The Actress (1953) User Reviews (33)

Spencer Tracy shines in Ruth Gordon's affectionate reminiscence of her father

[bmacv · 7/10 · 15 December 2002]

Ruth Gordon's play Years Ago, a sentimental reminiscence along the lines of Kathryn Forbes' Mama's Bank Account, looked at her stage-struck adolescence. In 1953, it became a movie, The Actress, directed by George Cukor, with the rarefied and mannered Jean Simmons taking the part of the straight-shooting Gordon. Oddly enough, the main character is not the aspiring actress but her father, played by Spencer Tracy.

In Clinton Jones, Gordon penned a difficult but irresistible character. Settled unarguably into middle age but still fighting it, he chafes at his $37.50-a-week salary (it was 1913) and pores over the grocery list while his wife (Teresa Wright) defends such frivolities as tangerines. A former sea captain, he latches onto any opportune ears like the Ancient Mariner and spins his salty yarns of ports of call on the seven seas. In the dead of a New England winter, he insists on sleeping in a hammock strung on an upstairs porch. The ham in Tracy rises to the challenge, and he manages to make Jones recklessly funny while still a bit frightening (near the end, details of his dreadful boyhood emerge to put his cantankerousness in focus).

As screenwriters, Gordon and her husband Garson Kanin custom-tailored many screen vehicles for Tracy and co-star Katharine Hepburn, where their relationship is said to take the writers' marriage as its model; here Tracy returns the favor by making Gordon's father so unforgettable. Gordon pays a tribute, too, by sketching her character not as she remembered it but as he must have seen her, showing little talent or wit but a penchant for dreaming up castles in Spain. By hiding her own bright light under a bushel, she lets the memory of her father shine.

sweet film about teenage dreams

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 4 February 2007]

"The Actress" is Jean Simmons playing the great Ruth Gordon herself (real name Ruth Gordon Jones) in this 1953 film also starring Spencer Tracy, Teresa Wright, and Anthony Perkins. Simmons is out of her teen years but not by much - she was 24 - and manages to pull off being a 17-year-old who falls in love with theater after seeing Hazel Dawn in "The Pink Lady." Determined to become an actress, she writes to Ms. Dawn and when Hazel answers, Ruth is heady with excitement. This doesn't sit well with her beau (Perkins) or her mother (Wright) - and it wouldn't sit well with her irascible father either, except that he knows nothing about it. Yet.

The Massachusetts family home is lovingly depicted here, complete with a cat that is supposedly a big nuisance to all of them - Clinton Jones (Tracy) complains about him constantly, as he complains about everything, but yet has taught the cat a couple of tricks. You can see he's one of the family and that Clinton isn't as tough as he appears to be. The excellent Wright has what is often the maternal role in a family - that of go-between. And for the time being, she advises Ruth to keep her mouth shut. The funniest scene in the film is Clinton showing off his athletics with his group at the YMCU - he's a riot as his daughter squirms in embarrassment.

This is not a big movie; it's one about a short girl who desperately wants to be on the stage. As I was one of those teens once, I can say that the acting and directing capture this perfectly. Simmons is clearly a girl who can't be dissuaded by any negativity and who sees her goal as the only thing that matters, and it's one of pure bliss. She has no sense of limitation or reality - nor should she at that age. Time gives us that soon enough. It was a brave step in those days to refuse a marriage proposal and want to go off to a city to live on your own. Ruth Gordon did it and made good.

It's clear from the story how much Gordon loved her parents and how proud she was of her beginnings. She is one whose dreams came true, even if she had to wait until the age of 72 to become a movie star. There was plenty of a marvelous stage and writing career before that. "The Actress" shows us where it all began.

Ruth Gordon's Bygone days

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 27 October 2005]

Based on Ruth Gordon's play Years Ago about her childhood, The Actress is a good and uplifting tale about a young girl following her dream. Young Ruth Gordon Jones living in a Boston suburb dreams about going on stage. She doesn't get too much encouragement from her parents, Spencer Tracy and Teresa Wright.

