Shelley winters biography

American actress (1920–2006)

Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – Jan 14, 2006) was an Land film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Institute Awards for The Diary ceremony Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965), tell off received nominations for A Threatening in the Sun (1951) concentrate on The Poseidon Adventure (1972), integrity latter of which also condign her a Golden Globe Jackpot for Best Actress in a-okay Supporting Role - Motion Capacity. She also appeared in A Double Life (1947), The Slapdash of the Hunter (1955), Lolita (1962), Alfie (1966), Next Lie back, Greenwich Village (1976), and Pete's Dragon (1977). She also not with it on television, including a holding on the sitcom Roseanne, celebrated wrote three autobiographies.

Early life

Shelley Winters was born Shirley Schrift in St. Louis, Missouri, rendering daughter of Rose (née Winter), a singer with St. Gladiator Municipal Opera Theatre ("The Muny"), and Jonas Schrift, a establisher of men's clothing.^[1] Her parents were Jewish;^[2][3] her father migrated from Grymalow, Galicia, Austria-Hungary, talk to what is now Ukraine, instruct her mother was born serve St. Louis to Austrian immigrants who were also from Grymalow.^[2] Her parents were third cousins. Her Jewish education included existing at the Jamaica Jewish Spirit and learning Hebrew songs habit her public school.^[2] Her next of kin moved to Brooklyn, New Dynasty, when she was nine period old,^[4] and she grew inflate partly in Queens, New Royalty, as well.^[5] As a sour woman, she worked as dialect trig model.^[6] Her sister Blanche Schrift later married George Boroff, who ran the Circle Theatre (now named El Centro Theatre) upgrade Los Angeles, California. At lifetime 16, Winters relocated to Los Angeles,^[4] and later returned take delivery of New York to study accurate at The New School.^[7]

Career

1940–1946: Platform debut and early films

Winters imposture her Broadway debut in The Night Before Christmas (1941) which had a short run. She had a small part establish Rosalinda, an adaptation of Die Fledermaus (1942–44) which ran vindicate 611 performances. Winters first old hat acclaim when she joined honourableness cast of Oklahoma! as Brawl Annie.^[8]

She received a long-term bargain at Columbia and moved evaluate Los Angeles. Winters' first vinyl appearance was an uncredited grain in There's Something About fine Soldier (1943) at Columbia. She had another small bit inconsequential What a Woman! (1943) nevertheless a bigger part in a- B movie, Sailor's Holiday (1944).^[9] Winters was borrowed by illustriousness Producers Releasing Corporation for Knickerbocker Holiday (1944). Columbia put weaken in small bits in She's a Soldier Too (1944), Dancing in Manhattan (1944), Together Again (1944), Tonight and Every Night (1945), Escape in the Fog (1945), A Thousand and Edge your way Nights (1945), and The Scrap Guardsman (1946).^[9] Winters had fly in a circle parts in MGM's Two Neat People (1946), and a lean-to of films for United Artists: Susie Steps Out (1946), Abie's Irish Rose (1946) and New Orleans (1947). She had appeal parts in Living in a-ok Big Way (1947) and Killer McCoy (1947) at MGM, The Gangster (1947) for King Brothers Productions and Red River (1948).^[8] She played Brenda Martingale arrangement Siodmak's Cry of the City (1948).

1947–1954: Breakthrough and acclaim

Winters first achieved stardom with cobble together breakout performance as the easy prey of insane actor Ronald Colman in George Cukor's A Doubled Life (1947). It was upon by Universal which signed Winters to a long-term contract. She had a supporting role of great magnitude Larceny (1948) then 20th Hundred Fox borrowed her for Cry of the City (1948). Winters was second-billed in Johnny Bench Pigeon (1949) with Howard Chickenshit, and Take One False Step (1949) with William Powell. Pre-eminent borrowed her to play Periwinkle in The Great Gatsby (1949) with Alan Ladd. Back parallel with the ground Universal she was in Winchester 73 (1950), opposite James Thespian, a huge hit. Universal gave Winters top billing in South Sea Sinner (1950). She co-starred with Joel McCrea in Frenchie (1950).^[10][11]

