TCM is celebrating Patricia Neals birthday with the films featured below:
Fountainhead, The (1949) An idealistic architect battles corrupt business interests and his love for a married woman. Cast: Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, Raymond Massey. Dir: King Vidor.
It's a Great Feeling (1949). When nobody at Warner Bros. will work with him, movie star Jack Carson decides to turn an unknown into his co-star. Cast: Jack Carson, Doris Day, Dennis Morgan. Dir: David Butler. Patricia Neal, gives a cameo appearance.
John Loves Mary(1949). A World War II veteran's marriage of convenience threatens his real wedding plans. Cast: Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, Jack Carson. Dir: David Butler.
Washington Story (1952.) A reporter in search of government corruption falls for a congressman. Cast: Van Johnson, Patricia Neal, Louis Calhern. Dir: Robert Pirosh.
Psyche 59(1964). After being blinded in a mysterious fall, a woman fears her husband is involved with her younger sister. Cast: Curt Jurgens, Patricia Neal, Samantha Eggar. Dir: Alexander Singer.
The Subject Was Roses(1968). A young veteran returns home to deal with family conflicts. Cast: Patricia Neal, Jack Albertson, Martin Sheen. Dir: Ulu Grosbard.
Road Builder, The (1971). A drifter with a deadly secret ignites passions in two lonely women. Cast: Patricia Neal, Pamela Brown, Nicholas Clay. Dir: Alastair Reed.
Private Screenings: Patricia Neal (2004). Patricia Neal discusses her career with TCM host Robert Osborne.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Romantic comedy. Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney. The film was directed by Blake Edwards. It was loosely based on the novel of the same name by Truman Capote. Orangey as "Cat" (trained by Frank Inn). Hepburn's performance of "Moon River" helped composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Johnny Mercer win an Oscar for Best Song.
The story begins in the early morning hours, as a taxicab pulls up at Tiffany's and Holly Golightly, enjoys her "Breakfast at Tiffany's" while looking in the window. At her apartment building, Holly sneaks away from her date from the night before, who has been waiting in his car all night.
The next morning, Holly is awakened by her new neighbor Paul Varjak, ringing the door bell. After feeding her pet cat she calls "Cat", Holly visits with Paul, as she quickly dresses for her visit to Sing Sing prison. This is a weekly routine from which she earns $100 for a visit with mob boss, Sally Tomato.
Wealthy Emily Failenson, arrives at the apartment and is introduced as Paul's "decorator". Holly later drops by Paul's apartment to escape another date and sees Failenson leave money on a table.
Paul is invited to Holly's party, where he meets Jose da Silva Pereira, a rich Brazilian and Rusty Trawler, one of the richest American's under 50. Paul, also meets Holly's "agent" O. J. Berman who tells Paul that Holly is a "real phoney".
After becoming fast friends, Paul joins Holly when she visits Sally at Sing Sing. One afternoon, Paul hears Holly playing guitar and singing "Moon River" from her windowsill. This is when they first realize that they are attracted to each other. Unfortunately Holly, is a "free spirit" a independent, adventurous woman who lives for the moment. Will her love for Paul turn her life around?
These two actors performances are what make the film memorable. One of my favorite scenes is when, Holly and Paul agree to spend the day together, visiting the library and going to Tiffany's, where Paul has the ring from a box of Cracker Jacks engraved. Below is the movie trailer, Breakfast at Tiffany's .
Fun Facts:
In the novel, there is no mention of anything romantic going on between Holly Golightly and the character who is named Paul in the film (in the novel, he is nameless). The character of Paul's "decorator", Mrs Emily Eustace Failenson or Patricia Neal, does not feature in the book and was originated in the film.
In the novel, Mag Wildwood, a model with a stuttering problem, moves into Holly's apartment after Holly falls out with the novelist upstairs. In the film, Mag appears as a stuttering guest who arrives at Holly's party with Rusty Trawler.
The film changed the novella's unresolved, open ending to a more conventional "Hollywood" romantic happy ending.
