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The Lady Eve's Reel Life: SHADOW OF A DOUBT's "Ann Newton"...Today...

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SHADOW OF A DOUBT's "Ann Newton"...Today... Coming in January

Edna and Hitch

While doing research for a blog on Shadow of a Doubt last year I unearthed information about Edna May Wonacott Green who portrayed Ann Newton, the younger sister in the 1943 film. I wrote a letter asking Edna if she'd be interested in being interviewed and a little while later received an email from her saying "yes." We had a lengthy telephone conversation soon after and on Edna's 78th birthday, February 6, 2010, the first part of our interview was posted at The Classic Film & TV Cafe as "Happy Birthday, Edna May." Part 2 posted a few days later (Part 1 link, Part 2 link). Noir City XII in San Francisco, coming The blog also posted later at TCM's Classic Film Union fan site. January 24...

Edna Green is a truly genuine, intelligent and warm woman whose childhood was extraordinary. It occurred to me that the local paper where she now lives might be interested so I emailed the paper's features editor suggesting a piece about her. I included a link to my interview so he could get an idea of Edna's story. He was interested but said he liked what I'd written and asked for permission to reprint it. It was my turn to say "yes"...and in March of last year, Edna got the front page of the features section of a Sunday edition of the Yuma Sun (the interview was also posted with the online edition). But wait, there's more...

Edna Green today I submitted our interview to Classic Images - and it was accepted - for the journal's glossier sister publication, Films of the Golden Age and appears in the new issue - #63, Winter 2010 - 2011. It's an eight-page spread with many pictures from Edna's personal collection (a few are shown here), several taken on the set of Shadow of a Doubt. According to Wikipedia, TCM's "Robert Osborne has gone on record proclaiming Films of the Golden Age is one of his favorite publications." Last weekend Edna and I, who have stayed in touch since our initial interview,

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talked about events in her life over the past year.

Once our interview appeared Edna The annual fest schedule is out - click began to hear from fans all over on image for full program... the U.S., Canada and...the world (Belgium, England, France, Germany, Greece, Slovakia, Spain The Fifth Annual TCM Classic Film and Sweden). The letters she Festival - Hollywood, April 2014 receives usually include a photo of her printed from the Internet and a request that she sign it. Edna still averages about three letters a week and reports that most are interested in Shadow of a Doubt, but some even mention Under Western Skies, a 1945 film that co-starred Noah Beery and Martha O'Driscoll. One young American girl wrote asking Edna with Martha O'Driscoll on Under Western Skies for advice on how to get into the movies. Edna responds to all who write her and in the girl's case emphasized that it's been nearly 70 years since she was "discovered," and that Hollywood has changed dramatically since then...Edna is a Click on image to learn more. little surprised (and pleased) that so many of those who contact her are young people.

After Edna's interview appeared in the Sun she began to receive invitations from local THE LADY EVE community groups to speak about her years as a child actress. So far she has led two such programs and has a third coming up soon. She brings her memorabilia and scrapbooks and talks about her experiences on Shadow of a Doubt, The Bells of St. Mary's and the other films on which she worked during the 1940s.

Edna's life has also opened up over this last year in an arena unrelated to her Hollywood heyday. When her husband died of cancer a few years ago, Edna became

interested in diet and nutrition. She attended Food for Life classes offered by The Bureaucrat by day, blogger by night - lover of Cancer Project and was soon part of a small group of women who regularly met to classic film night and day...contact: share ideas and recipes. Eventually Edna was leading a class of 30+ men and women [email protected] who still meet once a week on Mondays. Edna is committed to a plant-based diet and claims she feels better than she has in decades. She is now leading two additional classes a week and her crusade to promote healthy eating was recently Subscribe To covered by the Yuma Sun. Click here for link. Following this latest newspaper coverage, Edna was contacted by a local judge in charge of a rehab center who is Posts interested in incorporating healthy eating into his program and has asked for her Comments assistance.

