betsy blair
More recently a resident of London, Betsy Blair has continued to accept character parts in films like the Harold Pinter-scripted Betrayed (1988). [1]
Betsy Blair (11 December 1923 ‘ 13 March 2009) was an American actress of film and stage, long based in London. [2]
Betsy Blair began her career on stage in the early 1940s and, after a break for marriage and motherhood with her first husband, dancing legend Gene Kelly, made her film debut in “The Guilt of Janet Ames” (1947). [3]
In this Nov. 1948, file photo, actress Betsy Blair is flanked by actors Montgomery Clift, left, and Gene Kelly as they board an airplane for London at La Guardia Airport in New York City. [4]
Most casual film fans know one of two facts about stage and film actress Betsy Blair. [1]
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 (1948). [2]
Less well known is the fact that Ms. Blair had quite an active personal and professional life after both Gene and Marty. [1]
In 1955, Gene Kelly threatened to stop working for MGM, if they did not allow his wife, Betsy Blair to star in MARTY. [5]
Following a part in “Kind Lady” in 1951, Blair struggled to win new movie roles for several years, focusing instead on caring for the couple’s daughter, Kerry. [4]
She was awarded the Cannes Film and British Film acting award and an Oscar nomination. [5]
Born as Elizabeth Winifred Boger, 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. [2]
Blair, though, was perhaps best remembered for her sensitive portrayal of the plain schoolteacher who finds love with Ernest Borgnine in “Marty” (1955), for which she earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination…. [3]
At the age of eight, she was enrolled in the Swift Sisters School of Dance, and recalls performing before Eleanor Roosevelt 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. [1]
Blair, published her own memoirs and spoke candidly about her life on Broadway, with Gene Kelly and her life being blacklisted. [...] Betsy Blair’s career came to a sudden halt when she became involved in SAG politics in 1946 when a proposal was made for the formation of the first Anti-Discrimination Committee. [5]
Sources:
[1] Betsy Blair: Information from Answers.com
[2] Betsy Blair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[3] Betsy Blair | Biography, Photos, Movies, TV, Credits | Hollywood.com
[4] Blacklisted actress Betsy Blair dies in London - wtop.com
[5] Betsy Blair - MovieActors.com