Forever Female
| Forever Female | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Irving Rapper |
| Written by | Julius J. Epstein Philip Epstein |
| Based on | Rosalind by J. M. Barrie |
| Produced by | Pat Duggan |
| Starring | Ginger Rogers William Holden Paul Douglas |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling |
| Edited by | Archie Marshek |
| Music by | Victor Young |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.1 million[1] |
Forever Female is a 1953 black and white film directed by Irving Rapper. It stars Ginger Rogers and William Holden. It won a Golden Globe in 1954.[2][3]
Plot
[edit]The reviews are in and a new play starring Beatrice Page and produced by Harry Phillips is a flop. Long divorced but still a team, they need a new project and meet playwright Stanley Krown, who has written one in which the lead roles are a mother and a 19-year-old daughter.
Beatrice wants to play the daughter. She can't pass for 19 but believes she can for 29, so wants the play rewritten. She also displays a romantic interest in Stanley.
A young actress first calling herself Sally Carver and then Peggy Pruitt wants an audition. Stanley has her do some typing on his rewrite, and a jealous Beatrice finds her an acting job out of town. Stanley's play previews in Washington, D.C., and flops. Sally, now calling herself Claudia Souvain, tries to persuade Stanley that the actress is too old for the role.
Seeing the play in a small town with Sally in the lead, now under her real name of Clara Mootz, convinces Stanley that she is right. Beatrice finally concedes that it's time for her to act her age. She agrees to take the mother's part, and on Broadway the play is a huge success.
Cast
[edit]- Ginger Rogers as Beatrice Page
- William Holden as Stanley Krown
- Paul Douglas as E. Harry Phillips
- Pat Crowley as Clara Mootz/Sally Carver
- James Gleason as Eddie Woods
- Jesse White as Willie Wolfe
- Marjorie Rambeau as Older Actress at Bar
- George Reeves as George Courtland
- King Donovan as Playwright
- Vic Perrin as Scenic Designer
- Russell Gaige as Theatrical Producer
- Marion Ross as Patty
- Richard Shannon as Stage Manager
Production
[edit]The film was originally called Rosalind then Reaching for the Stars.[4]
The role of Clara was meant for Audrey Hepburn. However, she was unavailable and the producer and director were not happy with other girls under contract to Paramount. They saw over 500 actors in New York before settling on Pat Crowley, who made her film debut.[5][6] At the very end of the film, a clip featuring Pat Crowley is shown with the caption "A future Paramount star".
Rogers later wrote in her memoirs that although she liked the script she felt the studio "spent more money publicizing" Crowley "than they did on the entire production."[7] She respected her co stars William Holden and Paul Douglas as actors but said they would go drinking at lunch and form a tight group that excluded her; "they never spoke to me unless I spoke to them."[8] She added that Rapper "was not my type of director. His behaviour was cold and unfeeling. Because of the attitudes on set, I was unhappy I ever became involved with this film."[9]
Julius Epstein was going to direct the film but tried directing some tests with actors and did not like it.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "1954 Box Office Champs". Variety Weekly. January 5, 1955. p. 59. - figures are rentals in the US and Canada
- ^ "Forever Female". Retrieved 26 March 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ FOREVER FEMALE Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 20, Iss. 228, (Jan 1, 1953): 106.
- ^ Gilbert Roland Will Oppose Stewart; Story of Palladium Potential Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 26 Aug 1952: A7.
- ^ STARDOM BECKONS AND: Pat Crowley's Ready! Beautiful Young Pennsylvanian Shines in Debut Among Veteran Performers Such as Ginger Rogers and Bill Holden Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 15 Nov 1953: i22.
- ^ HOLLYWOOD'S FADING GALAXY: Industry Troubled by Dearth of Young Leading Men of Star Caliber -- Cinema Scope Hailed as 'Robe' Scores -- Addenda By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 1 Nov 1953: X5.
- ^ Rogers p 303
- ^ Rogers p 304
- ^ Rogers p 304
- ^ McGillian, Patrick (1986). "Julius J Epstein: A king of comedy". Backstory: interviews with screenwriters of Hollywood's golden age. Berkeley. p. 195.
Bibliography
[edit]- Rogers, Ginger (1991). Ginger : my story. HarperCollins Publishers.
External links
[edit]- Forever Female at IMDb
- Forever Female at the TCM Movie Database