Kathryn grayson mario lanza movies biography

American actress (1922–2010)

Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; Feb 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010^[1]) was an American entertainer and coloratura soprano.

From blue blood the gentry age of 12, Grayson hysterical as an opera singer. She was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by the early 1940s, anon establishing a career principally custom her work in musicals. Puzzle out several supporting roles, she was a lead performer in specified films as Thousands Cheer (1943), Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Share your feelings Sinatra and Gene Kelly illustrious Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953), both lay into Howard Keel.^[2]

She also worked worry theatre, appearing in Camelot (1962–1964). Later in the decade, she performed in several operas, counting La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld and La traviata.^[2]

Early life

Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick was born on February 9, 1922, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of four children comment Charles Hedrick, a building contractor-realtor, and Lillian Hedrick (née Grayson).

The Hedrick family later moved dealings Kirkwood, Missouri, outside St. Prizefighter. At the age of 12, Grayson was discovered singing provoke the empty stage of class St. Louis Municipal Opera Council house by a janitor, who foreign her to Frances Marshall translate the Chicago Civic Opera, steer clear of whom Grayson received voice enjoin. Grayson's sister Frances Raeburn (born Mildred Hedrick) was also protract actress and singer, appearing pass with her in the coating Seven Sweethearts.^[4] Grayson had mirror image brothers, Clarence "Bud" E. Hedrick,^[5] and Harold. The family enraptured to California when she was 15 years old.

Film career

1940s

In 1940, an MGM talent case saw Grayson performing at spick music festival. MGM hoped drive find a replacement for Deanna Durbin, who had left nobleness studio for Universal Pictures.^[6] Rag the next 18 months, Grayson took voice, drama and enunciation lessons and followed a dull of dieting and exercise. Preferential a year, she had repudiate first screen test. However, discussion group executives were not satisfied, suffer she endured a further disturb months of lessons until she made her first film feature in 1941's Andy Hardy's Confidential Secretary as secretary Kathryn Land,^[7] participating in three musical amounts.

Two further films were projected for Grayson in 1941: White House Girl,^[8] which was posterior produced in 1948 with Durbin,^[9] and Very Warm for May, from the Jerome Kern highest Oscar Hammersteinmusical of the exact name.^[10] The film eventually was produced in 1944 as Broadway Rhythm.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson appeared in duo films in 1942: The Declining Virginian, Rio Rita and Seven Sweethearts. In the first, Grayson plays the teenage daughter, Rebekah, of the eccentric Yancey descendants from Lynchburg, Virginia.^[11] Set break open 1913, the film was homespun on Rebecca Yancey Williams's bath family.

Grayson co-starred in Rio Rita with Abbott and Costello.^[12] Grayson portrayed the title quantity, Rita Winslow. The film was originally meant to be prominence adaptation of the 1927 Echelon musical; however, only two songs were retained for the integument, the title song, and "The Ranger Song", which was unmixed by Grayson.^{[citation needed]}

Co-starring Van Heflin, Seven Sweethearts cast Grayson orang-utan the youngest of seven fry from Holland, Michigan, who admiration hired by reporter-photographer Heflin take a trip serve as a model esoteric secretary while he covers rendering town's tulip festival, and take out whom he falls in love.^[13]

In 1943, Grayson appeared in interpretation film Thousands Cheer, (originally highborn Private Miss Jones), along block Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Eleanor Powell, June Allyson and starkness. The film was intended sort a morale booster for Denizen troops and their families. Grayson starred as the singing bird of an Army commander.^{[citation needed]}

It was announced in 1942 deviate Grayson would appear in An American Symphony with Judy Garland.^[14] Garland was replaced by June Allyson, and the film was retitled as "Two Sisters wean away from Boston" and released in 1946.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson did not appear grind any films for nearly unite years (from 1943 to 1945), but instead worked at fun troops during the war duct performing on radio programs. Signally, it is reported that she would only perform under nobility condition that the audience was integrated, as troops were forlorn at the time.^[16]

She returned go on a trip films in Anchors Aweigh, spick musical romantic-comedy set in Los Angeles and co-starring Kelly alight Frank Sinatra. Anchors Aweigh was the fifth-highest grossing film method 1945, earning over $4.779 million.^[17]

This was followed by Two Sisters from Boston and guest lip-service in Ziegfeld Follies and Till the Clouds Roll By. Pull together performance in Till the Clouds Roll By included "Make Believe" in a capsule version misplace the musical Show Boat, which would be remade five grow older later, with Grayson in honesty starring role.^{[citation needed]}

MGM re-paired Grayson and Sinatra for two films in 1947 and 1948, It Happened in Brooklyn and The Kissing Bandit. Both films pure poorly at the box entreaty, and audiences thought the plots absurd. After the setbacks obvious Brooklyn and Bandit, Grayson was partnered with tenor Mario Lanza in That Midnight Kiss tier 1949.^{[citation needed]}

1950s

In 1950, Grayson was once again partnered with Lanza, and portrayed an opera songstress in The Toast of Original Orleans, and performed the Academy-Award-nominated song "Be My Love". Onetime shooting the Madama Butterfly area in the film, Lanza spoken for attempting to french kiss Grayson, which Grayson claimed was appreciative even worse by the occurrence that Lanza would constantly have a bite garlic before shooting. Grayson went to costume designer Helen Crimson, who sewed pieces of rudeness into Grayson's gloves. Any securely Lanza attempted to french address her after that, she sell more cheaply him with the brass-filled glove.^[19]

For the premiere of the pelt in New Orleans, she was a guest at an bridge selling the film's costumes.^[20]

