Grace Kelly on TCM
Stating the obvious: most people take great pleasure in idealizing their idols — which is why idols are idols.
Whether we’re talking of gods, saints, prophets, or pop stars, the process is pretty much the same: flaws are expunged, deeds that never took place are turned into (at times miraculous) facts, the Pantheon of the Immortals becomes their abode following their earthly demise. (In some extreme cases — assorted gods, Elvis — the idol in question doesn’t die, period.)
Grace Kelly, Turner Classic Movies’ Star of the Month, is one of the lofty ones now dwelling in the aforementioned Pantheon. True, the flesh-and-bood Philadelphia-born (Nov. 12, 1929) woman (nee Grace Patricia Kelly) may have been quite different from the characters Grace Kelly the actress played in 11 Hollywood movies from 1951 to 1956, or from the always poised, meticulously madeup and coiffed fairy-taleish European princess seen at various public events. But no matter.
If you’re an idol and you die without ever breaking any major Thou Shalt Nots in public — or in private, but in a manner that becomes public knowledge — then there’s a very good chance (especially if death comes early) you’ll be worshipped forever. Or at least "forever" in human terms.
Grace Kelly died unexpectedly on Sept. 14, 1982, at the age of 52, reportedly from injuries suffered in a car accident. (It’s also been said that she suffered a stroke while driving; other stories had her underage daughter Stephanie driving the vehicle prior to the crash.) To this day, for the millions who continue to worship either Hollywood star Grace Kelly or Princess Grace of Monaco — or both — the actress-patrician remains the embodiment of class, beauty, sophistication, and aristocratic romance. Many among those will even assert that Grace Kelly was a great actress, though that would be really pushing it.
Yet, Grace Kelly did win an Academy Award for The Country Girl (1954), in what turned out to be one of the biggest upsets in Academy history. Despite Kelly’s Golden Globe, New York Film Critics, and National Board of Review wins earlier that awards season, everyone everywhere just about knew that Judy Garland was going to take home the Oscar for her A Star Is Born tour de force.
But those forecasters should have realized the importance of seeing a glamorous actress "uglify" herself for the sake of art, as Kelly pretends to do in The Country Girl, playing the frustrated wife of alcoholic has-been actor Bing Crosby (above). Especially when her cardigan-wearing housewife of the black-and-white, George Seaton-directed melodrama is compared to the lovingly photographed beauty of two other 1954 productions, both in color and both directed by Alfred Hitchcock: Rear Window, with Kelly lusting after wheelchair-bound James Stewart, who may or may not have seen Raymond Burr commit a murder; and Dial M for Murder, a crime thriller in which Kelly is the victim of conniving husband Ray Milland.
The black-and-white/color contrast must have driven film critics and Academy members nuts. I mean, how could those blue eyes and that blond hair become light gray in the same year? What a remarkable acting feat! In fact, Kelly’s New York and National Board wins were for her trio of performances, even though as far as I’m concerned the acting honors go to Thelma Ritter in Rear Window and to a pair of scissors in Dial M for Murder.
Now, it’s clear that I don’t find Grace Kelly the most fascinating actress in Hollywood history. Sticking to just Hitchcock’s cool blondes, I much prefer watching Madeleine Carroll, Ann Todd, Eva Marie Saint, or Kim Novak.
Even so, I’d recommend every single film in TCM’s Grace Kelly series, which kicks off this evening — albeit Kelly isn’t exactly the chief reason for me to suggest any of them.
For instance, in Henry Hathaway’s thriller Fourteen Hours (1951), she has a mere bit part, while Fred Zinnemann’s first-rate Western High Noon (1952) belongs to Gary Cooper’s lone sheriff, and the African adventure tale Mogambo (1953) belongs to Ava Gardner and other beautiful wild animals.
I’d have liked the revered Rear Window (above) infinitely better had Deborah Kerr played the James Stewart role (Kerr and Kelly would have made a beautiful — and much more believable — couple); Dial M for Murder is entertaining, though I probably shouldn’t have been rooting for Ray Milland’s heel; whereas The Bridges of Toko-Ri, Kelly’s fourth 1954 release, is probably the actress’ worst vehicle. That said, also in the film’s cast are William Holden and Fredric March. It’s the kind of stellar mix that movie lovers should check out at least once.
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Tags: Alfred Hitchcock, Classic Movies, Dial M for Murder, George Seaton, Grace Kelly, Rear Window, The Country Girl, Turner Classic Movies
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