That does not stop our Ruth. She's determined to make it in the theater, but there is a matter of cash.

Spencer Tracy is a former seaman who now works at a lowly factory job and needs every dime to support wife, daughter, and a cat that's not particularly fond of him. This is not one of Tracy's better known roles and that's a pity because it's one of his best performances.

He downplays his daughter's ambitions almost until the very end of the film. I won't reveal any more, but there is an interesting dinner scene which is the key to the film. Very similar to the breakfast scene with Adolphe Menjou and Kate Hepburn in State of the Union where he tells them of his ideas for when and if he becomes president. Only here he tells the family the reasons for why believes as he does.

Although Jean Simmons was well beyond being a senior in high school she's a good enough actress to make it believable. It was certainly a more innocent time.

The Actress is a fine production from MGM and director George Cukor, pity it isn't out on VHS or DVD.

Top-notch performances.....

[sdave7596 · 7/10 · 13 February 2010]

"The Actress" released in 1953 by MGM, is a story apparently based on the life of actress Ruth Gordon. Here, a young Jean Simmons plays Ruth, "the actress." Simmons performance runs the gamut of happiness, sadness, and hopefulness -- in other words, just like many young people are. Simmons is obsessed with being an actress and will do anything for her dream. The story makes us ask ourselves: how many of us would sacrifice the life we know to pursue a dream? Anyway, the story is set in early 20th century New England, with Spencer Tracy playing Simmons father and Teresa Wright playing her mother. Tracy plays a stubborn and somewhat cantankerous role, a man hardened by life, and it just may be one of Tracy's finest performances. Wright plays the supportive mother to Simmons, although in reality Wright was only in her 30's here -- a good actress pushed prematurely into matronly roles. Both Ruth and her mother are afraid to tell Tracy about her acting ambitions, thinking he will hit the roof. Surprisingly, he does not, but he thinks she is not ready to be an actress and wants her to finish her education. One gets the impression that he had his own dreams, cut prematurely by reality -- marriage, children, and a working-class existence. The script is somewhat mundane and drags a bit at times, but the three principle actors are the real reason to watch this film. They do not disappoint. Also look for a young Anthony Perkins playing Simmons awkward boyfriend. This is not a big film, and it has some flaws, but still very much worthwhile.

wonderful film

[mpgmpg123 · 7/10 · 31 May 2010]

This is a wonderful movie about the life of young Ruth Gordon, who would grow up to be an actress and famous writer. She was married to Garson Kanin and wrote many of the films of Tracy and Hepburn. Tracy is wonderful in one of his "dad" roles, as are the other leads in the film. Debbie Reynolds was originally to play Ruth but Simmons was cast instead and she is indeed brilliant in the movie. She is touching and very funny, very much a young girl driving her parents crazy. Tony Perkins is also very good as her boyfriend. Best of all, and not mentioned in most of the other reviews here, is Teresa Wright as the mother. She is a riot in the part and was only 11 years older than Simmons in real life. She had taken a reduction in pay for another great film, The Men, and this was one of her other really good parts in the fifties after so many great parts in the forties. The part is sort of like her last one, in The Rainmaker, as a simple kind of person. She played them wonderfully and was very funny in both.

Spencer Tracy Film I Have Never Seen

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 2 March 2008]

Thought I had seen all of Spencer Tracy films and this is one I thought he gave an outstanding performance as a man who was a seaman and has settled down with his wife and daughter. Clinton Jones, (Spencer Tracy) settled for a very low income working at a food company in the local town and is always complaining about the cost of things and at the same time has to deal with a family cat which keeps eating the families Boston Ivy. Annie Jones, (Teresa Wright) plays the role as the wife of Clinton and she does a great job as trying to please her husband and at the same time wants to help her daughter, Ruth Gordon Jones, (Jean Simmons) to become an actress which she desperately wants to do in her life no matter what happens. Anthony Perkins, (Fred Whitmarsh) gave a great supporting role in one of his very first films in his long career of stardom. Ruth Gordon, wrote the story and screen play and she also is known for a great role she had in "Rosemary's Baby" '68. There is lots of great comedy and Spencer Tracy was outstanding.

