In 1955, Grace Kelly shocked Hollywood when she won the Best Actress Oscar for her work in The Country Girl over sentimental favorite Judy Garland. After being fired by MGM in 1950, Judy seemingly was finished making movies. She spent 1950-1954 appearing on radio and putting on well-received concerts across the United Kingdom and then in Manhattan. The renewed interest in Judy’s career, and especially her singing, led to her being offered the starring role in A Star is Born.
Judy Garland was seemingly tailor-made for the role of Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester the amateur singer who hits it big in Hollywood. She is married to Norman Maine (James Mason) a matinee idol whose career is on the decline. Esther is discovered by Hollywood, rechristened “Vicki Lester,” and she is a star. Norman doesn’t handle it well. A Star is Born had a star-studded, nationally televised premiere with big stars like Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and so many more in attendance.
Then March 30, 1955 rolled around. The day of the 27th annual Academy Awards. Judy Garland was heavily favored to win. A camera crew was at her home, ready for her acceptance speech. Judy couldn’t attend due to having recently given birth to her third child. Then William Holden announced Grace Kelly as the winner for her turn in The Country Girl. The cameramen awkwardly left Judy’s home. Only six votes separated Grace from Judy.
The Country Girl is perhaps Grace Kelly’s greatest performance and should dispel any of the common criticisms that she couldn’t act, was too wooden, cold, etc. And don’t even bring up the low-hanging fruit gossip that Grace’s supposed libido and tendency to hook-up with her male co-stars led to her success in Hollywood (and her Oscar). Miss me with that garbage right now. Grace was absolutely fantastic in this film. Bing Crosby might have had top billing; but this is Grace’s film all the way.
Prior to having seen The Country Girl, I only knew of it from William Holden’s promotion of it on his guest appearance on I Love Lucy, in the episode “L.A. at Last!” He says to Lucy, “We just finished shooting The Country Girl with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly.” He then tells Lucy that he hopes she sees it and says she’ll enjoy it. Well I saw it and I enjoyed it, and it’s mostly due to Grace’s performance.
In The Country Girl, Grace Kelly plays Georgie Elgin, the long suffering wife of Frank (Bing Crosby). Frank is a former star whose alcoholism has derailed his singing and acting career. He’s been reduced to singing advertising jingles on the radio and other low stakes jobs to have income. At the beginning of the film, director Bernie Dodd (William Holden) is looking for a star for his upcoming play. The star needs to be able to sing and act. Having seen Frank perform when he was in his prime, he invited him to come audition–despite knowing full well about Frank’s alcoholism and reputation for unreliability. Dodd’s producer, Phillip Cook (Anthony Ross), is adamantly against Frank’s casting. Dodd insists on at least letting him audition. He does and is very good.
Bernie, despite Cook’s hesitation, wants to offer Frank the part. He volunteers to take full responsibility for Frank in exchange for casting him. Cook reluctantly agrees. Bernie shows up at Georgie and Frank’s apartment to offer him the part. When Bernie meets Georgie, he sees an attractive woman (because it’s Grace Kelly, Edith Head could only make her look so dowdy), who has clearly stopped caring about her appearance. Her frizzy, mousy hair is tied back in a low bun. She wears big glasses on top her make-up free face (or Hollywood’s “no-makeup” makeup look). She’s dressed in a cardigan, blouse, long skirt, and flat loafers. This is not Lisa Fremont from Rear Window who is never seen in the same dress twice.
Georgie is very cold and dour. All her words carry a tinge of bitterness. This is a very unhappy woman who has spent the prime years of her life taking care of her weak, alcoholic husband. She has had to evolve into the stern taskmaster just to keep her husband somewhat on track. A flashback sequence in the film reveals that Georgie and Frank’s relationship wasn’t always this way. Some years prior, Georgie was happier, more vivacious, and took more pride in her appearance. The Georgie in the flashback looks more like the Grace Kelly audiences know: light blonde hair, glamorous, and elegant in a fashionable dress and heels. She and Frank’s young son are watching him record an album. Georgie is planning to leave their son with Frank and go to the beauty parlor. A big deal is made about Frank having total responsibility for him. Then, Frank takes the child outside and is asked to pose for a publicity photo. He lets go of the child’s hand and that one second is all it takes. The child runs out into heavy traffic, is hit by a car, and is killed.
That terrible accident is the turning point in Georgie and Frank’s lives and relationship. The idea of his being responsible and it ending with their son’s death haunts Frank. From then on, he’s unable to assume responsibility for anything or anyone again, out of fear of failing. He has so much anxiety over the idea of being responsible for anything that he’s a mere shell of his former self. This leads to all the responsibility falling on Georgie–which would be exhausting for anyone.
Frank accepts the part in the play at Georgie’s urging. She sees it as his opportunity to turn his career around. Throughout the film, Bernie is constantly at odds with Georgie, thinking that she’s responsible for Frank’s inability to make decisions, advocate for himself, and generally contribute anything to the play other than reciting the lines and singing the songs. Frank will say things to Georgie such as needing a dresser to help him make the quick costume changes, not liking the understudy watching his performance backstage, wanting a run-of-the-play contract, and other things. Then Georgie will mention these things to Bernie. Bernie will then talk to Frank about them, and Frank will deny having said anything of the sort. This type of incident repeats itself through out the film to the point where Georgie is made out to be some sort of demanding “stage wife” (instead of stage mother).
To further ruin Bernie’s image of Georgie, Frank tells him about how Georgie slashed her wrists after their son’s death and how it was him that saved her. He tells Bernie about Georgie’s supposed alcoholism, and her wild behavior which is what ruined Frank’s career. In a scene that I have to imagine clinched Grace’s Oscar (though I don’t know specifically what was submitted to the Academy on her behalf), Georgie finally learns of the lies that Frank told Bernie and tells him of all the lies, many of which were taken from previous plays Frank had appeared in. As for her being suicidal and an alcoholic, that’s Frank, Georgie says.
After a pivotal moment at the end of the film, Frank finally steps up and accepts responsibility for the success of the play. He had the ability the entire time, he just needed to find it in himself to do so. On opening night in New York City, on Broadway, Frank has tremendous success on stage. Cook even talks to him directly, which he hadn’t the entire film. He only talked about Frank, but not to him. Georgie is there, dressed to the nines, looking more like Grace Kelly. She is beaming, proud of her husband. Her entire demeanor is transformed. She and Frank leave the party and walk down the streets, together. One has to hope that this is a new beginning for them.
For the record, Grace Kelly deserved to win the Oscar.
Whimsically Classic