Betsy Blair
Encyclopedia
Betsy Blair was an American actress of film and stage, long based in London
.
Blair pursued a career in entertainment from the age of eight, and as a child worked as an amateur dancer, performed on radio, and worked as a model, before joining the chorus of Billy Rose
's Diamond Horseshoe in 1940. There she met Gene Kelly
; they were married the following year, when she was seventeen years old, they divorced sixteen years later in 1957.
After work in the theatre, Blair began her film career playing supporting roles in films such as A Double Life
(1947) and Another Part of the Forest
(1948). Her interest in Marxism
led to an investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee
and Blair was blacklisted
for some time, but resumed her career with a critically acclaimed performance in Marty
(1955), winning a BAFTA Award
and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
.
She continued her career with regular theatre, film and television work until the mid 1990s.
in 1933, winning an amateur contest shortly thereafter, joining a touring amateur show and performing on local radio, as motivating influences in her desire to pursue a dance career. She joined the John Robert Powers
modeling agency and by the age of twelve was in regular demand. She enrolled in the Professional Children's School
but, as it was not accredited, her mother returned her to her local school so that she might eventually attend college. She graduated at fifteen, securing a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College
. However, the Board of Admission considered her too immature for entry and requested she wait one year.
, and when it closed down, worked in the chorus of Billy Rose
's Diamond Horseshoe from January 1940 where Gene Kelly
was working as choreographer. "Gene fought for me. He said I could dance, and he needed some good dancers", she wrote in her autobiography. Blair and Kelly's relationship blossomed, culminating in their marriage in October 1941. She and Kelly remained married for sixteen years and had one daughter together before divorcing in 1957.
Blair left Rose's show to accept an offer from choreographer Robert Alton
to join the chorus of Panama Hattie
, an illustrious line-up which included June Allyson
, Doris
and Constance Dowling
, and Vera-Ellen
. Alton – who had previously discovered Gene Kelly – had spotted her when she unsuccessfully auditioned for a part in Louisiana Purchase
, During this period she developed a strong interest in Marxism
, having 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. Our textbook was The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union...I was completely enthralled by the ideas."
In early 1941, Blair secured her first role in a stage play when Kelly's friend William Saroyan
chose her to play the female lead role of St. Agnes of the Mice in his play The Beautiful People at the Lyceum Theatre
, playing opposite Eugene Loring
, and securing excellent reviews from leading critics George Jean Nathan
and Richard Watts, Jr.
. Watts commented: "The gently sweetly sincere and completely moving gravity and innocence of Miss Blair's utterly right performance is so infinitely touching and beautiful than any studied portrayal could be, that her contribution to the work is gracefully enchanting."
(1947), Another Part of the Forest
(1948), and The Snake Pit
(1948). She continued to hold left-wing political views and admittedly attempted to join the Communist Party
. In her autobiography, she revealed her application was rejected as the Party felt she would be more valuable as the wife of the progressive
Kelly. Kelly himself was not a Communist and his status as a valuable star provided the couple some protection.
In the 1950s, Blair was under investigation from HUAC and blacklisted
for several years. She almost lost one of her signature roles, that of Marty's girlfriend in Marty
(1955), but was restored to the role after Kelly threatened to pull out of It's Always Fair Weather
. For her performance, she received an Academy Award
nomination for Best Supporting Actress and prizes from the Cannes Film Festival
.
Her film career, nonetheless, was damaged during the 'red scare' era and she had to seek work on stage in New York and in Europe
.
Following her divorce from Kelly, Blair moved permanently to Europe where she continued to appear in films, including Juan Antonio Bardem's Calle Mayor
(1956) and Michelangelo Antonioni
's Il Grido
(1957). She married Czech-born director/ producer Karel Reisz
in 1963, and would perform sporadically in later years working with Costa-Gavras
' (Betrayed
, 1988) and on the mini-series Scarlett
in 1994. Reisz died in 2002.
In 1980, she was a member of the jury at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival
.
Blair filmed scenes for Stephen Daldry
's The Hours
(2002), initially playing the older version of Julianne Moore
's character. She was either dropped or withdrew from the project (depending on the source) and her scenes were reshot with Moore in old-age makeup.
after a bout with cancer
, aged 85, on March 13, 2009. She is survived by a daughter, three stepchildren and several grandchildren.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Blair pursued a career in entertainment from the age of eight, and as a child worked as an amateur dancer, performed on radio, and worked as a model, before joining the chorus of Billy Rose
Billy Rose
William "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
's Diamond Horseshoe in 1940. There she met Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
; they were married the following year, when she was seventeen years old, they divorced sixteen years later in 1957.
After work in the theatre, Blair began her film career playing supporting roles in films such as A Double Life
A Double Life
A Double Life is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of an actor whose mind becomes affected by the character he portrays. The movie starred Ronald Colman and Signe Hasso...
