PSE Li] ‘A unique combination of scholarship Sy and judgement’ IVE JAMES, OB: EIGene Kelly. New York, this time ex-Gls - because Sinatra refused to do what was originally planned, a sequel to On the Town, Dismal colour, unsatisfactory casting and poor situations combined to confirm predictions that the sereen musical was on its way out. Sam Goldwyn, however, was preparing Guys and Dolls and wanted to borrow Kelly for the lead — but MGM refused (ironically, after Marlon Brando was signed, Goldwyn arranged for MGM to distribute). MGM fet him direct as well as star in The Happy Road (57), a well-liked but unsuccessful picture about runaway children in France, but he had nothing to do with the creative side of Les Girls, playing a song-and-dance man under Cukor’s direction. They had no more musicals planned: he was restless at working so little (and still angry about Guys and Dolls), so asked to be released from his contract - it had two more years to run. Free, Kelly announced several independent projects which came to nothing. At one point he was definitely set for Gentleman's Gentleman, a rmusical to be made by Rank at Pinewood. Instead, he went to Warners for Marjorie Morningstar (58), play- ing a composer who would rather be a big fish in a little sea (summer camp). He was a likeable enough reporter in Inherit the Wind (60). He worked in other fields: he directed a Broadway musical, “Flower Drum Song’ (58), and devised a ballet for the Paris Opera based ‘on Gershwin’s ‘Concerto in F (60). He appeared on TV, mostly in Specials, notably in a cartoon-live action ‘Jack and the Bean- stalk’, a mere echo of former glories. He also did a TV series in the carly 60s based on “Going My Way’ ‘Two screen appearances showed him con- siderably aged: What a Way to Go (64), as a passé hoofer partnering Shirley MacLaine, a Touching portrayal in what was that film's only good episode; and Les Demoiselles de Roche: fort (66), which was a mistake. French inéastes had always revered Kelly and when the success of his previous film permitted Jacques Demy a big budget he sent for Kelly to do a guest stint, But he was arch, a parody of his earlier self He had directed occasional movies: The Tunnel of Love (58), Gigot (62) with Jackie Gleason and A Guide for the Married Man (67) ~ each was terrible, but from external evidence they were doomed before they got ‘on the Moor. He did marvellously with a property that must have been nearer his heart, Hello Dolly: (68), with Barbra Streisand, and quite well with The Cheyenne Social Club (70), He played Liv Ullmann’s ex-husband, an unsuccessful TV star, in Forty Carats (73) and the following year was in “Take Me Along’ in stock. He introduced excerpts ftom old MGM 300 musicals in That's Entertainment (74), whose huge success led to him and Fred Astaire doing dancing introductions to same in That's Entertainment Part Two (76), which was not a success: the excerpts were sloppily chosen and. put together, but the public, which had sensed. a ‘feast’, a tribute, with the first film, recog- nized the second as a rip-off. Both films ‘brought into the spotlight Kelly’s contribution to films and there was a bid to revive interest in Invitation 10 the Dance: but admiration for hhim cannot disguise the fact that that one is not good. He has been married twice: to actress Betsy Blair (1940-57) and Jeanne Coyne (1960-73), who left him a widower. It was his children who persuaded him to play a role he had already turned down, that of @ former motorcyclist in Viva Knievel (77), with daredevil Evel Knievel as himself. He should not have listened to them: this was ‘a credit best forgotten’ said ‘Variety’. The same is true of Xanadu (80), supporting — with star- billing ~ the anodyne Olivia Newton-John in this whimsy, as a former dance-band leader Wwho opens’ nightclub to show-case her talents. He has since done duty in two of the junkier mini-series, North and South (85), a Civil War saga, and Sins (86), a Joan Collins soap. Grace KELLY As Princess Grace, we saw her in photo- graphs, elaborately coiffured, bespectacled, leading her children from airport lounges. AS Grace Kelly, she really was a fairy-tale prin- cess. Then, Hollywood was her kingdom, reviewers were her swains, audiences her subjects. Once upon a time She was born in Philadelphia in 1929, with alas for fairy-tales — a silver spoon in her mouth. Uncle George (Kelly) was the author of some popular plays (The Show-Ot, ‘Craig's Wife’), 80 the stage was not consid: ered infra dig. She studied at the AADA and ‘was sufficiently promising co be offered a film contract — which she turned down because she did not want to be a starlet. Instead she did TY, both commercials and drama, and some modelling, Her agent got her the part of Raymond Massey's daughter in a Broadway presentation of Strindberg’s “The Father’ (49) and that, and bigger parts on TV (Phileo Playhouse’, “Treasury Men in Action’), brought her again to Hollywood's attention. 