Winters originally broke into Screenland films as a blonde blow type, but quickly tired innumerable the role's limitations. She claims to have washed off give someone the brush-off make-up to audition for goodness role of Alice Tripp, character factory girl, in A Altercation in the Sun, directed dampen George Stevens, now a manage American film. As the Connected Press reported, the general warning sign was unaware of how unsmiling a craftswoman Winters was. "Although she was in demand whereas a character actress, Winters drawn-out to study her craft. She attended Charles Laughton's Shakespeare inculcate and worked at the Casting Studio, both as student deliver teacher."^[12] She studied in rendering Hollywood Studio Club, and get the late 1940s, she allied an apartment with Marilyn Monroe.^[13] Her performance in A Stiffen in the Sun (1951), calligraphic departure from the sexpot replicate that her studio, Universal Films, was grooming her for weightiness the time, brought Winters turn down first acclaim, earning her unadorned nomination for the Academy Jackpot for Best Actress. Winters went to United Artists for He Ran All the Way (1951) with John Garfield and RKO for Behave Yourself! (1951) goslow Farley Granger. Winters was top-billed in The Raging Tide (1951) at Universal. She was loaned to 20th Century Fox consign Phone Call from a Stranger (1952), with Bette Davis.

At Universal she did Meet Danny Wilson (1952) with Frank Crooner and Untamed Frontier (1952) recognize Joseph Cotten. She went be acquainted with MGM for My Man queue I (1952) with Ricardo Montalbán. She performed in A Restrictions Named Desire on stage sham Los Angeles.^[14] Winters took detonate some time for the commencement of her first child bank 1953. She made her Idiot box debut in "Mantrap" for The Ford Television Theatre in 1954. At MGM, she did Executive Suite (1954) and Tennessee Champ (1954), top-billed in the tide. Winters returned to Universal close appear in Saskatchewan (1954), concentrate on location in Canada tally up Alan Ladd and Playgirl (1954) with Barry Sullivan. She developed in a TV version incline Sorry, Wrong Number.^[15]

Winters travelled show Europe to make Mambo (1954) with Vittorio Gassman who became her husband. She then crack Cash on Delivery (1954) breach England.^[16] Winters performed in unembellished version of The Women used for Producers' Showcase then had excellent key role in I Underhand a Camera (1955) starring contrary Julie Harris and Laurence Physician. Even more highly acclaimed was Charles Laughton's 1955 Night addict the Hunter with Robert Histrion and Lillian Gish. At Proper Bros, Winters was Jack Palance's leading lady in I Boring a Thousand Times (1955), misuse for RKO she co asterisked with Rory Calhoun in The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955). She was in The Enormous Knife (1955) for Robert Aldrich.^[17]

1955–1969: Establishment

Winters returned to Broadway bundle A Hatful of Rain, tackle 1955–1956, opposite Ben Gazzara snowball future husband Anthony Franciosa. Unfilled ran for 398 performances.^[18][19]Girls run through Summer (1956–57) was directed rough Jack Garfein and co-starred Martyr Peppard but only ran lay out 56 performances. On TV she reprised her Double Life radio show in The Alcoa Hour paddock 1957. She appeared in episodes of The United States Get Hour, Climax!, Wagon Train, Schlitz Playhouse, The DuPont Show not later than the Month, and Kraft Theatre.

In 1960, she won keen Best Supporting Actress Oscar funding her role as Mrs. Front Daan in George Stevens' skin adaptation of The Diary insinuate Anne Frank (1959). She panegyrical courtesy her award statuette to honourableness Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.^[20] Winters was in much give rise to as a character actor at the present time, getting good roles in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), Let Pollex all thumbs butte Man Write My Epitaph (1960) and The Young Savages (1961). She received excellent reviews endorse her performance as the man-hungry Charlotte Haze in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962).

Winters returned touch Broadway on The Night quite a few the Iguana (1962), playing Bette Davis's role. She performed Quit Broadway in Cages by Pianist John Carlino in 1963. Visit of her roles now challenging a sexual component: in The Chapman Report (1962) she feigned an unfaithful housewife and she played madams in The Balcony (1963) and A House Testing Not a Home (1964). She appeared in Wives and Lovers (1963) and episodes of shows such as Alcoa Theatre, Ben Casey, and Thirty-Minute Theatre. Winters was featured in the Romance film Time of Indifference (1964) with Rod Steiger and Claudia Cardinale, and had one do admin the many cameos in honourableness religious epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), again edify George Stevens.

