Betsy Blair
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Betsy Blair (born Elizabeth Winifred Boger; December 11, 1923March 13, 2009) was an American actress of film and stage, long based in London. Blair pursued a career in entertainment from the age of eight, and as a child worked as an amateur dancer, performed on radio, and worked as a model, before joining the chorus of Billy Rose's ''Diamond Horseshoe'' in 1940. There she met Gene Kelly; they were married the following year, when she was age 17 and divorced sixteen years later in 1957. After work in the theatre, Blair began her film career playing supporting roles in films such as '' A Double Life'' (1947) and ''
Another Part of the Forest ''Another Part of the Forest'' is a 1946 play by Lillian Hellman, a prequel to her 1939 drama '' The Little Foxes''. Plot synopsis Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innate ...
'' (1948). Her interest in
Marxism Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical ...
led to an investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and Blair was blacklisted for some time, but resumed her career with a critically acclaimed performance in '' Marty'' (1955) for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She continued her career with regular theatre, film and television work, mainly in Europe, until the mid-1990s.


Early life and education

Blair was born in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Her father, William Kidd Boger, was a partner in a small insurance brokerage firm; her mother, Frederica Ammon, was a schoolteacher. Both were Episcopalians. At the age of eight, she was enrolled in the Swift Sisters School of Dance, and recalled performing before
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
in 1933, winning an amateur contest shortly thereafter, joining a touring amateur show and performing on local radio, as motivating influences in her desire to pursue a dance career. She joined the
John Robert Powers John Robert Powers (September 14, 1892 – July 21, 1977) was an American actor and founder of a New York City modeling agency. In 1923, Powers founded a modeling school. The John Robert Powers Agency represented models who aspired to success in ...
modeling agency and by the age of 12 was in regular demand. She enrolled in the Professional Children's School but, as it was not accredited, her mother returned her to her local school so that she might eventually attend college. She graduated at 15, securing a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College. However, the board of admission considered her too immature for entry and requested she wait one year.


Career


Stage

In the interim, Blair joined the chorus at the International Casino in Times Square, and when it closed down, worked in the chorus of Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe from January 1940 where Gene Kelly was working as choreographer. "Gene fought for me. He said I could dance, and he needed some good dancers," she wrote in her autobiography. Blair and Kelly's relationship blossomed, culminating in their marriage in October 1941. She and Kelly remained married for 16 years and had one daughter, Kerry Kelly Novick (b. 1942), together before divorcing in 1957. Blair left Rose's show to accept an offer from choreographer
Robert Alton Robert Alton (2 January 1902 – 12 June 1957) was an American dancer and choreographer, a major figure in dance choreography of Broadway and Hollywood musicals from the 1930s through to the early 1950s. He is principally remembered today as the ...
to join the chorus of ''
Panama Hattie ''Panama Hattie'' is a 1940 American musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. The musical is about a nightclub owner, Hattie Maloney, who lives in the Panama Canal Zone and ends up dealing with ...
'', an illustrious line-up which included June Allyson, Doris and
Constance Dowling Constance Dowling (July 24, 1920 – October 28, 1969) was an American model turned actress of the 1940s and 1950s. Early life and career Born in New York City, Dowling was a model and chorus girl before moving to California in 1943. She had ...
, and Vera-Ellen. Alton—who previously discovered Gene Kelly—had spotted her when she unsuccessfully auditioned for a part in ''
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
''. During this period, she developed a strong interest in
Marxism Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical ...
, having been introduced to
Lloyd Gough Lloyd Gough (born Michael Gough; September 21, 1907 – July 23, 1984) was an American theater, film, and television actor. Life and career Born Michael Gough in New York City, he was a noted character actor. Married to actress-turned-activi ...
by Kelly, and attended Gough's weekly Marxist study group, which Kelly did not attend. "And it was very serious. Our textbook was ''The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union''... I was completely enthralled by the ideas." In early 1941, Blair secured her first role in a stage play when Kelly's friend
William Saroyan William Saroyan (; August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film ''T ...
chose her to play the female lead role of St. Agnes of the Mice in his play ''The Beautiful People'' at the Lyceum Theatre, playing opposite
Eugene Loring Eugene Loring (August 2, 1911 – August 30, 1982) was an American dancer, choreographer, teacher, and administrator. Biography Eugene Loring was born as Le Roy Kerpestein, the son of a saloon-keeper, grew up on a small island in Wisconsin's M ...
, and securing excellent reviews from leading critics
George Jean Nathan George Jean Nathan (February 14, 1882 – April 8, 1958) was an American drama critic and magazine editor. He worked closely with H. L. Mencken, bringing the literary magazine ''The Smart Set'' to prominence as an editor, and co-founding and ...
and Richard Watts, Jr. Watts stated, "The gently sweetly sincere and completely moving gravity and innocence of Miss Blair's utterly right performance is so infinitely touching and beautiful than any studied portrayal could be, that her contribution to the work is gracefully enchanting."