(1947) and Another Part of the Forest
Another Part of the Forest (film)
Another Part of the Forest is a 1948 American drama film directed by Michael Gordon. The screenplay by is based on the 1946 play of the same name by Lillian Hellman, which was a prequel to her 1939 drama The Little Foxes.-Plot:...
(1948). Her interest in Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
led to an investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
and Blair was blacklisted
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
for some time, but resumed her career with a critically acclaimed performance in Marty
Marty (film)
Marty is a 1955 American film directed by Delbert Mann. The screenplay was written by Paddy Chayefsky, expanding upon his 1953 teleplay of the same name. The film stars Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. The film enjoyed international success, winning the 1955 Academy Award for Best Picture and...
(1955), winning a BAFTA Award
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
.
She continued her career with regular theatre, film and television work until the mid 1990s.
Early life
Born Elizabeth Winifred Boger, her father, William Kidd Boger, was a partner in a small insurance brokerage firm; her mother, Frederica Ammon, was a schoolteacher. Both were Episcopalians. At the age of eight, she was enrolled in the Swift Sisters School of Dance, and recalls performing before Eleanor RooseveltEleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
in 1933, winning an amateur contest shortly thereafter, joining a touring amateur show and performing on local radio, as motivating influences in her desire to pursue a dance career. She joined the John Robert Powers
John Robert Powers
John Robert Powers was an American actor and founder of a prominent New York City modeling agency.In 1923, John Robert Powers founded a modeling agency. The John Robert Powers Agency represented many models who went on to success in the Hollywood film industry, and even Betty Bloomer who became...
modeling agency and by the age of twelve was in regular demand. She enrolled in the Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School is a not for profit, college preparatory school that was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an education to young people working on the New York stage, in Vaudeville, or "on the road."-History:...
but, as it was not accredited, her mother returned her to her local school so that she might eventually attend college. She graduated at fifteen, securing a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
. However, the Board of Admission considered her too immature for entry and requested she wait one year.
Stage career
In the interim, Blair joined the chorus at the International Casino in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and when it closed down, worked in the chorus of Billy Rose
Billy Rose
William "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
's Diamond Horseshoe from January 1940 where Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
was working as choreographer. "Gene fought for me. He said I could dance, and he needed some good dancers", she wrote in her autobiography. Blair and Kelly's relationship blossomed, culminating in their marriage in October 1941. She and Kelly remained married for sixteen years and had one daughter together before divorcing in 1957.
Blair left Rose's show to accept an offer from choreographer Robert Alton
Robert Alton
Robert Alton was an American dancer and choreographer, a major figure in dance choreography of Broadway and Hollywood musicals from the 1930s through to the early 1950s...
to join the chorus of Panama Hattie
Panama Hattie
Panama Hattie is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. It is also the title of a 1942 MGM musical based upon the play...
, an illustrious line-up which included June Allyson
June Allyson
June Allyson was an American film and television actress, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was a major MGM contract star. Allyson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in Too Young to Kiss . From 1959–1961, she hosted and occasionally starred in her own CBS anthology...
, Doris
Doris Dowling
Doris Dowling was an American actress of film, stage and television.After her time as a chorus-girl on Broadway, Detroit-born Doris Dowling followed her elder sister Constance to Hollywood. Her first credited film role was that of Gloria, barfly and drinking companion to fellow alcoholic Ray...
and Constance Dowling
Constance Dowling
Constance Dowling was an American model turned actress of the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life and career:...
, and Vera-Ellen
Vera-Ellen
Vera-Ellen was an American actress and dancer, principally celebrated for her filmed dance partnerships with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Donald O'Connor.-Early life:...
. Alton – who had previously discovered Gene Kelly – had spotted her when she unsuccessfully auditioned for a part in Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, During this period she developed a strong interest in Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
, having been introduced to Lloyd Gough
Lloyd Gough
Lloyd Gough was an American theater, film, and television actor.Born Michael Gough in New York City, he was a noted character actor...
by Kelly, and attended Gough's weekly Marxist study group, which Kelly did not attend. "And it was very serious. Our textbook was The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union...I was completely enthralled by the ideas."
In early 1941, Blair secured her first role in a stage play when Kelly's friend William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
chose her to play the female lead role of St. Agnes of the Mice in his play The Beautiful People at the Lyceum Theatre
Lyceum Theatre (New York)
The Lyceum Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 149 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.It has the distinction of being the oldest surviving Broadway venue , the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in New York City, and the first Broadway theatre ever to be granted landmark status...
, playing opposite Eugene Loring
Eugene Loring
Eugene Loring American ballet and other dance-forms dancer, choreographer and teacher and administrator.-Biography:...
, and securing excellent reviews from leading critics George Jean Nathan
George Jean Nathan
George Jean Nathan was an American drama critic and editor.-Early life:Nathan was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
and Richard Watts, Jr.
Richard Watts, Jr.