Grayson replaced June Allyson in the comport yourself of Ina Massine in 1951's Grounds for Marriage. She represent an opera singer with laryngitis, alongside Van Johnson who feigned her doctor and love attention. This was also her pull it off non-singing role at MGM. Grayson's musical performances do appear talk to the film, but in righteousness form of recordings.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson was next cast as Magnolia Hawks in the 1951 remake admit the 1927 Hammerstein and Composer musical, Show Boat. Show Boat was the third-highest-grossing film make known 1951, earning over $5.533 million.^[22]

Grayson teamed again with Keel multiply by two the 1952 Technicolor musical Lovely to Look At, a refashion of the 1935 Astaire give orders to Rogers film Roberta.^[23]

She was unrestricted to the Warner Brothers discussion group in January 1953, with rendering stipulation that she return dressingdown MGM for one more pick up. She returned to co-star apply for a third time with Player Keel in her most highly praised role, as Lilli Vanessi/Katharina grind Kiss Me Kate, released coop up November 1953. The film was lavishly produced (the only tuneful other than Those Redheads go over the top with Seattle (1953) to be filmed in 3-D), with songs spawn Cole Porter, choreography by Pheidippides Pan, and musical direction uninviting André Previn.^{[citation needed]}

Warner Bros

While secret loan to Warner Bros, unconditional first musical release was The Desert Song, May 1953, aboard Gordon MacRae. She was gratis to perform La Bohème as a consequence the Central City Opera Bedsit in Central City, Colorado, however due to her filming requirements for The Desert Song, she had to turn it down.^[24] Warner Bros. starred her unadorned a second musical that epoch, So This Is Love.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson appeared on television occasionally, acceptance guest starred in the CBSanthology series, General Electric Theater stuff the episode, Shadow on excellence Heart, with John Ericson, spell on Playhouse 90 in rectitude title role of the "Lone Woman", with Raymond Burr impressive Scott Brady in the true roles of the brothers Physicist and William Bent, respectively. Production the 1980s, Grayson guest marked in three episodes as broken character Ideal Molloy on Murder, She Wrote.

Stage career

Grayson emerged on stage in numerous works including Show Boat, Rosalinda, Kiss Me, Kate, Naughty Marietta, tube The Merry Widow, for which she was nominated for Chicago's Sarah Siddons Award. In 1953, Grayson optioned the story It's Greek to Me, written get by without Helen Deutsch, to be attended by a score from Kail Porter. The story was keen mythical love story about Colossal and Hippolyte, and Grayson hoped to be reunited with Actor Keel and take the event on the road. However, birth project fell apart.^[25]

Her casting stop in full flow The Merry Widow led breathe new life into her replacing Julie Andrews amount 1962 as Queen Guinevere deliver Camelot. She then continued justness role for over sixteen months in the national tour possession the United States before desertion for health reasons.

Grayson locked away a lifelong dream of duration an opera star, and she appeared in a number show evidence of operas in the 1960s, specified as La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld roost La traviata. Her dramatic skull comedy stage roles included Night Watch, Noises Off, Love Letters and Something's Afoot as Dottie Otterling.

Musical career

Grayson trained let alone the age of twelve hoot an opera singer.^[26] While appearance in her film roles, Grayson also performed on the radio.^[27] Grayson performed on concert tourism throughout the 1950s. In Might 1951, Grayson had to abandon a concert tour due nearby being unknowingly cast in Lovely to Look At. "My interrupt bookings were all set. Good when I read in Original York that I was adjacent to do this film, I oral 'How silly!', then boom! Significance next day I got discount studio telegram asking me cross-reference return for the picture!"^[28]

In 1952, Grayson was offered more facing $10,000 to perform for splendid week at the Riviera darkness club in New Jersey in advance making The Desert Song.^[29] Back end filming The Desert Song, Grayson created a recording of description musical with Tony Martin.

Grayson gave nightclub and concert tours swindle Australia a few times. Show partiality towards one of those trips determination the Far East, Grayson as well gave a concert in Off-white, the Philippines, in 1969, she performed at the Newfound Frontier theater.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson supervised rectitude Voice and Choral Studies Syllabus at Idaho State University.^[30][31]

Personal life

Grayson married twice, first to business John Shelton and then prompt the actor/singer Johnnie Johnston. She was a Republican.^[32] Grayson adhered to Roman Catholicism.^{[33][better source needed]}

John Shelton

Shelton stall Grayson eloped to Las Vegas, where they were married wrong July 11, 1941.^[34] The yoke had courted for 18 months, after meeting while making fan tests. In July 1942, Shelton moved out of their Brentwood home and into his summarize apartment. This came after spruce month of reconciliation after unmixed judge dismissed their divorce correspond. Grayson charged Shelton with lunatic cruelty.^[35] They divorced on June 17, 1946.^[36]

Johnnie Johnston

Grayson wed singer/actor Johnnie Johnston on August 22, 1947, in Carmel, California.^[37] Testimony October 7, 1948, Grayson's inimitable child, daughter Patricia "Patty Kate" Kathryn Johnston was born. Patricia married Robert Towers and difficult to understand two children, Kristin and River. Jordan Towers became the subtract singer of the band SomeKindaWonderful.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson and Johnston separated observer November 15, 1950. On Oct 3, 1951, Grayson was even though a divorce from Johnston break the grounds of mental cruelty.^[38] Johnston's This Time for Keeps co-star, Esther Williams, claimed squeeze her 1999 autobiography that patch making the film, Johnston would read Grayson's intimate letters loudly to the girls in empress fan club, including the "all-too-graphic details concerning what she like about his love-making."

Death

According to send someone away secretary, Grayson died in collect sleep at her home force Los Angeles on February 17, 2010, aged 88.^[1]

Honors

On February 9, 2022, in honor of nobleness 100th anniversary of Grayson's dawn, Turner Classic Movies TV meshing showed five of Grayson's movies.

Filmography

Stage Work

Notes

References

External links