A country girl
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A country girl |
| Original title | The Country Girl |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1954 |
| length | 104 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | George Seaton |
| script | George Seaton |
| production |
William Perlberg George Seaton |
| music | Victor Young |
| camera | John F. Warren |
| cut | Ellsworth Hoagland |
| occupation | |
| |
A Country Girl is an American film by George Seaton from 1954. The model was based on the play of the same name by Clifford Odets . The Paramount Pictures produced.
action
The successful Broadway director Bernie Dodd would like to cast the lead role in his next play with Frank Elgin. Producer Phil Cook is not very enthusiastic about this idea: Frank, formerly a great singer and actor, has long been forgotten by the audience and a shabby drinker. Despite his self-doubts, his wife Georgie persuades him to accept the engagement.
But during rehearsals, the whole ensemble soon suffers from Frank's insecurity. Again and again he seeks consolation in alcohol and justifies his situation with a family tragedy that happened many years ago: Your little son was killed in a car accident. As a result, Georgie got pointlessly drunk and attempted suicide. In order to give her existence a meaning, he persuaded her at the time that he could not do without her advice and encouragement. Since then she has ruled over his life, patronizing and monitoring him, which would ultimately have driven him to drink.
This admission strengthens Bernie's conviction that Frank will make a comeback. However, the first performances in Boston lead to disillusionment. Bernie accuses Georgie of being the cause of Frank's failure. Bitter about the unfair allegations, she decides to leave the venue and to travel. After another excessive binge, Frank ends up in jail. Only now does Georgie reveal the truth about the misfortune of that time: It was Frank who, at the height of his career, let his son out of sight for a moment when reporters took publicity photos of him on the roadside. Since then, Frank has felt responsible for the child's death, shunning all responsibility and trusting himself completely in the care of his wife.
Bernie's dislike of Georgie gives way to deep admiration and admiration for her selfless devotion. He encourages Frank to keep playing, and a few weeks later the New York premiere is a huge hit. Frank gained confidence from the excellent reviews, but now Bernie has fallen in love with Georgie. Faced with a choice, Georgie decides one last time for duty: she remains loyal to her husband.
backgrounds
- The production was marked by not inconsiderable starting difficulties. The two producers William Perlberg and George Seaton had originally intended Jennifer Jones for the female lead, but she became pregnant shortly before filming began. Her husband at the time, the powerful film producer David O. Selznick , insisted on hiring his wife anyway, and could only with difficulty be convinced otherwise.
- In addition, the MGM film studio , with which Grace Kelly was under contract, initially refused to release Paramount because she was already scheduled for the film Green Fire . Perlberg and Seaton then let Kelly discreetly play the manuscript for The Country Girl , successfully speculating that she would recognize the unique opportunity to develop her acting career that came through the embodiment of a real character role.
- The film was also launched in German cinemas under the distribution titles Die Liebe einer Frau and Wie du ich dich .
Reviews
“Gripping marital drama among Broadway actors: A former star finds a new career after years of personal and family crisis. Humanly convincing, played excellently. "
“A film by the actors, a triumph of dialogues, a downright startlingly real work of art. The latter despite and precisely because of the sheer honesty of its thematic content. "
Awards
- Grace Kelly won the Academy Award for Best Actress on March 30, 1955 . She prevailed against the favored Judy Garland , who was nominated in the same category for the film A New Star in the Sky .
- In the same year, director and screenwriter George Seaton won the Oscar for best screenplay (based on a literary model) . The film was also nominated in seven other categories, including best male lead .
Others
The title Grace Kelly , published by the British musician Mika in January 2007, contains a few repeated quotes from the film at the beginning: “ I wanna talk to you. - The last time we talked, Mr. Smith, you reduced me to tears. - I promise you it won't happen again. "Apart from the salutation (" Mr. Dodd "has been replaced by" Mr. Smith "), the lines reflect a dialogue between Bernie Dodd and Georgie Elgin in the middle of the film (55:40 minutes).
DVD release
- The Country Girl , Paramount Home Entertainment 2004 (not yet published in German-speaking countries)
Web links
- A country girl in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- A country girl in the online film database
- A girl from the country in the German dubbing file
- A country girl at Rotten Tomatoes (English)