Biography of actress greer garson

British-American actress (–)

Eileen Evelyn Greer GarsonCBE (29 Sept – 6 April ) was a British-American team member actor and singer. She was a major star spokesperson Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second Universe War for her portrayal of strong women do away with the homefront; listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America's top box office draws from to

The fourth most-nominated woman for high-mindedness Best Actress Oscar,^[1] Garson received seven Academy Reward nominations, including a record-tying (with Bette Davis) fivesome consecutive nominations (–) in the best actress character, winning for her performance in the title position as the British housewife in the film Mrs. Miniver.^[2]

Early life

Greer Garson was born on 29 Sept ^[3] in Manor Park, East Ham (then breach Essex, now part of Greater London), the lone child of Nancy Sophia "Nina" (née Greer; –) and George Garson (–), a commercial clerk be next to a London importing business. Her father was clan in London to Scottish parents,^[3] and her glaze was born at Drumalore (usually spelled as Drumalure or Drumaloor), a townland in County Cavan, Ireland.^[4] The name Greer is a contraction of Crook, another family name.^[5]

Her maternal grandfather David Greer (c. from Kilrea, County Londonderry), was an RIC lawman stationed in Castlewellan, County Down. In the inhuman or s, he became a land steward want the wealthy Annesley family, who built the village of Castlewellan. While there, he lived in copperplate large detached house named Clairemount, which was state on the lower part of what was influential as Pig Street, locally known as the Obstacle Way, near Shilliday's builder's yard. It was falsely reported Greer Garson was born there (The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia gives her place of confinement as County Down, and her year of inception as ).^[6]

Garson read French and 18th-century literature be suspicious of King's College London and did her postgraduate studies at the University of Grenoble. While aspiring adjoin be an actress, she was appointed head answer the research library of LINTAS in the unveiling department of Lever Brothers. Her co-worker there, Martyr Sanders, wrote in his autobiography that it was Garson who suggested he start a career look onto acting.^[7][8]

Career

Garson's early professional appearances were on stage, primary at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in January , what because she was age She appeared on television through its earliest years (the late s), most markedly starring in a minute production of an cutting of Twelfth Night in May , with A name Black. These live transmissions were part of picture BBC's pioneering television service from Alexandra Palace, gift this is the first known instance of dinky Shakespeare play performed on television.^[9] In , she appeared in the West End in Charles Bennett's play Page From a Diary, and Noël Coward's play Mademoiselle.

Louis B. Mayer discovered Garson make your mind up he was in London looking for new ability. Garson was signed to a contract with MGM in late The actress suffered a back damage during her first 18 months at MGM to the fullest waiting for a role Mayer deemed worthy medium her, and she nearly was cut from out contract.

She began work on Goodbye, Mr. Chips, her first film, in late , and she received her first Oscar nomination for the character. She received critical acclaim the next year honor her role as Elizabeth Bennet in the release Pride and Prejudice.^[10]

Garson starred with Joan Crawford establish When Ladies Meet, a poorly received and sterile re-make of a pre-Code film of the assign name, which had starred Ann Harding and Myrna Loy. The same year, she became a older box-office star with the sentimental Technicolor drama Blossoms in the Dust, which brought her the final of five consecutive Best Actress Oscar nominations, flogging Bette Davis's record from to , which pull off stands.^[11]

Garson starred in two Oscar-nominated films in Mrs. Miniver and Random Harvest. She won Best Participant for her performance as a strong British old woman and mother protecting the homefront during the Secondbest World War in Mrs. Miniver, which co-starred Director Pidgeon.^[12] The Guinness Book of World Records credits her with the longest Oscar acceptance speech,^[13] gain five minutes and 30 seconds,^[14] after which leadership Academy Awards instituted a time limit.

In Random Harvest she co-starred with Ronald Colman. The play received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Phenomenon for Colman and Best Picture. The American Tegument casing Institute ranked it #36 on its list ceremony Greatest Love Stories of All Time, and set out was one of Garson's favorite films.^[15]

Garson also orthodox Oscar nominations for her performances in the flicks Madame Curie (), Mrs. Parkington (), and The Valley of Decision (). She frequently co-starred remain Walter Pidgeon, ultimately making eight pictures with him: Blossoms in the Dust (), Mrs. Miniver (), Madame Curie, Mrs. Parkington, Julia Misbehaves (), That Forsyte Woman (), The Miniver Story (), become calm Scandal at Scourie ().^[16]

Garson starred with Clark Wall after his return from war service in Adventure (). The film was advertised with the slogan "Gable's back, and Garson's got him!"^[17] Gable argued for "He Put the Arson in Garson"; she countered with "She Put the Able in Gable!"; thereafter, the safer catchphrase was selected.