Edna's childhood could be called magical, but she left the movie business while still FOLLOWERS young and led a normal life in the intervening years. It seems somehow fitting that she has come full circle and is once again in the spotlight - not only because of interest in her onetime movie career, but also because of the work she is doing

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to help others in her community.

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19 comments: Father of the Bride (1950)...and a reflection on PinkGinger January 31, 2011 at 7:34 AM mid-century Hollywood... That's so neat! I have always thought she was cute in Shadow of A Doubt. I might have to check out some of her other films, now. Have you seen all of them?

Reply A Birthday Tribute to Francoise Dorleac

The Lady Eve January 31, 2011 at 8:25 AM Hi Ginger - Edna made about a half-dozen films and I've seen two, SHADOW OF A DOUBT and THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S, her two "A" films. The role of Ann Newton was her biggest part...I recently viewed SHADOW again (just before CMBA's Hitchcock Blogathon) and watched the DVD extras for the first time. In a 2006 documentary that was included, Teresa Wright commented that The Classic Movie Blog Assn. (CMBA) Edna, a complete novice when the film was made, "was absolutely fabulous for that role." Reply

Allen Hefner January 31, 2011 at 10:54 AM

Isn't it interesting that she only made about seven movies and is uncredited in five of them, yet she .....member since 2010 is remembered and now sought after. Good work, Eve.

We had a similar occurance with Virginia Karns who played Mother Goose in the 1934 Laurel and 2013 CIMBA AWARD Hardy movie, Babes in Toyland. She only made three movies, but we found her living in New Jersey, and she enjoyed the renewed interest in her short career. She was an honored guest at our convention in 1984.

I guess you also write about Bit Actors! Reply

The Lady Eve January 31, 2011 at 11:48 AM

Hi Allen - I'm certain that Edna is of great interest today because she had such a memorable role in

http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/01/shadow-of-doubts-ann-newtontoday.html[1/2/2014 2:02:46 AM] The Lady Eve's Reel Life: SHADOW OF A DOUBT's "Ann Newton"...Today...

"Cagney" (Click on image for link to profile) a film considered to be a Hitchcock masterpiece. I often think that those who were not stars but had key or notable roles in Hitchcock's great films have been blessed with "filmmortality"...Robert Walker and Marion Lorne in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, Jessie Royce Landis in TCaT and NxNW, Wendell 2012 CIMBA AWARD Corey in REAR WINDOW, in VERTIGO...and so many others. Joseph Cotten might have been most fortunate of all - he was never a top star but had leading or co-starring roles in three films considered great masterworks - CITIZEN KANE, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and .

(as you know, I love bit part actors...) Reply

John January 31, 2011 at 2:58 PM Eve, "A Month of Vertigo" (click on image for link to event) What a great story! It is good to hear she is leading such an active life at this stage. This is a great and you really did a nice job here, and congratulations on the publication of your article. 2011 CIMBA AWARD Reply

The Lady Eve January 31, 2011 at 3:52 PM Thanks, John...and I'm happy for Edna that the piece is being published just in time for her 79th birthday. Reply

Anonymous January 31, 2011 at 4:20 PM "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (click on image for link to review) I see Edna at least 2 times a week. She is warm and very genuine. She is a very dear friend and is loved by many folks in our circle. She is a true friend. 2010 CIMBA AWARD Marilyn Reply

Page January 31, 2011 at 5:24 PM This is a wonderful piece Lady Eve! Thanks so much for sharing it with the rest of us. Theres so many actresses that I would love to sit down with and listen to their stories. Just to get a glimpse into the Golden Era of Hollywood would be something special. Page

Reply "About John Gilbert...an Interview with Leatrice Gilbert Fountain" (click on image for link to interview) FlickChick January 31, 2011 at 5:37 PM

This is one on my favorite non- Hitchcocks. Ann was definitely the smartest one in the Classic Movie Hub household and Edna played her to perfection. So nice to hear about her. Thank you for sharing this. Reply

ClassicBecky January 31, 2011 at 5:40 PM Congratulations on the journey of your writing to being published in such a renowned publication! What an honor, and well deserved. Your interviews open up all kinds of venues for the actors, not the least of which is to know they are remembered. Kudos, Eve! Reply

Classic Film & TV Cafe

The Lady Eve January 31, 2011 at 9:41 PM Great comments all (glad you could stop by, Marilyn) and thank you...some day I'd love to see TCM put together a special with those still living who appeared in the major Hitchcock films..., Farley Granger, Edna, Vera Miles...along with Pat Hitchcock.

