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A n n e B a x t e r Bette Davis in All about Eve gave her an opportunity to win an Academy Award for best actress. It was an unex­ pected break because Jeanne Crain, who was originally cast as Eve Harrington, had to relinquish the part because of a pregnancy. Baxter expressed delight with her performance and with the picture: “I was good, I was respected, I had a great part, the script was superb; the actors were perfect and perfectly cast. Even me, and I wasn’t always.” As the scheming understudy, Baxter more than held her own against the venerable Davis. As Eve, Baxter was full of treachery, but offscreen she and Davis became good friends. “Anne was really play­ ing a double role: one thing on the surface, another Left: Baxter and director Alfred Hitchcock enjoy a moment together in underneath,” said Davis. “I called it the ‘sweet bitch.’ 1953, when Baxter starred in Hitchcock’s film I Confess. Right: In 1983 Her part was more difficult than mine.” Baxter joined the cast of the television series Hotel. Standing behind her avis and Baxter both received nominations for in this photo are costars James Brolin and Connie Selleca. best actress. Although urged to accept a nomi­ celebrities. Nothing pleased him more than to see one D nation for best supporting actress, Baxter of his granddaughters become famous. refused, believing it might be her only chance to win As she walked away from Wright’s memorial ceremony, the best-actress honor. Davis and Baxter split a num­ still shaking with emotion, Baxter was told she had a phone ber of votes, leaving the way open for Judy Holliday to call. When she answered, a voice said, ‘This is Ranny Galt.” win for her performance in Born Yesterday. She later reflected that her “grandfather’s death had All about Eve marked the high point in Baxter’s career. brought a stranger from another world into mine.” She With rare exceptions, she had little luck in getting agreed to meet Galt for dinner. On 18 February 1960 roles that utilized her skills as an a ll a b o u t e v e marked the h ig h p o in t in Baxter’s career. actress. She did get an important part as Queen Nefretiri alongside With rare exceptions, she had l it t l e lu c k in getting Charlton Heston’s Moses in Cecil roles that utilized her skills as an actress. B. DeMille’s 1956 film The Ten Commandments. She was widely criticized for her por­ they were married in Honolulu, Hawaii, Galt’s birthplace. trayal of the queen as a “sex kitten,” however, even The couple had a daughter, Melissa, on 5 October 1961. though she acted the role as DeMille had directed. Shortly after Melissa’s birth, the new family, including In 1959 Baxter was in Australia on location for Baxter’s daughter Katrina, moved to Australia. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (later retitled Season of The first years of this marriage were spent on a 36,000- Passion) when friends tried to introduce her to a local acre ranch 150 miles north of Sydney, ten miles from rancher. Unfortunately, Randolph Galt was in the the closest neighbor. Baxter found life lonely and hard. Philippines at the time. Baxter soon forgot about Galt. In spite of this, she died to make the best of things by run­ On 9 April 1959 Baxter awoke at 3 A.M. to a ringing ning the household and doing many of the ranch chores. phone. It was her mother, who informed her that her “We make our own electricity,” she said. “There are no grandfather, Frank Lloyd Wright, had died. At the pushbutton kitchens, no frozen foods. Our groceries time of Wright’s death, Baxter had developed a rela­ come by delivery truck twice a week . along with the tionship with her grandfather that was closer than her mail. I do all the cooking. Help is hard to get in Australia.” Opposite: A reporter for the mother had ever experienced. Later Baxter wrote a best-selling book, Intermission: A Washington Post once wrote Catherine Wright Baxter never True Story, based on her Australian experience. that Baxter had “a husky forgave her father for leaving When Baxter became pregnant again, the couple voice, a deep-throated sound her mother, and their rela­ decided that she should have the baby in the United that carries a hint of a hidden tionship was always cool. But States. They moved hack to California, where daughter chuckle." Such attributes lent Anne Baxter was a different Maginel was born on 11 March 1963. Shortly after her an air of unconventional story. Having worked hard to Maginel’s birth, Ran, as Baxter called her husband, beauty, which audiences gain fame, Wright was happy decided they would not return to Australia. He surprised found attractive. to meet and mingle with other her by buying an 11,000-acre ranch near Grant, New TRA C ES Fall 2003 13.

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