The
bravado of Bing Crosby’s performance as a washed up, alcoholic
singer/actor partially offsets the dreadful miscasting of Grace Kelly as his
plain, unhappy wife, THE COUNTRY GIRL.
When veteran actor Frank Elgin (Crosby) gets a chance to make a big comeback in a new
musical but drops out during tough rehearsals to co-star again with the
bottle, wife (Kelly) gets him back on the wagon and
the boards. Thanks to her pushing, prodding, cajoling and threats, he
triumphs. Even though COUNTRY GIRL is Hollywooded up from Clifford
Odets' original play, the film is still pretty potent, owing not
only to Der Bingle's Oscar-nominated acting, but also to William Holden’s as the no-nonsense director. But oh my, the spectacle of the future Princess
Grace made down to look deadly drab, complete with thick glasses and a woolly
sweater - and then, when she falls in love with Holden, she's suddenly Graceful and glam. Got an Oscar, though!
.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
THE COUNTRY GIRL (1954)
Bing goes dramatic - Grace goes without makeup
The
bravado of Bing Crosby’s performance as a washed up, alcoholic
singer/actor partially offsets the dreadful miscasting of Grace Kelly as his
plain, unhappy wife, THE COUNTRY GIRL.
When veteran actor Frank Elgin (Crosby) gets a chance to make a big comeback in a new
musical but drops out during tough rehearsals to co-star again with the
bottle, wife (Kelly) gets him back on the wagon and
the boards. Thanks to her pushing, prodding, cajoling and threats, he
triumphs. Even though COUNTRY GIRL is Hollywooded up from Clifford
Odets' original play, the film is still pretty potent, owing not
only to Der Bingle's Oscar-nominated acting, but also to William Holden’s as the no-nonsense director. But oh my, the spectacle of the future Princess
Grace made down to look deadly drab, complete with thick glasses and a woolly
sweater - and then, when she falls in love with Holden, she's suddenly Graceful and glam. Got an Oscar, though!
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