I see Ruth Gordon

[nbroyles · 8 February 2010]

I have always adored Ruth Gordon, and I can truly imagine how she must have been in her youth after watching this film. I never even knew she wrote or did any screenplays before reading these reviews, and will definitely have to investigate further. For those who wrote harsh reviews; although I can understand how her character might have seemed shrill, I really could see the real Ruth Gordon being that "over the top" dramatic, fanciful and determined. I definitely see this as a tribute to her father - portraying how gruff he was throughout only made his contribution to her career in the end more poignant. Spencer Tracy was in great form! I believed his salty character as her father. It may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed this film.

A good one for old film buffs

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 10 March 2006]

This is one of the more unusual films, in that the famous writer, Ruth Gordon, wrote this story about herself and her early desire to act. Jean Simmons plays her and her long-suffering father is played by Spencer Tracy. This is not what I would call an action or suspenseful film--since it's written by Gordon long after she'd made a mark in Hollywood as a writer and occasional actress (she went on to do many more films and TV shows AFTER this movie). But, it's just a nice slice of life story about parents who are justifiably worried about their little girl growing up and moving all alone to Hollywood. And, despite this trepidation, they love her dearly. So, there are no grand fireworks--just good acting and writing (imagine that).

Charming period comedy of theatre vs. reality

[rfkeser · 10/10 · 28 November 1999]

Delightful turn-of-the-century comedy captures the silly, head-in-the-clouds flush of adolescence. Dreaming of the glamour and magic of the theatre, small-town romantic Jean Simmons waltzes around the decidedly earthbound household of her Papa: grizzled, opinionated sea-captain Spencer Tracy, who spends his time resisting the coming of the telephone. Anthony Perkins makes a charming screen debut as her beau in a raccoon coat [although the actor preferred to downplay it]. Director George Cukor lavishes warmth and affectionate detail on Ruth Gordon's fine script as he guides the cast through some of the most satisfying ensemble playing on the screen.

Ruth Gordon's autobiography features Jean Simmons; Spencer Tracy-Teresa Wright as her parents

[jacobs-greenwood · 6/10 · 13 December 2016]

Perhaps best known today as an Academy Award winning Best Supporting Actress, Ruth Gordon wrote an autobiographical play titled Years Ago that she adapted for the screen to make this comedy drama that features the film debut of Anthony Perkins.

Directed by George Cukor, the story is about Gordon's desire to become an actress despite her upbringing in a lower middle class home near Boston. Outstanding performances by Spencer Tracy as her former sailor now working class money conscious father Clinton Jones, Jean Simmons as Ruth, Teresa Wright as Miss Gordon Jones's sympathetic and understanding mother (that obviously loves Clinton dearly) Annie, and Perkins as Ruthie's slightly older boyfriend Fred Whitmarsh are what make this film, which received an Oscar nomination for Walter Plunkett's B&W Costume Design, worthwhile.

Around the time she was to graduate from high school in 1914, Ruth 'Ruthie' Gordon Jones (Simmons) revealed her dream to become an actress to her hardened (but ultimately loving) father Clinton (Tracy) and more supportive mother Annie (Wright). Having been around the world on ships by the time he was his daughter's age, Clinton is skeptical that Ruth has what it takes to be successful in a profession that (in those days) required so much traveling, especially since he'd never witnessed any abilities in his daughter. He had begun to worry about this to the extent of arranging admission to a trade school for her with Emma Glavey (Mary Wickes); Ian Wolfe plays Mr. Bagley.

There's a precious sequence in which the Jones's go to an amateur gymnastics exhibition at the local YMCA-like facility; Jackie Coogan appears uncredited as an audience member sitting behind Ruth and Annie that laughs while Clinton participates with younger men while his pants fall down. Later, after confessing her dream, Ruth is asked to perform a scene for her parents, unaware of the fact that she has no demonstrable talent or gift. Instead, she comes off as a schoolgirl whose head has been filled with fantasies of a life far away from her own reality.

