The Country Girl (1954)

The Country Girl
Directed by George Seaton
Written by George Seaton from the play by Clifford Odets
1954/USA
Paramount Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental

Bernie Dodd: Oh I know, I know. They all start out as Juliets and wind up as Lady Macbeths]

1954 was Grace Kelly’s year.  Here she is acting against type and doing pretty well at it.  Bing Crosby does even better.

Frank Elgin (Crosby) was a big Broadway star until his son was killed in an accident and he started to drink heavily.  Now addicted to the stuff, he is minded by his much-younger wife Georgie (Kelly).  Bernie Dodd (William Holden) is staging a musical and has decided that Frank is ideal for the part.  He casts him over the producer’s objections and finds that Frank has lost all confidence.  Bernie, who is still stinging from his divorce, decides that Georgie is the root of the whole problem.  Frank only half-heartedly tries to stick up for her and his lies add to Bernie’s dislike of his wife.

For her part, Georgie keeps soldiering along but she is almost at the end of her rope.  She resents Bernie’s meddling and argues with him.  Finally, Bernie starts to send her away and discovers he may have read the situation all wrong.

Why can’t I be a fan of Clifford Odets?  I’m just not and his wordy dialogue does not work terribly well for me in movies.  At least, he did not turn this story into a domineering wife melodrama so I give him credit for that.  The acting is wonderful.  I thought Crosby disappeared into his part beautifully.  Kelly had the beauty disguised as a plain Jane going for her, always a hit with the Academy.  She carries it off pretty well, even flattening her voice for the role.

Grace Kelly won an Academy Award for Best Actress and George Seaton won for Best Writing, Screenplay.  The film was nominated in the categories of Best Picture; Best Director; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White.

Trailer