20th cast her in Fourteen Hours (51), almost Unnoticed as one of the crowd, a Would-be divoreee determined to try again after wateh- ing the man on the ledge ‘Again she refused a contract because shewas not ready; but a year later she played Gary Cooper's Quaker wife in High Noon (52). She said: ‘With Gary Cooper, everything is so clear. You look into his face and sce everything he is thinking. I looked into my ‘own face and saw nothing, I knew what I was thinking, but it didn’t show.” As a result, she did not share in the film’s success. No offers were forthcoming, but her agent got her tested at 20th for a programmer, Taxi! She was turned down in favour of Constance Smith and the agent hawked the test around Hollywood. Among those interested were John Ford and Hitchcock, Ford put in a bid and MGM, about to produce his Mogambo (53), offered a seven-year contract starting at $750 a week. She wanted to do the film for three things, she said ~ Ford, Clark Gable and a free trip to Africa; she signed, with the right to have a year off every two years to do a play Gable had to fall for her: her cool, English (in the film) manner had to divert him from the more obvious allure of Ava Gardner. And she had to succumb to a strong adulterous passion for him: the way she did it brought a Best Supporting Actress (Oscar) nomination She had a curiously exciting quality and Hitchcock was t0 use it to perfection. He borrowed her for Dial M for Murder (54), a role once announced fér Deborah Kerr, that of the unfaithful wife who inadvertently becomes the agent instead of the victim in a murder plot ~ never a damsel in such distress! He borrowed her again for Rear Window, as a Park Avenue carcer girl exuding impeccable breeding and a high moral tone; but there was no mistaking her ultimate intention when, clad in a night-gown, she announces to crip- pled fiancé Jam “Preview of coming attractions.’ It was provocation with style, an unhavable girl who was not; serenity, then a giggle: hauteur, then a sexual invitation. She was, it was said, the perfect blonde whom Hitchcock had been seeking throughout his career, ‘Time Magazine’ observed that she distilled ‘a tingling essence of what [he] has called “sexual elegance”. Hitchcock himself fold Frangois ‘Truffaut later: ‘Sex on the screen should be suspenseful, T feel, If sex is too blatant or obvious, there’s no suspense, We're after the drawing-room type, the real ladies, who become whores once they're in the bedroom. Poor Marilyn Monroe had sex written all over her face, and Brigitte Bardot isn't very subtle either.’ Audiences, anyway, sensed the element of personal mys- tery and every male spectator tried to fathom it out The stampede was on and Paramount was lucky: they had already arranged to borrow her ~ for $20,000 ~ for The Bridges of Toko- Ri, a very brief role as William Holden's wife. Grace Kelly MGM wanted to cash in und slotted her into Green Fire, a jungle adventure drama that had been scheduled for Ava Gardner and then Eleanor Parker. But Paramount needed her urgently: Jennifer Jones had become unex- pectedly pregnant as she was about to start The Country Girl and Garbo, contacted. declined to take her place. MGM refused (0 loan Kelly, but she fought like a tiger. In the end they let her go, for $50,000, plus a penalty for every day she was kept while Green Fire waited to roll, The Country Girl was a good part, that of an embittered but determined woman coping with an alcoholic husband (Bing Crosby). She got the New York critics’ Best Actress award and. the Oscar, which confirmed to Hollywood that she could do no wrong, for, good though she was, her work ‘was not in the same league as Judy Garland’, up that year for A Star is Born, She was tinsel town’s new golden gil and it was impossible to flick the pages of any magazine without coming across her name. Most journalists ‘that, along with Brando, Monroe and Hepburn, A., she was so far the only star of the 5th it was okay to fave about. Groce Kelly had the good iw rer ied fra for Alfred Hicheock ~ thor ats Holy mod peak (and, of course, he teas equilylcky to have hee), Here she i with James Stewart looking out “of his Rear Window (54),Grace Kelly in the lat of her films for Hluchcock To Catch a Thiet ($5), She was a heugh “American after the change. Grace Kelly and Ales Guinness in The Svea (56), Hollywood's lst major atmo at Rurtanian vomance: She ‘war a princens and he er regal sultor = but only afer ‘hea fred with her ‘ator (Louis ourén) did ‘he relive she loved hint Grace Kelly Green Fire finally limped into view, to be generally exeerated. Kelly’s own view of it was hardly soothed by its advertising slogan: ‘Her fabulous career reaches a thrilling cli- max. . . .” MGM. in fact. had as little idea of what to do with her as they had earlier with Deborah Kerr. They proposed a Western with Spencer Tracy, Tribute to a Bad Man, but she foathed the script and refused. She was suspended until Hitchcock requested her for an amiable Riviera frolic with Cary Grant, To Catch @ Thief (55). Then battle was joined a0 again: she refused t0 be the heroine of Quentin Durward. She was suspended again. She went off to the Cate d'Azur to renew acquaintance with Prince Rainier of Monaco (they had met during the filming of Thief). As news of the royal romance leaked out, the box-office figures for 1955 were announced of the five Kelly films going the rounds that year, four of them had done sensational business (the flop, natch, was Green Fire) She was voted the second box-office draw. MGM magnanimously scrapped her old contract and drew up a new one which would promote her as a (home-grown) combination of Garbo and Bergman. Car on a Hot Tin Roof was bought for her, but more sinifi cantly she would be in remakes of films that had starred Hollywood aristocracy of yester- year: The Swan (Lillian Gish), The Philadel- hia Story (Katharine Hepburn) and The Barrens of Wimpole Sireet (Norma Shearer) The last went to another actress and by the time The Swan (56) started shooting it was announced that