Capote, who sold the film rights of his novella to Paramount Studios, wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly Golightly in the film. Barry Paris references a quote by Capote: "Marilyn was always my first choice to play the girl, Holly Golightly." Screenwriter Axelrod was hired to "tailor the screenplay for Monroe." When Lee Strasberg advised Monroe that playing a prostitute would be bad for her image, she turned it down. When Hepburn was cast instead of Monroe, Capote remarked: "Paramount double-crossed me in every way and cast Audrey."
Kim Novak was asked to play the role of Holly Golightly, but she turned it down, for fear of being typecast as a scared sex kitten.
Originally producers Martin Jurow and Richard Shepherd had picked John Frankenheimer as the director, but Hepburn said: "I've never heard of him" and he was replaced on her request.
Most of the exteriors were filmed in New York City, except the fire escape scenes and the alley scene at the end in the rain where Holly puts Cat out of the cab and then Paul and Holly look for Cat. All of the interiors, except for portions of the scene inside Tiffany's, were filmed on the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.
It was rumored that the film's on-location opening sequence, in which Holly looks into a Tiffany's display window, was extremely difficult for director Blake Edwards to shoot. Crowd control, Hepburn's dislike of pastries, and an accident that nearly electrocuted a crew member are all said to have made filming the scene a challenge.
Audrey Hepburn said the scene where she throws Cat into the rainy street was the most distasteful thing she ever had to do on film.
George Peppard was a student of Method acting, a style Hepburn found difficult to work with. Nonetheless, the two actors remained close friends until her death.
Holly's couch is really an old-fashioned bathtub split in half. In some scenes, you can still see the gold handles at one end and the legs on the bottom.
Hepburn as Holly, carrying an over sized cigarette holder, is considered one of the most iconic images of 20th century American cinema.
Orangey, a red tabby cat, was owned and trained by animal trainer, Frank Inn. Orangey (credited under various names) performed in film and television in the 1950s and early 1960s and was the only cat to win two Patsy Awards (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year, an animal actor's version of an Oscar) - the first for the title role in Rhubarb (1951), a story about a cat who inherits a fortune, and the second for his performance in, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Other appearances included a regular role as "Minerva" on the television series, Our Miss Brooks (1952-1958). The cat was also credited as "Jimmy" and "Rhubarb".
Filmography:
Rhubarb (1951) (uncredited) .... Rhubarb This Island Earth (1955) (uncredited) .... Neutron The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (uncredited) .... Cat Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) (as Cat) Gigot (1962) (uncredited) The Comedy of Terrors (1964) (as Rhubarb the Cat) .... Cleopatra Village of the Giants (1965) (uncredited) .... Giant Cat
When I first started to put this "Looks Like" article together, I was pleasently suprised to learn that Patricia Neal, was the Grandmother, to her "look likes" granddaughter, Sophie Dahl. I also think that Patricia Neal "Looks Like", Christa Miller. To keep it fair :)
Patricia Neal, was best known for her performance as World War II widow Helen Benson in the film, The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), wealthy matron Emily Eustace Failenson in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and middle-aged housekeeper Alma Brown in Hud (1963), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Sophie Dahl (15 September 1977), is an English author, cookbook writer and former model. She was born in London, the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandfather was actor Stanley Holloway. She was the inspiration for Sophie, the main character in her maternal grandfather's book The BFG.
Christa Miller(born May 28, 1964), Is best known for her performances as Kate O'Brien on The Drew Carey Show and Jordan Sullivan on Scrubs (which was created by her husband Bill Lawrence). She has also made performances on Seinfeld, and CSI Miami. Since 2009, she has a starring role in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, also created by husband Bill Lawrence.
The Fountainhead(1949). film based on the book of the same name by Ayn Rand. Cast: Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, Raymond Massey, Robert Douglas and Kent Smith. The film was directed by King Vidor, with the screenplay written by Rand.
Banner Critic Ellsworth Toohey, does not care for architect Roark new ideas and begins to write articles against him. Because of the articles, Roark can not find anyone who is willing to give him the oppertuity to build his own designs. He takes a job as a day laborer on a construction site, so he can make a living.
