Jeanne Eagels (film)
| Jeanne Eagels | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Sidney |
| Screenplay by | Daniel Fuchs Sonya Levien John Fante |
| Story by | Daniel Fuchs |
| Produced by | George Sidney |
| Starring | Kim Novak Jeff Chandler |
| Cinematography | Robert H. Planck |
| Edited by | Viola Lawrence Jerome Thoms |
| Music by | George Duning |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Columbia Pictures |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3.1 million (US rentals)[1] |
Jeanne Eagels (also titled The Jeanne Eagels Story) is a 1957 American biographical film loosely based on the life of stage star Jeanne Eagels. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, the film was produced and directed by George Sidney from a screenplay by John Fante, Daniel Fuchs and Sonya Levien, based on a story by Fuchs.[2][3]
The film stars Kim Novak in the title role. and Jeff Chandler.
Many aspects of Eagels' real life were omitted or largely fictionalized. Eagels' family later sued Columbia Pictures over the way Eagels was depicted in the film.[4]
Plot[]
Jeanne Eagels is a Kansas City waitress. After losing a carnival's beauty contest, she asks carny owner Sal Satori for a job. Her dancing in a skimpy costume is accused of being obscene. Sal decides to join his brother in New York and invites Jeanne to join them in an amusement park at Coney Island.
Taking acting lessons instead, the ambitious Jeanne becomes the understudy in a Broadway show and a star when she gets a chance to play the part. A once successful actress named Elsie Desmond wants to make a comeback in a new play, but Jeanne betrays her and takes the play for herself, willing to do anything to get ahead. Elsie denounces her in the theater before the first performance, then commits suicide. Sal is disgusted by Jeanne's behavior as well. She accepts a proposal from a ne'er-do-well named John Donahue, but both descend into alcoholism. Jeanne misses performances and causes fellow actors to lose out on paychecks.
Her situation deteriorates further when she's required to pay alimony to John after a divorce. A new play fails because Jeanne, drunk and on pills, collapses on stage. The actors' guild suspends her for 18 months. Unable to work, she returns to Sal's amusement park and is offered a job dancing. Another performer sexually assaults her in a dressing room. Jeanne, her life in ruins, continues to spiral downward and hallucinate. While trying to make it to a stage one night, she collapses on the staircase and dies.
Cast[]
- Kim Novak as Jeanne Eagels
- Jeff Chandler as Sal Satori
- Agnes Moorehead as Nellie Neilson
- Charles Drake as John Donahue
- Larry Gates as Al Brooks
- Virginia Grey as Elsie Desmond
- Gene Lockhart as Equity Board President
- Joe De Santis as Frank Satori (as Joe de Santis)
- Murray Hamilton as Chick O'Hara
Production[]
The film was long planned as a vehicle for Kim Novak.[5] Jeff Chandler had just finished a long term exclusive contract with Universal and played the male lead.[6]
Novak's dress caught on fire during filming and Chandler had to put it out.[7]
Soundtrack[]
- "Half of My Heart", written George W. Duning, Ned Washington 1957, recorded by Jeff Chandler 1958, Love Theme from "Jeanne Eagels (film)" by Morris Stoloff and His Orchestra 1958, single by The Four Aces 1957
DVD release[]
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released Jeanne Eagels on August 3, 2010, as part of its "Kim Novak Collection." The box set also includes the films Picnic (1956); Bell, Book and Candle (1958); Middle of the Night (1959); and Pal Joey (1957).[8]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Top Grosses of 1957", Variety, 8 January 1958: 30
- ^ Variety film review; July 24, 1957, page 6.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; July 20, 1957, page 114.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2008). "Jeanne Eagels (1957)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (Jan 6, 1957). "A Town Called Hollywood: Kim Novak 'Merges' With Spirit of Jeanne Eagels". Los Angeles Times. p. E2.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (Dec 8, 1956). "Movie to Team McCrea and Mark Stevens". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 18.
- ^ "Kim Novak Escapes As Dress Catches Fire". The Washington Post and Times Herald. Feb 15, 1957. p. A24.
- ^ Ball, Chris (August 4, 2010). "'Kim Novak Collection' offers five of her best films". cleveland.com. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
Further reading[]
- Monder, Eric (1994). George Sidney:a Bio-Bibliography. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313284571.
External links[]
- Jeanne Eagels at IMDb
- Jeanne Eagels at the TCM Movie Database
- Jeanne Eagels at AllMovie
- Jeanne Eagels at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Review of film at Variety
- 1957 films
- English-language films
- 1950s biographical drama films
- American biographical drama films
- American films
- Biographical films about actors
- American black-and-white films
- Columbia Pictures films
- Cultural depictions of American women
- Films scored by George Duning
- Films directed by George Sidney
- Films set in the 1910s
- Films set in the 1920s
- Films with screenplays by Sonya Levien
- 1957 drama films