Kelly would retire from the scene after her marriage. This and the other swan song, High Society, were to be, said Metro, entirely worthy of Hollywood's golden girl and the future Princess of Monaco. The Sivan was Molnar’s comedy about a princess with romanic complications, but despite a first-rate cast (Alec Guinness, Brian Ahene, Jessie Royce Landis, etc.) and Kelly's own delicate playing it was too languid for widepopular appeal. High Society ensnared the talents also of Bing Crosby. Sinatra, Celeste Holm and Cole Porter - and was enormously popular everywhere (in Britain, the top box- office film). Indeed, it was likeable and so was Kelly (especially if you had not seen Hepburn in the original) There was a spectacular fairy-tale wedding in Monaco and the couple lived happily ever after — except, perhaps, for a spell in 1962 when Hitchcock announced that she would return to films in his Marnie, She had told him that she was longing to act again and had asked whether he had a part for her. The Prince approved, but the project was. appa rently, frowned upon within the Principality. Kelly withdrew (and the part went to a Hitchcock discovery, Tippi Hedren). Simi- larly, she turned down The Turning Point which Audrey Hepburn had accepted, con- ditional to her being the co-star. Occasional TV documentaries plugging Monaco, with appearances by Princess Grace, reminded audiences of what they were missing. She was, killed in 1982 while at the wheel of a car, when a heart attack caused her to fall away from the Corniche: Kay KENDALL Kay Kendell died too soon. She did not make ‘many films ~ and only a couple of them were much good — but she carved herself a special niche. The (London) ‘Times’ obituary deseri- bed her as ‘one of the cinema’s few outstand- ing comediennes It almost did not happen. She was a has- been before she ever started, She came from ‘a show business family ~ her grandmother was Marie Kendall, a great star of the music hall, and her parents were a dancing team. She was born in Withernsea, near Hull, in 1927. Atthe age of 12 she was tall enough to join the chorus of the London Palladium and for the same management she toured in their specta: cular revues. Later she began a music-hall act ‘with her sister, Kim. They began to get simall parts in films both as a team and separately: (Kay) Fiddlers Three (44) and Champagne Charlie, both starring comedian Tommy Trin- der; Dreaming (45), another comedy vehicle; for Flanagan and Allen: and Waltz Time, Viennese schmaltz British style, with Peter Graves. As to musicals, Rank now attempted ‘one in the Hollywood style, another of his reckless attempts to challenge the American film industry. Kendall auditioned for it and ‘was chosen as one of the “dozen-and-one" lovelies to surround Sid Field ~ and, when no ‘one else proved suitable, was upped to being Kay Kendall his leading lady. Wesley Ruggles was brought over to direct, there was a big budget and ‘massive publicity ~ and the disaster was of the same proportions: London Town (46) Because he incorporated some of his stage routines, Field emerged comparatively unscathed, but Kendall sank with the ship. She was not, in fact, very good and the make- up they had plastered on her made her look like a dummy After that, no one wanted to know. She returned to Germany and Italy, where she fiad once toured with ENSA, and set about learn- ing her craft. She turned legit and spent some time in provincial rep in Britain. After three years she was ready to try for the big time again, but was offered only small parts in Dance Halt (50) and Happy-Go-Lovely (51), with Vera-Blien. Her chance came when she did a TV play, ‘Sweethearts and Wives’, and ‘was seen by Launder or Gilliatt or both; they cast her in their amiable exposé of the beauty racket, Lady Godiva Rides Again, as the winner's elder sister, a soignée girl with some Eve Ardenish wise-cracks. She got. good notices and two offers as a result, neither of them significant: Wings of Danger (52), a B starring Hollywood's fading Zachary Scott; and Curtain Up, a comedy about a provincial rep ~ she was its leading lady. She had another featured role in Rank’s It Started in Paradise, ‘which blatantly used the central theme of All About Eve, applied now to the London fashion world. The stars were Jane Hylton and Muriel Pavlow, and no one went to see it. But Kendall's performance as a_ bitchy Socialite customer brought her a seven-year contract with Rank, starting at £100 a week Meanwhile, she did two more Bs: Mantrap (53), supporting Paul Henreid, and Street of Shadows, opposite Cesar Romero. At Ealing she was one of the girls cheering on the sidelines of The Square Ring. a boxing melo- drama. The first picture under her contract was Genevieve, sharing the female lead with Dinah Sheridan, as the exasperated: model brought along on the race by Kenneth More and forced by him into all sorts of indignities She said later that the film was hardly fun to make and that no one dreamed it would be such a hit, Of all the raves, not the least of them were hers, though she still seemed inexperienced (also More, while filming, thought the film revealed only a fraction of her talent). While everyone was talking about her, the best that Rank could find for her were Meet Mr Lucifer, an Ealing satire on TV which misfired, in a small role as a TV star and Fast and Loose (54), a feeble version of a Ben Travers farce ("A Cuckoo in the Nest’) Stanley Holloway starred in both The momentum of Genevieve was lost, 203