In my favorite scene Francon watches Roark from a distance and becomes immediately attracted to him and tricks Roark into her home on a pretense of a job, but is angered by his cool manor. She has no idea that he is Howard Roark, the brilliant architect.
He finally lands a job with Henry Cameron, unfortunately, within a few years Cameron drinks himself to death, warning Roark that the same fate will happen to him unless he compromises his dreams. Roark is determined to keep his integrity at all costs even when he goes on trial.
I thought the very young Patricia Neal was wonderful in this film. I also thought The handsome, Gary Cooper, was wonderful with his cool demeanor. You really can see the sparks fly between them. I have not read the book so I really do not know how the two compare.
Roark (Gary Cooper)'s courtroom speech was the longest in film history up until that time.
Patricia Neal, was best known for her roles as World War II widow Helen Benson in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), wealthy matron Emily Eustace Failenson in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and middle-aged housekeeper Alma Brown in Hud (1963), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
A Face in the Crowd(1957). Cast: Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau, directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by Budd Schulberg, based on his short story "Your Arkansas Traveler".
Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, is discovered by a producer, who falls in love with him for what she thought he was. Walter Matthau, is the Princeton man, who becomes one of the many faceless writers behind "Lonesome" Rhodes.
Watch early on in the film for a scene taking place in the local jail. In one quick and brief flash of expression, Griffith reveals the true face of Lonesome Rhodes the rest of the film tries to hide. What amazing acting by, Andy Griffith.
Fun Fact:
Lonesome Rhodes character, may have been inspired by 1940s and '50s CBS radio-TV star Arthur Godfrey. Godfrey, would not advertise products he did not believe and would ridicule the sponsors. The more Godfrey did this, the more sales increased. Arthur Godfrey's popularity began to fade after his 1953 on-air firing of singer Julius LaRosa, which exposed of his less lovable, often controlling off-camera personality.
Andy Griffith (born June 1, 1926). Actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in the epic film, A Face in the Crowd (1957) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead characters in the 1960–68 TV comedy, The Andy Griffith Show, and in the 1986–95 legal drama, Matlock. Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by US President George W. Bush on November 9, 2005.
List of classic films:
A Face in the Crowd (1957) No Time for Sergeants (1958) Onionhead (1958) The Second Time Around (1961) Angel in My Pocket (1969) Hearts of the West (1975) Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985)
After Patricia Neal moved to New York, the first films she performed in were, John Loves Mary(1949), The Fountainhead(1949), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Breaking Point(1952), Operation Pacific, A Face in the Crowd (1957) and co-starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).
In 1963, Neal won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Hud. Three years later, in 1965, she was reunited with John Wayne for, In Harm's Way winning her second BAFTA Award.
She returned to the big screen in The Subject Was Roses (1968), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.
She later performed as Olivia Walton in the television movie The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971), which was the pilot episode for The Waltons. Creator Earl Hamner, was not sure if Neal was well enough to commit to the grind of a weekly television series, after her stroke. Neal played a dying widowed mother trying to find a home for her three children in a moving 1975 episode of NBC's Little House on the Prairie.
In 1978, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville dedicated the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center in her honor. The center serves as part of Neal's paralysis victim advocacy. She appeared in Center advertisements throughout 2006.
In 2007, Neal worked on Silvana Vienne's movie Beyond Baklava: The Fairy Tale Story of Sylvia's Baklava, appearing as herself in the documentary talking about alternative ways to end violence in the world. Also in 2007, Neal received one of two annually-presented Lifetime Achievement Awards at the SunDeis Film Festival in Waltham, Massachusetts.
She often performed on the Tony Awards telecast, possibly because she was the last surviving winner from the first ceremony. Her original Tony was lost, so she was given a replacement by Bill Irwin when they presented the Best Actress Award to Cynthia Nixon in 2006.
In April 2009, Neal received a lifetime achievement award from WorldFest Houston on the occasion of the debut of her film, Flying By. Neal was a long-term actress with Philip Langner's Theatre at Sea/Sail With the Stars productions with the Theatre Guild. I do not think I will never forget any of her performances. She will be greatly missed.