The movie's best scene features Clinton revealing to his family how he came to be who he is, e.g. his difficult upbringing that lead to his early life at sea, etc.. Still, after much consternation (including by Fred, whose proposal to Ruth is spurned by her; she's grateful to be asked and says that she'll cling the memory when she's an old maid some day) and hardship - a layoff after 20 years because of a dispute with his boss over a $100 bonus that he needed, Clinton decides to hock his most prized possession from his seagoing days to fund his daughter's trip to (and temporary room & board in) New York.

Lovely Jean Simmons is no Ruth Gordon...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 4 April 2007]

THE ACTRESS is a painfully laborious treatment of watching a moth turn into, presumably, a butterfly--but the catch is that the moment the worm turns, the story is over.

And it's sad to say that the title role of THE ACTRESS (the real life story of Ruth Gordon, who wrote the screenplay), is played by none other than 24 year-old JEAN SIMMONS whose attempt to play a seventeen year-old means that she plays the entire part in a Margaret O'Brien voice that quivers with teen-age hysteria throughout.

Simmons, usually such a fine actress, was a disastrous choice to play Ruth Gordon. Fortunately, the studio had the good fortune to cast SPENCER TRACY as her eccentric father, who more than makes up for Jean's inadequacy in the role of "the actress". Another good piece of casting is TERESA WRIGHT in the more conventional role of the "good, patient, understanding--if a bit narrow-minded, wife".

But the liability of casting Simmons as the unlikely actress (with no sense that she would develop into a comic actress of considerable genius) is the film's biggest conceit.

On the plus side, there's a pleasant performance from ANTHONY PERKINS as Jean's handsome young suitor, awkward and unassuming in what is essentially a thankless role. But it's Tracy's film--he's excellent in every aspect of his father role.

If only we didn't have to listen to Simmons speak in a voice pitched an octave too high to simulate youth. What a shame!! On the other hand, there's nothing exceptional about the story either. It's all a bit too obviously staged to be a bit of nostalgia about a girl wanting to break into the theater against the wishes of her more conventional parents.

Summing up: Very ordinary except for Tracy's performance and hardly a feather in George Cukor's directorial cap.

So much better than I ever expected

[jcravens42 · 9/10 · 31 January 2020]

This movie is so much more than a sentimental reminiscence. I'm not much at all for those "I remember..." mom or dad or whatever memory movies. Also, there are so many, many plays and movies about a family's career aspirations for a son, aspirations that get challenged because of what the son wants to do instead. Here we have a story set after the turn of the 20th century, about a working class father's career aspirations for his DAUGHTER - a career that will provide her with financial stability but isn't at all what she wants to do. Spencer Tracy plays a curmudgeon, working-class, not-at-all refined father in a role I've never seen him in before - and he's AMAZING. The dialogue has some one linters that are, at times, hysterical - any person who has every been embarrassed by their parents, or every had a parent say something like, "Why did you ever have to be so different?" will warm to this movie immediately. And the Mary Wickes moment is why she makes every movie better even if she's in it for less than 20 seconds.

Quaint but not charming

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 24 January 2012]

Quaint movies with charm can be quite captivating (for example, Cagney's "The Strawberry Blonde"). But this film, while quaint, is not particularly charming...except in places...and particularly more later in the film. That's not to say it's a bad movie. It's okay, but MGM had the actor who many considered the finest in American film (Spencer Tracy)...why the heck did they put him in this? Probably some pet project of some bigwig at the studio.

I've been watching many of the Tracy films in order recently while I also read the new Tracy biography. Up till this film, Tracy was getting older. Here, he is old. He plays a lovably taciturn former sailor who is raising a daughter who wants desperately to become an actress. And he plays it very well. Perhaps his best moments here are in the gymnasium sequence when he keeps losing his pants. Oh, and clearly, the old actor had man-boobs by this time...perhaps a bad choice of costuming. Watch for a cameo by Jackie Coogan in this segment. And, as he softens later in the film, the role becomes more interesting.

