TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

Lady With Red Hair (1940)

 Miriam Hopkins as Mrs. Leslie Carter

TCM

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

1:30 a.m. Pacific

4:30 a.m. Eastern

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, Turner Classic Movies is showing the Miriam Hopkins bio-pic, The Lady with Red Hair (1940) with co-star Claude Rains. There are top-notch performances from the cast, along with quality production values and an outstanding directorial effort by Kurt Bernhardt, which are the distinctive features of this screen recreation of the career of stage actress, Mrs. Leslie Carter.

The film embraces the life of Mrs. Carter from the time of her famous divorce trial in Chicago, in which she lost the custody of her son, through her determination to become an actress to earn the money needed to reopen the fight for her child, her storming of the Belasco citadel, his creation of her success and the violent break between them, to their ultimate reconciliation, at the crucial moment of her career.

As the tempestuous Mrs. Carter, Miriam Hopkins gives a vivid and fascinating portrayal in an exacting and difficult role. But it is Claude Rains, who, for his magnificent and powerful delineation of the tempermental David Belasco, that top performance honors are accorded. Superlative too is Helen Westley’s portrait of the hard-boiled proprietress of a theatrical boarding house who knows all the answers.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES, INC.

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA

 _______________

 INTER-OFFICE COMMUNICATION

 

 

 

To Mr. T. C. Wright

From Mr. Eric Stacey

Date: October 3, 1940

Subject: #326 “LADY WITH RED HAIR”

 

Report for 10-2-40:

 

 

Bernhardt company with a 9:00 o’clock call in the PRIVATE DINING ROOM, obtained their first shot at 9:15AM and finished shooting at 6:20PM, covering one scene, 6 added scenes, 3’47” in time, 16 set-ups and 5-1/2 pages of dialogue.

 

As already reported, Miss HOPKINS failed to show for work this morning and company has been moved to Vitagraph where they will endeavor to pick up a few shots involving RAINS and JOHN LITEL in the last sequence, which is still being rewritten. We have the writer, Charles Kenyon, over at Vitagraph to keep Bernhardt straight.

 

I have just talked with Miss HOPKINS who will not be in for the balance of the day, and will not even come in for fittings. In the event she does not report for work tomorrow, FRIDAY, will remain at Vitagraph and shoot audience reactions, using 125 people. This will be a full day’s work and then also shoot one page of BACKSTAGE – Murray Production sequence – not involving Miss HOPKINS. The scene just came out this morning, OCTOBER 3^RD.

 

This delay will put us one more day behind, and cannot hope to complete the picture before WEDNESDAY, 10/9, which will be 14 days behind schedule, with two additional days, THURSDAY and FRIDAY, for Montages and audience reactions, to be made by Siegel.

 

Production 10-1/2 days behind.

 

ERIC STACY

 

ES-FS

 

VERBAL MESSAGES CAUSE MISUNDERSTANDING AND DELAYS

(PLEASE PUT THEM IN WRITING)

 _________________________________

New York City Highlights

 Times Square

by Allan R. Ellenberger

Recently I returned from a trip to New York City where I did research for my Miriam Hopkins biography. I also spent time with some good friends who showed me the greatest hospitality. Thanks again to Adam, Steve, Joe and Arlene.

During my stay, I accessed information from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Museum of the City of New York and had a charming visit with media legend, Joe Franklin.

The Billy Rose Collection at the NYPL is a great resource especially for the theatre. Miriam Hopkins was exclusive to Broadway from 1921 to 1931 and returned on occasion for the next thirty years. In future postings I will document her stage appearances. At the library, I also perused the papers of Chamberlain and Lyman Brown who served as theatrical agents for Hopkins for more than twenty years. The Cheryl Crawford papers gave me information on the making of the Broadway play, The Perfect Marriage, that starred Hopkins and Victor Jory and was produced by Crawford.

The Museum of the City of New York has archives that cover the entire history of Broadway. I was able to go through files for every play that Hopkins appeared in.

In future posts I will concentrate on a few New York film related landmarks. For now, here are photos from my visit of some popular New York sites. Please “click” on image to enlarge.

Finding Miriam’s Grandfather

Miriam Hopkins’ grandfather

by Allan R. Ellenberger

Being born in Georgia, Miriam Hopkins has always been thought of as a “southern belle.” While it’s true that Hopkins was born in Savannah and her mother’s side of the family are southern, her father’s side are true Yankees originating from central Pennsylvania. By chance, I was also born and raised in central Pennsylvania, not far from where the Hopkins clan are from.

