I loved her performances in films like Rebecca, Suspicion, The Constant Nymph, Jane Eyre, Letter from an Unknown Woman, Until They Sail, and others. I imagine she was quite good on Broadway as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role for which she seemed very well cast.
Late in the 60's when her film career was pretty much over, she began appearing on TV. I recall her being interviewed on a rather obscure daytime talk/variety show. The host may have been Gene Rayburn. He asked her something like was she still hopeful that she could find romance at this point in her life. She seemed taken aback and said rather bitterly that she was no longer willing to compete with all the young, ambitious men in Hollywood who were seducing the eligible bachelors that she might be interested in. She didn't mention the word gay or homosexual, but it was just a rather bizarre remark for such a prominent, respected actress to make (especially in the 60's). Rayburn (if I am correct) was speechless and awkwardly replied, "And now a word from our sponsors" and broke for a commercial. |
