curtiz, I don’t remember too much about him, my part in the film was quite small and Eleanor Parker in Never Say Goodbye what is it, nearly 70 years ago? What Parker: Correct. That was the big Parker: You couldn’t get to Jack. David O. Selznick were rabid poker I remember about Mike Curtiz is that break. It was a great part and who Steve Trilling, his assistant was the players. he had a reputation for being difficult wouldn’t look good with . person who ran the day-to-day opera- with actors, but he was completely He was absolutely wonderful. At first, tions at the studio. I got to know Jack Parker: David Selznick was the worst professional and polite with me. Also, he didn’t seem like he was doing much and many of the other head guys from poker player who ever lived! He was he knew exactly what he was doing as and then you’d see the rushes. The the studios from the poker games my terrible; it was like taking money from a director. I had no problems. camera loved John Garfield. husband (Bert Friedlob) had at our a baby. It got so bad that my husband house. and the others would hide their cars so AKR: Do you consider your break- AKR: From your vantage point, how he wouldn’t know where the game through role to be Pride of the involved was Jack L. Warner in the AKR: I’ve read that many of the moguls, was, but he would go to everyone’s Marines opposite John Garfield? day-to-day operations of the studio? Goldwyn, Zanuck, the Schencks and house until he found out where they 26 Noir City Sentinel SUMMER 2010 performances in your Oscar years. In scared me to death in that one! As you 1950, there was Holliday, know, it was pretty much an all-female for , Gloria Swanson in cast in Caged and we just had fun! Betty Sunset Blvd. The next year had Vivien Garde was great as well, but I have to Leigh winning for A Streetcar Named tell you about Hope Emerson. She was Desire, but also Hepburn in The the total opposite of that horrible matron African Queen… and then 1955: she played in the film. She was fun-lov- won for The Rose ing. She played the piano in between Tattoo along with scenes and sang. She also took beautiful and Hepburn being nominated again. care of her Mother who would visit the That’s mighty tough competition. set in a wheelchair; Hope was a darling. I suppose it’s pretty boring to keep hear- Parker: Exactly. For me, though, it was ing how wonderful everybody is? always about the work, not fame. I also had four children and I would never AKR: Not at all. sacrifice family for my career. I am also afraid now that certain people are mad Parker: I loved most all the people I at me about turning down repeated invi- worked with, I really did. There was tations to personal appearances and only one person that I didn’t get along declining being filmed to discuss acting with during my career and it wasn’t a and my career. Just thinking about conflict between the two of us. Eleanor Parker as “Marie Allen” in Caged being filmed discussing in this or that Everyone disliked this man. I won’t were. Selznick had to sell the rights to mentor and a teacher. We were invited movie makes me want to faint. mention his name… Gone with the Wind because of his gam- to his house and there was nothing bling losses. People could go bankrupt at risqué about it; just a delight. Sydney those poker games. I remember one Greenstreet was just so dear, a wonder- night when Lou Costello lost everything. ful man.

AKR: Were these games strictly stag AKR: I want to ask you about Caged, affairs for the men? a personal favorite. For the record, I think it was an injustice that you did- Parker: Yes. I remember Joan n’t win the Best Actress Oscar for Crawford’s husband played. Joan came your performance. The metamorpho- to the house and knitted the entire time. sis of your character, Marie Allen, in Caged is a tour de force. AKR: Joan knitted? Parker: Well, that is really nice of you Parker: She was excellent at it. I knit to say that, thank you. Actually, I was myself, but not like Joan. She could knit relieved that I didn’t win. extremely fast and never dropped a stitch. AKR; Relieved?

AKR: Getting back to movies, several Parker: Yes. certainly of your Warner’s films that I think deserved to win, but I would have hated highly of are Between Two Worlds to get up in front of all those people and (1944) and The Woman in White say something. It’s something that I Eleanor Parker pleads for mercy from warden in Caged. (1948) in which you co-starred with dread. I was nominated three times and the great Sydney Greenstreet. it always seemed that it was never a weak year; that I was always up against AKR: Why is that? AKR: Oh, come on, dish a bit. Parker: I loved Greenstreet! All of us, stiff competition. I always knew that I these young girls at the studio, would wasn’t going to win. Parker: It’s just the way I am. I’ve Parker: Well, I guess it doesn’t matter be sitting at his feet listening to his sto- never been one to toot my own horn because he’s dead now. In fact, all of ries about acting and life; he was like a AKR; You were pitted against stellar and I don’t like public appearances that these people are gone now, aren’t they? are about me. Again, for me, it was the It was in work. Scaramouche.

AKR: Returning to Caged… Was AKR: Wasn’t he married to Jean that your actual hair that Hope Simmons at the time? Emerson sheared off in that devastat- ing scene? Parker: Yes. Sadly, Jean is gone now too. Stewart Granger was a dreadful per- Parker: No, it wasn’t. The studio want- son, rude… just awful. Just being in his ed me to say that it was, for the publicity. presence was bad. I thought at one point I absolutely refused to lie. I will not lie, the crew was going kill him. Jean visited perhaps a white lie to spare someone’s him on the set and would leave his dress- feelings, but I don’t play games with the ing room in tears. He humiliated her. It truth. I told Warner Bros: ‘Why don’t was terrible. All of the dueling scenes in you tell the truth about the wonderful Scaramouche were wonderful though. I’ll make-up work with the wigs that created give Granger credit for that. He didn’t the illusion that my hair was sheared know how to do any of that, but worked off?’ I absolutely adored making Caged. hard and learned. , his counter- It was a great part, a compelling story part in the movie, was extremely adept at and what a wonderful time we had! the swordplay, but was a gentleman. He Agnes Moorehead was terrific; I was in could have taken advantage and upstaged The Woman in White with her and she Granger, the star, but he never did. SUMMER 2010 Noir City Sentinel 27 AKR: How did you get on with on Golden Arm?

