The Actress

This movie is so much more than a sentimental reminiscence. I'm not much at all for those "I remember..." mom or dad or whatever memory movies. Also, there are so many, many plays and movies about a family's career aspirations for a son, aspirations that get challenged because of what the son wants to do instead. Here we have a story set after the turn of the 20th century, about a working class father's career aspirations for his DAUGHTER - a career that will provide her with financial stability but isn't at all what she wants to do. Spencer Tracy plays a curmudgeon, working-class, not-at-all refined father in a role I've never seen him in before - and he's AMAZING. The dialogue has some one linters that are, at times, hysterical - any person who has every been embarrassed by their parents, or every had a parent say something like, "Why did you ever have to be so different?" will warm to this movie immediately. And the Mary Wickes moment is why she makes every movie better even if she's in it for less than 20 seconds.

Thought I had seen all of Spencer Tracy films and this is one I thought he gave an outstanding performance as a man who was a seaman and has settled down with his wife and daughter. Clinton Jones, (Spencer Tracy) settled for a very low income working at a food company in the local town and is always complaining about the cost of things and at the same time has to deal with a family cat which keeps eating the families Boston Ivy. Annie Jones, (Teresa Wright) plays the role as the wife of Clinton and she does a great job as trying to please her husband and at the same time wants to help her daughter, Ruth Gordon Jones, (Jean Simmons) to become an actress which she desperately wants to do in her life no matter what happens. Anthony Perkins, (Fred Whitmarsh) gave a great supporting role in one of his very first films in his long career of stardom. Ruth Gordon, wrote the story and screen play and she also is known for a great role she had in "Rosemary's Baby" '68. There is lots of great comedy and Spencer Tracy was outstanding.

"The Actress" is Jean Simmons playing the great Ruth Gordon herself (real name Ruth Gordon Jones) in this 1953 film also starring Spencer Tracy, Teresa Wright, and Anthony Perkins. Simmons is out of her teen years but not by much - she was 24 - and manages to pull off being a 17-year-old who falls in love with theater after seeing Hazel Dawn in "The Pink Lady." Determined to become an actress, she writes to Ms. Dawn and when Hazel answers, Ruth is heady with excitement. This doesn't sit well with her beau (Perkins) or her mother (Wright) - and it wouldn't sit well with her irascible father either, except that he knows nothing about it. Yet.

The Massachusetts family home is lovingly depicted here, complete with a cat that is supposedly a big nuisance to all of them - Clinton Jones (Tracy) complains about him constantly, as he complains about everything, but yet has taught the cat a couple of tricks. You can see he's one of the family and that Clinton isn't as tough as he appears to be. The excellent Wright has what is often the maternal role in a family - that of go-between. And for the time being, she advises Ruth to keep her mouth shut. The funniest scene in the film is Clinton showing off his athletics with his group at the YMCU - he's a riot as his daughter squirms in embarrassment.

This is not a big movie; it's one about a short girl who desperately wants to be on the stage. As I was one of those teens once, I can say that the acting and directing capture this perfectly. Simmons is clearly a girl who can't be dissuaded by any negativity and who sees her goal as the only thing that matters, and it's one of pure bliss. She has no sense of limitation or reality - nor should she at that age. Time gives us that soon enough. It was a brave step in those days to refuse a marriage proposal and want to go off to a city to live on your own. Ruth Gordon did it and made good.

It's clear from the story how much Gordon loved her parents and how proud she was of her beginnings. She is one whose dreams came true, even if she had to wait until the age of 72 to become a movie star. There was plenty of a marvelous stage and writing career before that. "The Actress" shows us where it all began.

"The Actress" released in 1953 by MGM, is a story apparently based on the life of actress Ruth Gordon. Here, a young Jean Simmons plays Ruth, "the actress." Simmons performance runs the gamut of happiness, sadness, and hopefulness -- in other words, just like many young people are. Simmons is obsessed with being an actress and will do anything for her dream. The story makes us ask ourselves: how many of us would sacrifice the life we know to pursue a dream? Anyway, the story is set in early 20th century New England, with Spencer Tracy playing Simmons father and Teresa Wright playing her mother. Tracy plays a stubborn and somewhat cantankerous role, a man hardened by life, and it just may be one of Tracy's finest performances. Wright plays the supportive mother to Simmons, although in reality Wright was only in her 30's here -- a good actress pushed prematurely into matronly roles. Both Ruth and her mother are afraid to tell Tracy about her acting ambitions, thinking he will hit the roof. Surprisingly, he does not, but he thinks she is not ready to be an actress and wants her to finish her education. One gets the impression that he had his own dreams, cut prematurely by reality -- marriage, children, and a working-class existence. The script is somewhat mundane and drags a bit at times, but the three principle actors are the real reason to watch this film. They do not disappoint. Also look for a young Anthony Perkins playing Simmons awkward boyfriend. This is not a big film, and it has some flaws, but still very much worthwhile.

I've liked many of George Cukor's films (PHILADELPHIA STORY, WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD, etc.) and am a huge Spencer Tracy fan so I was surprised I had never seen this 1953 flick. Based on Ruth Gordon's biographical play, this is a sweet, endearing film and it holds one of Spencer Tracy's best performances. He is so real, so good as the overwhelmed father - trying to deal with a turn of the century daughter who wants to be an actress (back then that was like saying you wanted to be a prostitute - theatre people were very looked down upon). Tracy (based on Ruth Gordon's real father) has wonderful scenes/speeches where he tries to lay down the law but later on, you see how much he loves his daughter and would do anything for her. Teresa Wright is good as always and the lovely Jean Simmons is superb as the young girl who has become star struck. Plus a very young Anthony Perkins making his screen debut as a possible suitor. Highly recommended