Reply Click on Rick's for my contributions at "the Cafe"...

Dawn February 1, 2011 at 5:18 AM MovieFanFare Eve, What a wonderful story. This must be very exciting time for both, you and Edna. Congrats!!

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Thank you so much for sharing your publications with us. Please keep us updated. Reply

whistlingypsy February 2, 2011 at 3:39 PM Click on image for links to my guest posts at Lady Eve, this is a lovely follow-up to your tribute to Ms. Green, her life and her experiences in film. I MFF... find it truly inspiring how your original article lead to an increased awareness of her film work (with feedback from all over the globe). I also find it touching that she has discovered something close to her heart that she regularly shares with others. Congratulation on the encouraging feedback and Paperblog...contributor since 2013 tremendous success regarding your writing. I'm curious if this a publication that I might find locally (perhaps through a book store)? Reply

VAMP Rick29 February 2, 2011 at 7:49 PM Thanks for an enjoyable follow-up piece. What fun to read Edna's article in THE YUMA SUN! Reply

...member since 2013 The Lady Eve February 2, 2011 at 10:16 PM Gypsy asks a question about "Films of the Golden Age" that I should've thought to answer - is it The LAMB available locally? I originally came upon "Classic Images" at my local Borders. I'd suggest that anyone who's interested and has a good-size local bookstore or newstand call and ask. I believe individual issues can be purchased through the magazine's site (link above). Thanks Dawn, Gypsy and Rick for your interest in Edna. And Rick, thank you for everything related to the original post at the Cafe, from encouragement to suggestions and OKing the blog to be reprinted twice! .....member since 2011 Like Rick, I hope readers will follow the link to the latest piece by "The Yuma Sun" on Edna.

Reply TCM Classic Film Union

Classicfilmboy February 3, 2011 at 6:21 AM Wonderful piece, Eve. I've presented "Shadows of a Doubt" before and have often wondered what happened to Edna. Thank you for looking her up and making sure her memories are captured in print for all to enjoy in the future. ...member since 2009 Reply

The Long and Winding BLOGROLL... Lobosco February 16, 2011 at 5:48 AM Once upon a screen... Great post. I learned so much about her. SHADOW OF A DOUBT is one of my favorite Hitchcock 2013 in review films. Thank you for your article. 5 hours ago Reply GlamAmor Toasting to 2014 with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in OCEAN'S 11 13 hours ago The Lady Eve February 18, 2011 at 11:17 PM Thanks for your interest in Edna, everyone. In an email today she told me that she has three more Classic Film and TV Cafe programs set up. "Shadow of a Doubt" will be screened and Edna will talk about her experience Sapphire & Steel 19 hours ago making the film and share her scrapbooks and mementos. Only one program had been planned, but high demand led to scheduling two more...kudos, Edna! Proceeds will benefit her church. Backlots Reply 2013 at Backlots–A Year in Review 1 day ago

Twenty Four Frames SAMR April 8, 2011 at 2:19 PM Five Films for New Years Eve 1 day ago This is just wonderful, Eve. Thanks so much for a wonderful story on the very memorable and still delightful Edna. I've emailed it to dozens of people. DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR... For another child star's take on working with Hitchcock a decade later, have a look at Christopher MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY 1993 Olsen has to say about appearing with Doris Day and in THE MAN WHO KNEW 1 day ago TOO MUCH on THE SHORT KNIGHT HITCHCOCK BLOG. The Hollywood Revue What’s on TCM: January 2014 http://shortknighthitchblog.blogspot.com/?spref=tw 3 days ago Reply A Person in the Dark Happy New Year in Living Color 3 days ago Add comment Classicfilmboy's Movie Paradise

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