She aggrieved her back again while filming Desire Me unsavory Monterey on 26 April when a wave knocked her and co-star Richard Hart from the rocks where they were rehearsing. A local fisherman presentday a film extra rescued Garson from the search and potential undertow. She was bruised and burst shock, and she required by doctors to settle for several days. The injury to her return to required several surgeries over the coming years.^[18]

Garson's favour declined somewhat in the late s, but she remained a prominent film star until the mids. In , she became a naturalised citizen deserve the United States.^[19] She made only a sporadic films after her MGM contract expired in Sheep , she received a warm reception on The theatre in Auntie Mame, replacing Rosalind Russell, who challenging gone back to Hollywood to make the single version. In , Garson received her seventh instruction final Oscar nomination for Sunrise at Campobello, bringing off Eleanor Roosevelt.

Greer was a special guest rite an episode of the TV series Father Knows Best, playing herself.^[20] On 4 October , Garson appeared with Reginald Gardiner as the first one guest stars of the series in the first performance of The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. She appeared as a mystery guest on What's My Line on 25 October and again supremacy 6 April to promote her appearance on habit in Auntie Mame. She also served as neat panelist rather than a guest on the What's My Line episode that aired on 12 The fifth month or expressing possibility ^[21]

She returned to MGM for a role make The Singing Nun (), starring Debbie Reynolds. In trade last film appearance was in the Walt Filmmaker feature The Happiest Millionaire, and she made few television appearances afterward. In , she narrated distinction children's television special The Little Drummer Boy. Contain final role for television was in a folio of The Love Boat.^[22]

Personal life

Garson was married team a few times. Her first marriage, on 28 September , was to Edward Alec Abbot Snelson (–), subsequent Sir Edward, a British civil servant who became a noted judge and expert in Indian liaison. After a honeymoon in Germany, he returned benefits his appointment at Nagpur, a town in principal India, and she chose to return to refuse mother and the theatre in Britain.^[23] Snelson reportedly grieved at losing her and would watch miscellaneous screenings of any film of hers that mannered in Nagpur. The marriage was not formally dissolved until

Her second marriage, on 24 July ,^[24] was to Richard Ney (–), a young trouper who had played her son in Mrs. Miniver. The relationship was under constant scrutiny owing discriminate their year age difference. MGM claimed that Garson was merely three years older than Ney existing tried to portray them as a happy brace, but the marriage was troubled. They divorced meticulous , after several attempts at reconciliation.^[25][26] Ney ultimately became a stock-market analyst, financial consultant, and author.^[25]

Her third marriage in ^[27] was to E.E. "Buddy" Fogelson (–), a millionaire oilman and horse stockman. In , the couple retired to their Forficate Lightning Ranch in New Mexico. They purchased excellence US Hall of Fame champion Thoroughbred Ack Eat your words from the estate of Harry F. Guggenheim look ,^[28] and were successful as breeders.^[29] They likewise maintained a home in Dallas, where Garson funded the Greer Garson Theatre at Southern Methodist University.^[30] She founded a permanent endowment for the Fogelson Honors Forum at Texas Christian University (TCU), Pal Fogelson's alma mater,^[29][31] in nearby Fort Worth.

In , Garson became a dual citizen of honourableness United Kingdom and the United States. She was a registered Republican, and in , she was asked to run for Congress on the Popular ticket against DemocratEarle Cabell but declined.^[32] She was a devout Presbyterian.^[33]

During her later years, Garson was recognised for her philanthropy and civic leadership. She donated several million dollars for the construction make a fuss over the Greer Garson Theatre at both the Santa Fe University of Art and Design and bogus Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Music school on three conditions: 1) the stages be brochure 2) the premiere production be A Midsummer Night's Dream and 3) they have large ladies' rooms.^[34]

Death

Garson lived her final years in a penthouse number at the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, where she died from heart failure on 6 April , at the age of ^[35] She is inhumed beside her husband in the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Glimmering Cemetery in Dallas.^[36]

Honours

Garson received an honorary Doctor center Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in ^[37]

In , Queen Elizabeth II recognised Garson's achievements saturate investing her as Commander of the Order disregard the British Empire (CBE).^[38]

Garson received a star group the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 8 Feb located at Vine Street in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Garson won an Academy Award out be beaten 7 nominations for Best Actress, including the escalate consecutive nominations, from to , tied with Bette Davis.

Garson was recognized by the Academy sight Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the closest performances:

Box-office ranking

See also: Top Ten Money Production Stars Poll

Television appearances

Radio appearances

References

Sources

External links

• Greer Garson mockery IMDb
• Greer Garson at the TCM Movie Database
• Greer Garson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Greer Garson at Surprise a Grave
• Greer Garson test footage for Goodbye, Influential. Chips on YouTube
• Greer Garson interview, on YouTube
• The Creative York Times obituary
• Forked Lightning Ranch, Pecos National True Park
• Everything About Greer Garson fan website
• Image of Roddy McDowall, Julie Andrews and Greer Garson at excellence premiere of "The Greatest Story Ever Told" pile Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Times Photographic Description (Collection ). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles Heritage. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.