During my research, I discovered that Miriam’s paternal grandfather, Isaac Cramer Hopkins, was buried in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania, only twenty miles from where I was born. On a recent trip home to visit family, I treked that twenty miles and found Isaac, who died in in 1882, when Miriam’s father Homer Hopkins, was only ten years old. Miriam’s grandmother, Mary Ann Glenn Hopkins (1831-1915) is buried next to Isaac, however, she has no headstone. It is doubtful that Miriam ever visited her grandfathers grave as her mother was not a fan of the Hopkins family.

Unfortunately, the lengthy inscription at the bottom of the headstone is worn away from over one-hundred years of harsh central Pennsylvania winters. If you click on the above image it will super-size the photo and perhaps someone can decipher part of the inscription.

 A wider view of the Hopkins grave and Phillipsburg Cemetery.

Footstone of Hopkins grave

LACMA’s Tribute to Screen Legend, Bette Davis

May 3, 2008

By Allan R. Ellenberger

LOS ANGELES - Last evening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) Bing theater, the new Bette Davis stamp was officially unveiled by the U. S. Postal Service. TCM host, Robert Osborne, hosted the event which also began the museums month-long-tribute series of films to the actress: Fasten Your Seat Belts: The Essential Bette Davis.

On the 100th anniversary of her birth, the Davis commemorative stamp will be the 14th in the Legends of Hollywood Series by the U.S. Postal Service. The stamp is a beautiful portrait of Davis from the classic film, All About Eve (1951).

LACMA’s film series began with screenings of her Academy Award winning Jezebel (1938) and The Old Maid (1939) with Miriam Hopkins. This was an interesting combination of films and I wonder if it was a conscious effort on the museums part or simply a coincidence. The Old Maid of course co-starred Davis’ long-time nemesis Miriam Hopkins, who also appeared in the original Broadway version of Jezebel (1933-34). Hopkins originally wanted to star in the film version and even owned a piece of the play, however, Warner Bros. made promises that they never kept and she was ultimately pushed out of the film. This was just one of the many reasons for Hopkins dislike for Davis.

 Miriam Hopkins (l) and Bette Davis (r) in The Old Maid (1939) (© Allan R. Ellenberger)

Kathryn Cermak, Davis’ long-time companion at the end of her life, also attended the event. After the stamps unveiling, Osborne, in his introduction of Cermak, revealed that she had never seen All About Eve or Jezebel. That is remarkable considering the years she spent with the actress.

LACMA’s salute to the legendary Bette Davis continues until May 31 and includes screenings of All About Eve (1950) and Of Human Bondage (1934) (May 3), The Letter (1940) and Beyond the Forest (1949) (May 9), Now, Voyager (1942) and Old Acquaintance (1943) (May 10), The Little Foxes (1941) and Payment on Demand (1951) (May 17), Dark Victory (1939) and Marked Woman (1937) (May 23), The Star (1942) and The Catered Affair (1956) (May 24), and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) and The Nanny (1965) (May 31). All screenings begin at 7:30 p.m.

For a complete listing of films, showtimes and ticket prices, please see LACMA’s site for more information.

Check out photos from Thursday’s (May 1) Centenial Tribute to Bette Davis at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Alternative Film Guide:

PART ONE - PART TWO.

Happy Birthday Michael Hopkins!

Miriam Hopkins and her son Michael (photo by Jean Negulesco)

(Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Today is the 76th birthday of Miriam Hopkins son, Michael. Miriam adopted Michael when he was six weeks old from The Cradle, an adoption agency in Evanston, Illinois. Her friend, writer Dorothy Parker, accompanied Miriam to Chicago for support.

I’ve been asked if Michael and his mother had a similar relationship as Joan Crawford reportedly had with her adopted daughter Christina. I can say that the answer is no – the Hopkins’ relationship was a caring relationship. At the age of eight Michael began attending private schools in Arizona, California and the east. After school, Michael joined the Air Force and made that his career. While based in Morrocco, he met and married a French girl, Christiane. In 1955 they made Miriam a grandmother when their son Thomas was born.

I am happy to say that Michael Hopkins, his wife Christiane and their son Michael are all supporting and cooperating with my biography of their mother and grandmother, Miriam Hopkins.