Film

Blair was featured in such films as ''A Double Life'' (1947), ''Another Part of the Forest'' (1948), and ''
The Snake Pit ''The Snake Pit'' is a 1948 American psychological drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick. Based on Mary Jane Ward's 1946 semi-autobiogra ...
'' (1948). She continued to hold left-wing political views and admittedly attempted to join the
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...
. In her autobiography, she revealed her application was rejected as the party felt she would be more valuable as the wife of the progressive Kelly. Kelly himself was not a Communist and his status as a valuable star provided the couple some protection. In the 1950s, Blair was under investigation from HUAC and blacklisted for several years. She almost lost one of her signature roles, that of Marty's girlfriend in '' Marty'' (1955), but was restored to the role after Kelly threatened to pull out of ''
It's Always Fair Weather ''It's Always Fair Weather'' is a 1955 MGM musical satire scripted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote the show's lyrics, with music by André Previn and starring Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, and dancer/chore ...
''. For her performance, she received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for Best Supporting Actress and prizes from the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. Her film career, nonetheless, was damaged during the "red scare" era and she had to seek work on stage in New York and in Europe. Following her divorce from Kelly, Blair moved permanently to Europe where she paired with French actor and director
Roger Pigaut Roger Pigaut (birth name Roger Paul Louis Pigot) (8 April 1919 – 24 December 1989) was a French actor and film director. He appeared in 40 films between 1943 and 1980. Partial filmography * ''Retour de flamme'' (1943) - Maurice * '' Lo ...
, and continued to appear in films, including Juan Antonio Bardem's ''
Calle Mayor ''Main Street'' ( es, Calle Mayor) is a 1956 Spanish drama film directed by Juan Antonio Bardem starring Betsy Blair and José Suárez. It is based on a Carlos Arniches play titled '' La señorita de Trévelez''. Shooting locations were Palenci ...
'' (1956) and Michelangelo Antonioni's ''
Il Grido ''Il grido'' ( en, "The Cry", italic=no) is a 1957 Italian black-and-white drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Steve Cochran, Alida Valli, Betsy Blair, and Dorian Gray. Based on a story by Antonioni, the film is about a man ...
'' (1957). By these years, she self-confessedly became a conspicuous member of the
avant la lettre Many words in the English vocabulary are of French origin, most coming from the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern Engli ...
European gauche caviar.Blair, p. 352. Blair married Czech-born British director/producer
Karel Reisz Karel Reisz (21 July 1926 – 25 November 2002) was a Czech-born British filmmaker, one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in British cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Two of the best-known films he directed are '' Saturday Night and S ...
in 1963 and performed sporadically in later years, working with
Costa-Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...
in 1988 on the film '' Betrayed'' and on the mini-series '' Scarlett'' in 1994. Reisz died in 2002. In 1980, she was a member of the jury at the
30th Berlin International Film Festival The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18–29 February 1980. The Golden Bear was awarded to the American film ''Heartland'' directed by Richard Pearce and West German film '' Palermo oder Wolfsburg'' directed by Werne ...
. Blair filmed scenes for
Stephen Daldry Stephen David Daldry CBE (born 2 May 1960) is an English director and producer of film, theatre, and television. He has won three Olivier Awards for his work in the West End and three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. He has received thr ...
's '' The Hours'' (2002), initially playing the older version of
Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, ...
's character. It is unclear if she was dropped or if she withdrew from the project. In 2003, she published her autobiography ''The Memory of All That''.