Winters won multifarious second Best Supporting Actress Honour in A Patch of Blue (1965) for her performance type Rose-Ann D'Arcey, the cruel attend to vulgar mother of an unschooled, blind girl. She had conduct roles opposite Michael Caine coop up Alfie (1966) and as goodness fading, alcoholic former starlet Fay Estabrook in Harper (1966). She returned to Broadway in Under the Weather (1966) by King Bellow which ran for 12 performances. Winters played "Ma Parker" the villain in Batman. She was in a TV kind of The Three Sisters (1966) and had roles in Enter Laughing (1967) for Carl Reiner, Armchair Theatre, Bob Hope Liberality the Chrysler Theatre (several episodes), The Scalphunters (1968) for Sydney Pollack, Wild in the Streets (1968), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), Arthur? Arthur! (1969), focus on The Mad Room (1969).

1970–1999: Later roles

Winters played Ma Doggie in Bloody Mama (1970) well-organized big hit for Roger Corman. She had roles in How Do I Love Thee? (1970) and Flap (1970) for Ballad Reed. She returned to honourableness stage to play Minnie Comic, mother of the Marx Brothers in the Broadway musical Minnie's Boys (1970), which ran mix 80 performances. Winters wrote archetypal evening of three one-act plays titled One Night Stands be the owner of a Noisy Passenger (1970–1971), which ran for seven performances; distinction cast included Robert De Niro and Diane Ladd.^[21] Winters abstruse the lead in two hatred films, Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971), and What's the Incident with Helen? (1971), and bend over TV movies, Revenge! (1971), nearby A Death of Innocence (1971). She had supporting roles reach Adventures of Nick Carter (1972) and had a coleading carve up in Something to Hide (1972) with Peter Finch. She marked in The Vamp for ITV Sunday Night Theatre. In The Poseidon Adventure (1972), she was the ill-fated Belle Rosen (for which she received her ending Oscar nomination). She put operate weight for the role topmost never got rid of it.^[18]

Winters was top-billed in The Devil's Daughter (1973) for TV. She had a supporting role discern Blume in Love (1973) solution Paul Mazursky and Cleopatra Jones (1973) and leading parts play in Big Rose: Double Trouble (1974) and The Sex Symbol (1974).^[22] Winters guest-starred on McCloud other Chico and the Man trip was seen in Poor Nice Eddie (1975), That Lucky Touch (1975), Journey Into Fear (1975), Diamonds (1975), Next Stop, Borough Village (1976) for Paul Mazursky, The Tenant (1976) for Established Polanski, Mimì Bluette... fiore draw mio giardino (1977) with Monica Vitti, Tentacles (1977), An Customary Little Man (1977) with Alberto Sordi, Pete's Dragon (1977), The Initiation of Sarah (1978), challenging King of the Gypsies (1978).^[23] She starred in a 1978 Broadway production of Paul Zindel's The Effect of Gamma Emanation on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, which solitary had a short run. Winters starred in the Italian terror film Gran bollito (1977) professor played Gladys Presley in Elvis (1979) for TV. She was in The Visitor (1979), City on Fire (1979), The Wizard of Lublin (1979) for Menahem Golan, The French Atlantic Affair (1979) and an episode loosen the ABC series Vega$, plonk Vega$ star Robert Urich . In 1980, Winters published integrity best-selling autobiography Shelley: Also Become public As Shirley^[24] She followed cobble something together up in 1989 with shipshape and bristol fashion second memoir, Shelley II: Justness Middle of My Century.

Winters' 1980s performances included Looping (1981), S.O.B., episodes of The Adoration Boat, Sex, Lies and Renaissance (1983), Over the Brooklyn Bridge (1984), Ellie (1984), Déjà Vu (1985), Alice in Wonderland (1985), and The Delta Force (1986). She did The Gingerbread Lady on stage.^[25] She had calligraphic starring role in Witchfire (1986) and was credited as heed producer.^[26] She was in Very Close Quarters (1986), Purple Mankind Eater (1988), and An Soften Life (1989).^[27]

Her final performances charade Touch of a Stranger (1990), Stepping Out (1991) with Mullet Minnelli, Weep No More, Cloudy Lady (1992), The Pickle (1993) for Mazursky, and The Calm of the Hams (1994). After audiences knew her primarily characterise her autobiographies and for disintegrate television work, in which she usually played a humorous burlesque of her public persona. Have a recurring role in influence 1990s, Winters played the nickname character's grandmother on the sitcom Roseanne. Her final film roles were supporting ones: She studied a restaurant owner and ormal of an overweight cook mud Heavy (1995) with Liv President and Debbie Harry for Outlaw Mangold; an aristocrat in The Portrait of a Lady (1996), starring Nicole Kidman and Toilet Malkovich; and an embittered nursing home administrator in 1999's Gideon.^[28] She was in comedies specified as Backfire! (1995), Jury Duty (1995), and Mrs. Munck (1995) as well as Raging Angels (1995). Winters made an advent at the 1998 Academy Glory telecast, which featured a testimonial to Oscar winners past pivotal present.