The following is from an unsourced newspaper dated May 5, 1932

Miriam Hopkins Adopts Orphanage Baby Boy

Signing of Papers Reveals Actress’s Divorce

CHICAGO, May 4 (AP) — Miriam Hopkins, an actress, was aboard a New York-bound train today playing a new role, mother to an adopted baby boy, whom she selected yesterday from The Cradle, an Evanston orphanage.

In answering questions necessary to the infant’s legal adoptin, the screen and stage actress revealed in court that she and her playwright husband, Austin Parker, were divorced. They separated about a year ago.

Discovery of her plan to adopt a child and the resulting publicity irked the actress and after adoption papers were signed she left Judge Edmund K. Jarecki’s court, declaring she did not want to talk about it, or anything else for that matter.

“I hate all this publicity over a simple thing. I don’t have to give any reasons,” she said to a reporter who asked why she wanted to adopt a baby. “It is just a fact and we will live wherever I happen to be working.”

In court she told the judge she would rear the child as her own and had already set aside a trust fund for it. She testified she was unmarried. All that could be learned about the baby was that it was “Boy Wilson.” The orphanage operates on a policy of declining to make public information on adoptions. Miss Hopkins came here from Hollywood yesterday.

Why A Biography on Miriam Hopkins?

I’m often asked, “Why a biography on Miriam Hopkins?” I confess that I get this question mostly from people who are not fans of the actress. They can’t understand why anyone would be interested. On the other hand, those who are fans seem thrilled that one is being prepared.

A few reasons why Miriam Hopkins would make a good biographical subject:

Hopkins appeared in 35 films, 2 shorts, 18 Broadway plays, 20 plus summer stock plays and road tours, 20 television programs and multiple radio plays and appearances.

Hopkins made her first film, Fast and Loose (1930) during the day while performing on the Broadway stage in Lysistrata in the evenings.

Hopkins appeared in the very first Technicolor film, Becky Sharp (1935).

Hopkins starred in the first produced play written by Tennessee Williams, Battle of Angels (1941).

Hopkins appeared in a silent short film in 1928 with Humphrey Bogart.

Hopkins had a love-hate relationship with her mother.

Hopkins did not have contact with her father for more than twenty years — not until she became a Hollywood star.

Hopkins was indirectly descended from Revolutionary figures, Arthur Middleton and John Dickinson.

Hopkins was Margaret Mitchell’s choice to play Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939).

Hopkins was nominated for an Academy Award (Becky Sharp) and a Golden Globe (The Heiress).

Hopkins bought and remodeled John Gilbert’s house after his death and sold it ten years later to David O. Selznick.

Hopkins costars include: Carole Lombard, Fredric March, Claudette Colbert, Maurice Chevalier, George Raft, Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Lionel Barrymore, Kay Francis, Bing Crosby, Fay Wray, Joel McCrea, Edward G. Robinson, Merle Oberon, Gertrude Lawrence, Rex Harrison, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Olivia De Havilland, Gene Tierney, Laurence Olivier, Jennifer Jones, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and of course, Bette Davis.

Hopkins was directed four times by William Wyler, three times by Ernst Lubitsch and twice by Rouben Mamoulian.

Hopkins was married four times and had numerous lovers.

Hopkins lived on Washington Square in New York during the late 1920s, the same place as her character in The Heiress (1949).

Hopkins was seriously interested in astrology and numerology.

Hopkins adopted a child as a single parent.

Hopkins was involved in political causes during her Hollywood years.

Hopkins was an authority at scene stealing.

Hopkins preferred writers, directors and intellectuals as friends and not Hollywood types.

Hopkins had an extensive book collection in her homes and was a voracious reader.

Hopkins actions were followed closely by the FBI for more than 15 years.

Hopkins never revealed her first marriage to her son

(he read about it in his mothers obituary)

Hopkins died nine days before her 70th birthday.

Hopkins feuded with Bette Davis, Tallulah Bankhead, Errol Flynn and numerous others and pissed off half of Hollywood.

What’s not interesting about that?

Blog. Short for web log, an online, regularly updated journl or newsletter that is readily accessible to the general public by virtue of being posted on a website. Blogs typically report and comment on topics of interest to the author. What follows will be comments of interest to this author, Allan Ellenberger — part of which will be the process in writing a biography of the actress, Miriam Hopkins (above). Please check back regularly for updates and news about what’s going on in my life and the progress of the Miriam Hopkins biography.