Ann Blyth in The Helen Morgan Story - on TCM

Ann Blyth stars as torch singer Helen Morgan in The Helen Morgan Story (1957), her last motion picture.  Director Michael Curtiz, with whom she worked in Mildred Pierce (1945), chose her among several other actresses for her stunning audition, and she enjoyed working with him again, despite the controversy of the studio's decision that her singing voice would be dubbed.  Her sensitive portrayal of the troubled Jazz Age star is the highlight of the film.  From my book Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

At the time he was writing his column in New York, when Helen Morgan was starring at the Ziegfeld Theater on Sixth Avenue and 54^th Street (long since torn down) in Hammerstein and Kern’s colossal hit Show Boat (Edna May Oliver played the role of the overbearing Parthy), Ann Blyth was a baby on the other side of town, in a considerably lower rent district, an area along East 31^st Street.  In twelve years Ann would be on Broadway herself while still a child, and in fifteen she’d be in Hollywood, where she got to know Mark Hellinger when she appeared in his productions of Swell Guy (1946), and Brute Force (1947).  Hellinger would say of Ann:

Outside, she’s as untouched as a convent girl—and inside, she’s as wise as a woman of 50.

Perhaps one could say the opposite about Helen Morgan.

You have a chance to watch The Helen Morgan Story today on Turner Classic Movies, 11:30 a.m. ET.

Ann Blyth interviewed in new book on director Michael Curtiz

Ann Blyth fans may be interested to read the excellent new biography of her favorite director, Michael Curtiz, by Alan K. Rode. Two of her films were directed by Curtiz:  Mildred Pierce (1945), for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar at the age of 17, and her last film (pictured above with Paul Newman), The Helen Morgan Story (1957).

Michael Curtiz – A Life in Film, published by the University Press of Kentucky (2017) is a well-written and well-researched study on one of Hollywood’s most talented, and yet perhaps most overlooked, directors.  Mr. Rode rectifies Curtiz’s omission among the great auteurs with a fair and unblinking examination of the director’s foibles, even occasional cruelty, but chronicling his impressive body of work and his unique cinematic storytelling.  The book is foremost a tribute to a complex but talented man.

The author interviewed Ann Blyth for this book, and she supplies her memories of working with Michael Curtiz and her experiences on her two films with him, praising his talent and reaffirming how much she enjoyed working with him.  She sensed that, “…he was always seemed to be in my corner.  I remember that we talked about this later on in years when I worked with him again and I wished that that had happened more often…He had a wonderful way and would say all kinds of crazy things, but there was always a twinkle in his eye….I was very, very fond of him.”

There is a photograph in the book of Curtiz directing Ann in the memorable scene in Mildred Pierce where she sings “The Oceana Roll” in the waterfront dive owned by Jack Carson.  For more on Ann’s interview, and for an in-depth review on the life and career of this director whose hits include Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Casablanca (1943), and White Christmas (1954) to name only a few perennial favorites, Michael Curtiz –A Life in Film is a treat for classic film buffs who have waited a long time for a book-length biography on this director.

Mildred Pierce - On TCM today!

Ann Blyth and Joan Crawford face off again in Mildred Pierce (1945) today on Turner Classic Movies, 9:30 a.m. ET.  From my book on Ann's career -- Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:

He had not wanted the “goody-goody” Ann for the role of the evil daughter Veda, either, and need not have considered her when a vast number of young starlets were clamoring for the role.  Ann’s agent, Al Rockett campaigned on her behalf, insisting that she be allowed to test.  In a most unusual occurrence, established star Joan made the test with her.  As quoted by Joan C. Scrivani in her article on Mildred Pierce for Scarlet Street, 1994, Joan remembered:

“I was there when Ann came in.  She was so lovely that my first reaction was she’s too sweet; she’ll never be able to play the bitchy scenes.  But we read together and she was wonderful.  Then we tested together.  Ann was perfect.  She was the right age, the right type, a superb actress and singer.”

The test was directed by Michael Curtiz.  Ann remembered for an interview with Jessie Lilley in Scarlet Street:

“We took scenes from the movie as though we were actually shooting the movie.  We just didn’t read for the part; we filmed the test.”

Curtiz later told her, “in his wonderful Hungarian accent, (imitating him) ‘Don’t worry Annie. You haff de part.’” 

*****************************

The audio book for Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is now for sale on Audible.com, and on Amazon and iTunes.

Also in paperback and eBook from Amazon.

Also in paperback from CreateSpace, and from my Etsy shop: LynchTwinsPublishing.