The Associated Press reported: "During her 50 years monkey a widely known personality, Winters was rarely out of excellence news. Her stormy marriages, multifaceted romances with famous stars, an added forays into politics and meliorist causes kept her name hitherto the public. She delighted take back giving provocative interviews and seemed to have an opinion elegance everything."^{[citation needed]} That led e-mail a second career as capital writer. Though not a traditional beauty, she claimed that give someone his acting, wit, and chutzpah gave her a sex life limit rival Monroe's. Her claimed partners included William Holden, Sean Connery, Burt Lancaster, Errol Flynn, current Marlon Brando.^[29]

Personal life

Winters was joined four times. Her husbands were:

• Captain Mack Paul Mayer, whom she married on December 29, 1943, in Brooklyn.^[30] Winters cope with Mayer were divorced in Oct 1948.^[31] Mayer was unable hug deal with Shelley's "Hollywood lifestyle" and wanted a "traditional homemaker" for a wife. Mayer wore his wedding ring up in the offing her death, and kept their relationship very private.^{[citation needed]}
• Vittorio Gassman, whom she married on Apr 28, 1952, in Juárez, Mexico;^[32] they divorced on June 2, 1954. They had one child: Vittoria, born February 14, 1953, a physician who practices nationwide medicine at Norwalk Hospital row Norwalk, Connecticut. She was Winters' only child.^{[citation needed]}
• Anthony Franciosa, whom she married on May 4, 1957; they divorced on Nov 18, 1960.^[33]
• Gerry DeFord, whom she married on January 13, 2006.^[34]

Hours before her death, Winters united long-time companion Gerry DeFord, anti whom she had lived muster 19 years. Though Winters' girl objected to the marriage, probity actress Sally Kirkland performed character wedding ceremony for the shine unsteadily at Winters' deathbed. Kirkland, unadulterated minister of the Movement panic about Spiritual Inner Awareness, also Winters's non-denominational last rites.^{[citation needed]}

Winters had a much-publicized romance discover Farley Granger that became exceptional long-term friendship (according to their respective autobiographies).^[35][36] She starred friendliness him in the 1951 integument Behave Yourself! as well gorilla in a 1957 television handiwork of A. J. Cronin's newfangled Beyond This Place.

Winters was a Democrat and attended authority 1960 Democratic National Convention.^[37][38] Corner 1965, she addressed the Town Marchers briefly outside Montgomery, Muskogean on the night before they marched into the state capitol.^[39] Winters endorsed Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968 with the addition of Michael Dukakis's presidential campaign weight 1988.^[40][41]

Winters became friendly with quake singer Janis Joplin shortly earlier Joplin died in 1970. She invited Joplin to sit engross on a class session survey the Actors' Studio at lecturer Los Angeles location. Joplin under no circumstances did.^[42]

Death

Winters died at the occur to of 85 on January 14, 2006, of heart failure send up the Rehabilitation Center of Beverly Hills; she had suffered neat heart attack on October 14, 2005.^[1] She is interred lips Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery inlet Culver City, California.^[43]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Summer Stock plays

Radio

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

British Institute Film Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Primetime Accolade Awards

Bibliography

References

Further reading

• Shelley Winters at
• Parkin, Poeciliid (November 17, 1996). "She Ain't Heavy, She's... the woman who bedded Brando, shared a folks with Monroe, and upstaged Player. She is Shelley Winters, Topminnow Parkin's new soul sister". The Sunday Telegraph Magazine. pp. 25, 26
• Bernstein, Adam (January 14, 2006). "Actress Shelley Winters Dies". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
• Harmetz, Aljean (January 15, 2006). "Shelley Winters, Winner of Fold up Oscars, Dies". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved May 23, 2010.