Miriam Hopkins: Allan Ellenberger Interview Part I
I understand that Miriam Hopkins turned down a large number of parts. Could you name a few of those? And was there anything she felt sorry she missed out on — any part she rejected but then came to regret her decision, or any part she wanted to play but lost out to someone else?
[Photo: One role Miriam Hopkins accepted: the schoolteacher in These Three, opposite Merle Oberon.]
During her career, Hopkins was scheduled to appear in countless films that were never made, or the parts were given to another actress. Of course, it was a combination of her changing her mind about projects and in some cases the studio changing theirs. Some of the roles she refused were those in The Song of Songs (1933) [Marlene Dietrich got the part], It Happened One Night (1934) – which she regretted [Claudette Colbert got the part and an Academy Award], The Trumpet Blows (1934) [Frances Drake got the part], Peter Ibbetson (1935) [Ann Harding], and Come and Get It (1936) [Frances Farmer].
Curiously, some of the films Miriam Hopkins refused were then given to [fellow Paramount contract player] Carole Lombard, Hopkins' co-star in her first film, Fast and Loose (1930). In the case of No Man of Her Own (1932) — known at that time as "No Bed of Her Own" — Hopkins was assigned the film while co-star [and future Lombard husband] Clark Gable was borrowed from MGM. Hopkins and Gable even posed for publicity pictures (where are those photos now?), but finally Hopkins walked out and went to New York. She said the part didn’t “suit her.”
Other Lombard films [at Paramount and elsewhere] that Hopkins was originally offered include Twentieth Century (1934), Bolero (1934), and Hands Across the Table (1935). Hopkins was also Ernst Lubitsch’s first choice for To Be or Not to Be (1942).
In Badlands of Dakota (1941), she left the film two days after agreeing to be in it, stating that she was unhappy with both her role [apparently Calamity Jane] and the final draft of the script. [Frances Farmer replaced her.] This was a common explanation that Hopkins used for refusing a part. In many cases she demanded script approval and in some instances it was granted. To her credit, she turned down the role of Joan Madison in Law of the Tropics (1941) because she felt she was too old to play opposite Jeffrey Lynn. [Constance Bennett, two years younger than Hopkins and nearly five years older than Lynn, stepped in.]
It may not be known that in many public polls Miriam Hopkins was the overwhelming choice to play the coveted role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). Author Margaret Mitchell, who was never consulted by David O. Selznick, also said that Hopkins would be her first choice to play the part. “Miriam Hopkins has been my choice from the beginning,” Mitchell explained, “but I know what I had to say wouldn’t matter so I said nothing.”
But it was probably All This and Heaven Too (1940) that was Miriam Hopkins' biggest disappointment. The story was originally bought for Bette Davis, but for whatever reason she didn’t want to — or couldn’t — do it. So, Warner Bros. offered it to Hopkins, who had just finished The Old Maid at the studio and was contracted to do two more pictures. The first was to be We Are Not Alone (1939); however, Paul Muni refused to do the film if Hopkins was to be his co-star. The two did not get along during the making of The Woman I Love (1937) and Muni wasn’t about to have a repeat. [Flora Robson was Hopkins' unlikely replacement in We Are Not Alone.]
Before she could make All This and Heaven Too, Hopkins divorced her husband, director Anatole Litvak and had to spend six weeks in Reno to be granted the divorce as was the custom at that time (remember The Women). While she was in residence there, Warners pulled the plug on the film, blaming the war in Europe and the anticipated fall of the European market. (In a scathing letter to Jack Warner, Hopkins complained, “Now Jack, first it was Mr. Muni, — now it’s Mr. Hitler.”)
After a huge legal argument, Warners offered Hopkins Virginia City (1940), co-starring Errol Flynn and Randolph Scott [right]. Then, after the Hopkins mess was settled, Warners returned All This and Heaven Too to Davis, which did not endear her to Hopkins.
Miriam Hopkins was a contract player at Paramount, Goldwyn, and Warner Bros. — all within a period of about 10 or 11 years. Why so much hopping about?
Maybe that’s how she earned the nickname “Hoppy.” No kidding, that’s what many of her co-workers called her, even Bette Davis. Hopkins did not have the typical contract life of most actresses. She was at Paramount only four years; yet, her contract was adjusted at least three times.
During the time period you mentioned, she was also loaned out to MGM once and four times to RKO. In fact, when she left Paramount, RKO wanted to sign her (she was doing Becky Sharp for them at the time), but she decided to go with Samuel Goldwyn instead.
Now, even though she made three films with Warners, during that time she was still under Goldwyn’s contract, which expired in 1942. For each of the Warner films (The Old Maid, Virginia City, Lady with Red Hair) there were individual contracts and financial arrangements made.
Hopkins didn’t enjoy making films; she preferred the stage. So, maybe this was her motivation. It’s a shame because she was a talented actress and under the right conditions she gave stunning performances.
Glad to hear that Miriam Hopkins is getting the full biographical treatment she deserves. A terrific actress, and very versatile, as noted.
This excellent interview has whetted my appetite for the book.
Bravo, André – great interview. My attention was also first drawn to Miriam Hopkins through her co-starring vehicles with Bette Davis but, unlike mr. Ellenberg, I still haven't been seduced to see much more… I'll keep an eye out, though.
Very interesting. Reminds me so much of a witch hunt. I agree, too, that it is very classy of Miriam to have kept her opinions and dirty laundry from the public's eye.