Richard Watts, Jr. was an American theatre critic.Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Watts was educated at Columbia University. He began his writing career as the film critic for the New York Herald Tribune before assuming the post of the newspaper's drama critic in 1936.After spending World War...
. Watts commented: "The gently sweetly sincere and completely moving gravity and innocence of Miss Blair's utterly right performance is so infinitely touching and beautiful than any studied portrayal could be, that her contribution to the work is gracefully enchanting."
Film career
Blair was featured in such films as A Double LifeA Double Life
A Double Life is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of an actor whose mind becomes affected by the character he portrays. The movie starred Ronald Colman and Signe Hasso...
(1947), Another Part of the Forest
Another Part of the Forest (film)
Another Part of the Forest is a 1948 American drama film directed by Michael Gordon. The screenplay by is based on the 1946 play of the same name by Lillian Hellman, which was a prequel to her 1939 drama The Little Foxes.-Plot:...
(1948), and The Snake Pit
The Snake Pit
The Snake Pit is a 1948 American drama film directed by Anatole Litvak. The film tells the story of a woman who finds herself in an insane asylum and cannot remember how she got there, and stars Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick.The film was...
(1948). She continued to hold left-wing political views and admittedly attempted to join the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
. In her autobiography, she revealed her application was rejected as the Party felt she would be more valuable as the wife of the progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
Kelly. Kelly himself was not a Communist and his status as a valuable star provided the couple some protection.
In the 1950s, Blair was under investigation from HUAC and blacklisted
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
for several years. She almost lost one of her signature roles, that of Marty's girlfriend in Marty
Marty (film)
Marty is a 1955 American film directed by Delbert Mann. The screenplay was written by Paddy Chayefsky, expanding upon his 1953 teleplay of the same name. The film stars Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. The film enjoyed international success, winning the 1955 Academy Award for Best Picture and...
(1955), but was restored to the role after Kelly threatened to pull out of It's Always Fair Weather
It's Always Fair Weather
Fortunately, the original multitrack pre-recordings of the score survive to this day, having enabled Rhino Records to reissue the soundtrack in true stereo . The Original MGM soundtrack was released in 1991 by Sony Music....
. For her performance, she received an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for Best Supporting Actress and prizes from the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
Her film career, nonetheless, was damaged during the 'red scare' era and she had to seek work on stage in New York and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Following her divorce from Kelly, Blair moved permanently to Europe where she continued to appear in films, including Juan Antonio Bardem's Calle Mayor
Calle mayor
Main street is a 1956 Spanish drama film directed by Juan Antonio Bardem. It features a French-Spanish cast led by the American actress Betsy Blair, who was dubbed into Spanish, as well as the Spanish actor José Suárez. It is based on a Carlos Arniches' play titled La señorita de Trévelez. The...
(1956) and Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
's Il Grido
Il grido
Il grido is a 1957 Italian black-and-white drama film, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Its title means "The Outcry", but it was originally released in the English-speaking world as The Cry. The DVD release uses the Italian title. The film stars American actor Steve Cochran, Alida Valli, Betsy...
(1957). She married Czech-born director/ producer Karel Reisz
Karel Reisz
Karel Reisz was a Czech-born British filmmaker who was active in post–war Britain, and one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in 1950s and 1960s British cinema.-Early life:...
in 1963, and would perform sporadically in later years working with Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras, is a Greek filmmaker, who lives and works in France, best known for films with overt political themes, most famously the fast-paced thriller, Z...
' (Betrayed
Betrayed (1988 film)
Betrayed is a 1988 motion picture drama directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Tom Berenger and Debra Winger.-Plot:Set in the American Midwest, the film begins with the murder of a Jewish radio host in Chicago...
, 1988) and on the mini-series Scarlett
Scarlett (TV miniseries)
Scarlett is a 1994 six hour miniseries loosely based on the sequel to Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone with the Wind, written by Alexandra Ripley...
in 1994. Reisz died in 2002.
In 1980, she was a member of the jury at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival
30th Berlin International Film Festival
The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 18 to February 29, 1980.-Jury:* Ingrid Thulin * Betsy Blair* Mathieu Carrière* Alberto Isaac* Peter Kern* Károly Makk* Alexander Mitta* Alexandre Trauner...
.
Blair filmed scenes for Stephen Daldry
Stephen Daldry
Stephen David Daldry, CBE is an English theatre and film director and producer, as well as a three-time Academy Award nominated and Tony Award winning director.-Early years:...
's The Hours
The Hours (film)
The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, and starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Ed Harris. The screenplay by David Hare is based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham....
(2002), initially playing the older version of Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
's character. She was either dropped or withdrew from the project (depending on the source) and her scenes were reshot with Moore in old-age makeup.
Death
Blair died in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
after a bout with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, aged 85, on March 13, 2009. She is survived by a daughter, three stepchildren and several grandchildren.