Parker: He liked me and we got on fine. I was right for the part and was always prepared. Otto could be awful with people who didn’t know their stuff or weren’t right for the part somehow. I remember there was someone who didn’t open a door properly… He could be merciless.

AKR: Many film buffs remember you from with and those pesky army ants … and you’re out in the South American jungle in a gown and a piano!

Parker: That’s Hollywood for you. With in Detective Story The studio went down to South America and shot some of the second AKR: What about Detective Story AKR: I thought one of your most dis- unit footage of the jungle—mostly with Kirk Douglas? tinctive roles was The Man with a long shots—but all of the scenes with the ture, so I said let him have the top Golden Arm (1955). The picture had actors on the plantation and in the “jun- billing. Glenn was kind of a difficult Parker: Kirk was fine and the director, ample star power with gle” were filmed at Paramount. Do you man, but he was right for the picture , he left it up to me to and , but your turn as know Chuck Heston was asked during and a very fine actor. play the part. Do you know the play- Sinatra’s neurotic wife really held the the film if I was a temperamental wright of Detective Story… what was film together. actress? He said, “Temperamental? How AKR: From to Robert his name? about more like professional!” This was Mitchum in Home from the Hill Parker: Golden Arm was a dream one of his early movies and he was very (1960). AKR: Sidney Kingsley. part. Everyone in it was wonderful, nice to work with … There I go again! marvelous. I knew Frank socially Parker: I loved Bob. He was wonder- Parker: Yes. Well, he wrote me this before the movie. He was great in it, AKR: Interrupted Melody (1955) was ful. Are you familiar with that sleepy, lovely letter saying that my portrayal of right in there working hard. Later on, another high point and your third laid back quality that Mitchum had? Mary McLeod in Detective Story was when we made that film with Frank Oscar nomination. the first time that the part had been Capra, what was it? AKR: Of course—that was Mitchum. played correctly, exactly how he had Parker: Interrupted Melody is my originally intended. AKR: (1959) favorite picture. It was a wonderful Parker: I think it was because he was experience. I played always a little drunk, a little high. Now, AKR: What was it like working with Parker: That’s right. That picture was and I had to learn opera. I worked I never actually saw him take a drink, William Wyler? Did he subject the a different story. Frank was always run- incredibly hard. We couldn’t use but we were filming at this college company to the endless number of ning off in an airplane with his “boys,” Marjorie Lawrence’s voice because she down in Missisippi—Ole Miss—and takes that he became so noted for? going somewhere. He was always late, had lost her upper register. Eileen the town was dry, or at least it was very not showing up, not wanting to do more Farrell, who plays a small part in the hard to get booze. Someone in the com- Parker: He didn’t do that because he than a few takes. Frank was the execu- film, did the singing. She had the most pany would go on liquor runs for couldn’t. Wyler was told going in that tive producer as well as the star, he did- incredible voice and could sing any- Mitchum and some of the others over in the studio did not have the budget to n’t show up for work and it was disrup- thing, the blues, just fantastic. Do you the next county. accommodate his usual method of a lot tive. It drove Capra mad. I rehearsed a know I gave the final OK to Glenn Ford of takes so he worked around that. He lot of my scenes with Capra and spent a for his part in Interrupted Melody? His AKR: What was your most difficult used little tricks where the cast great deal of time just sitting around the career had gone downhill somewhat— experience making a film? rehearsed “off the record” so to speak— hotel. Of course I couldn’t lie in the sun just cowboy movies—but he held out after all, it was a play, and so there was and get tanned because of the picture. and insisted on getting top billing. I Parker: The Valley of the Kings, filmed a minimum number of takes on the set, wanted to do what was right for the pic- in Egypt, was simply a dreadful night- three, and four or five and that was it. mare. We had a terrible producer who He adapted to the situation; the studios made no accommodations for the com- were starting to take a beating from tel- pany or crew on location. We were in evision around that time and the budget Egypt, out in the desert filming, with no to indulge Wyler just wasn’t there. sanitary facilities, no dressing rooms to speak of, it was unbelievable. Robert AKR: I almost forgot to ask about Taylor and I had to use the bathrooms Chained Lighting (1950) and with the locals, hiding behind coats. . Additionally, the director (Robert Pirosh) had no idea what he was doing; the head Parker: I was stuck playing this lousy cameraman (Robert Surtees) was direct- part with Bogart, who was delightful, ing the film. Then the crew wasn’t get- but he knew it was a stinker too. He ting paid and our great cameraman told was playing a jet test pilot and was too them that we were all going out on strike old for that type of part. I had no agent until everyone got paid. Believe me, the at the time and was still under contract money showed up. I ended up having a at Warner’s so I had to do it. It was a view of desert from my hotel room in bad picture, but Bogart was the ultimate Cairo when we weren’t filming. Come to professional. I eventually ended up think of it, it was probably like Sarah leaving Warner’s and split my time Palin saying that she had a view of between Paramount and MGM. With Humphrey Bogart in the regrettable Chained Lightning Russia from Alaska. !