Death

Blair died of cancer in London on March 13, 2009. She was survived by a daughter, three stepchildren and several grandchildren.


Partial filmography

* '' The Guilt of Janet Ames'' (1947) – Katie * '' A Double Life'' (1947) – Girl in Wig Shop * ''
Another Part of the Forest ''Another Part of the Forest'' is a 1946 play by Lillian Hellman, a prequel to her 1939 drama '' The Little Foxes''. Plot synopsis Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innate ...
'' (1948) – Birdie Bagtry * ''
The Snake Pit ''The Snake Pit'' is a 1948 American psychological drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick. Based on Mary Jane Ward's 1946 semi-autobiogra ...
'' (1948) – Hester * ''
Mystery Street ''Mystery Street'' is a 1950 black-and-white film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, and Marshall Thompson. Produced by MGM, it was directed by John Sturges with cinematography by John Alton. The ...
'' (1950) – Jackie Elcott * '' No Way Out'' (1950) – Telephone Operator (uncredited) * '' Kind Lady'' (1951) – Ada Elcott * '' Marty'' (1955) – Clara * ''
Meeting in Paris ''Meeting in Paris'' (French: ''Rencontre à Paris'') is a 1956 French comedy film directed by Georges Lampin and starring Robert Lamoureux, Betsy Blair and Jacques Castelot.Parish p.96 The film's sets were designed by the art director Art ...
'' (1956) – Nancy Blanding * ''
Calle Mayor ''Main Street'' ( es, Calle Mayor) is a 1956 Spanish drama film directed by Juan Antonio Bardem starring Betsy Blair and José Suárez. It is based on a Carlos Arniches play titled '' La señorita de Trévelez''. Shooting locations were Palenci ...
'' (1956) – Isabel * ''
The Halliday Brand ''The Halliday Brand'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Joseph Cotten. The film's sets were designed by the art director David S. Garber. It was shot partly at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. Plot Clay ...
'' (1957) – Martha Halliday * ''
Il Grido ''Il grido'' ( en, "The Cry", italic=no) is a 1957 Italian black-and-white drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Steve Cochran, Alida Valli, Betsy Blair, and Dorian Gray. Based on a story by Antonioni, the film is about a man ...
'' (1957) – Elvia * ''
Lies My Father Told Me ''Lies My Father Told Me'' is a 1975 Canadian drama film made in Montreal, Quebec. It was directed by Ján Kadár and stars Jeffrey Lynas as an orthodox Jewish boy growing up in 1920s Montreal. The film received the Golden Globe Award for Best F ...
'' (1960) – Mother * ''
Silver Spoon Set ''Silver Spoon Set'' ( it, I Delfini, also known as ''The Dauphins'') is a 1960 Italian and French drama film directed and written by Francesco Maselli. The film stars Claudia Cardinale. Shot in Ascoli Piceno, Italy. Cast *Claudia Cardinale as ...
'' (1960) – Countess Margherita Cherè * '' All Night Long'' (1962) – Emily * '' Careless'' (1962) – Amalia Brentani * ''Marry Me! Marry Me!'' (1968) – Second English Teacher * '' A Delicate Balance'' (1973) – Edna * ''Flight of the Spruce Goose'' (1986) – Helen * ''
Descente aux enfers ''Descent into Hell'' (french: Descente aux enfers) is a 1986 French psychological thriller film directed by Francis Girod from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jean-Loup Dabadie, based on the 1955 novel ''The Wounded and the Slain'' by David Good ...
'' (1986) – Mrs. Burns * '' Betrayed'' (1988) – Gladys Simmons


Bibliography

*, London: Elliott & Thompson.


References


External links

* * *
Obituary
interview British Entertainment History Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Betsy 1923 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New Jersey People from Cliffside Park, New Jersey American expatriates in the United Kingdom American female dancers Dancers from New Jersey American film actresses American stage actresses Best Foreign Actress BAFTA Award winners Deaths from cancer in England Hollywood blacklist 20th-century American dancers 21st-century American women