The film is the autobiographical story of actress Ruth Gordon, here played by Jean Simmons. She doesn't remind me a bit of Ruth Gordon. I'm not impressed.

The mother is played by Teresa Wright, and I doubt she much cared for this role.

Anthony Perkins plays the love interest for Simmons. Interesting early role for him -- his first film.

I'm glad to have seen this film, but it's not one of my favorite Tracy pics.

An Act(ress) of Self-Service

[arieliondotcom · 3/10 · 15 April 2007]

The only saving grace of this film is Spencer Tracy. As others have commented, it is an autobiography by Ruth Gordon. But I think whomever said it was a wonderful tribute to Gordon's father must have seen another film. Although Tracy does a wonderful job of acting, his part is of a grumpy, depressed man not the sentimental study other readers seem to think it was. She comes across as the young girl with talent that no one was bright enough to recognize with a boy mooning over her and everyone fighting against her dreams.

This is a self-serving autobiography by Ruth Gordon and I personally hope her parents, or at least her father, never saw this portrayal of themselves.

There are moments of comedy here, again Spencer Tracy showing his wide range of talents. But perhaps the funniest bit of the film is Ruth Gordon thinking she looked like Jean Simmons (or at least going along with the casting). If you look at her photos on IMDb or do a Google search, she looked nothing like Jean Simmons but was always a great actress, or had to be, to get by on her acting despite her homely looks.

As others have said, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn were longtime friends of Ruth Gordon and her husband Garson Kanin. What others didn't mention is that Gordon and Kanin used that friendship to write a tell-all book about their friends. Again a self-serving action and (to my mind) betrayal. And Hepburn never spoke to them again.

I remember this movie!

[kbkrdh1 · 28 August 2002]

When I was a girl, TV movies had hosts. Bill Kennedy was the movie host for the Detroit area. I remember seeing this movie just once some time in the late 60's, but I never forgot it. I still remember the scene when Ruth kisses her beau, and tells him to remember this was his first kiss from an actress. It was pure joy!

Long winded and short on action

[debo-mills · 7/10 · 8 March 2010]

I knew nothing about this movie when I began watching it, just that it was a biography of the actress Ruth Gordon, who I had seen in a couple of movies. Therefore, I was expecting a full biography, from childhood to middle-age, and was puzzled and bored after a while when things just didn't progress. It turns out that the time frame of the movie takes place during a couple of months, when Ruth finishes high school and goes off to New York to become an actress. So we see scene after scene of Ruth, her friends and her mother talking about her ambitions and how they need to hide them from her father, who wants Ruth to have a steady job as a phys-ed teacher.

The fact that this movie was adapted from a play becomes evident as key scenes (which would require additional actors and sets) are never shown, such as Ruth meeting the actress who inspired her backstage, and her audition with a famous director. Including these scenes would have livened up the movie considerably.

Also, Jean Simmons was just too beautiful to play Ruth Gordon. And she kept going on about how short she was, which although true for the real Ruth is not the case with Jean! However, I enjoyed Spencer Tracy's performance immensely, though, as Ruth's grumpy father. As others have said, his description of his childhood at the dinner table is riveting.

A story that obviously worked better on the stage.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 27 April 2020]

Nobody will ever confuse actresses Gene Simmons and Ruth Gordon. This is based upon Gordon's autobiographical play "Years.Ago" that reveals how she got bitten by the acting bug and the struggles she had to face in her own family to make the move to New York to become one of their most successful actresses, eventually becoming a screenwriter and later an Oscar-winning character actress. Simmons is excellent, scaring on lovingly as she watches an early musical on tour in her local theater. She writes to the star, and gets a nice letter back and eventually, this leads her to make contacts who express interest in her. You really don't get to see Simmons acting onstage herself, as this focuses mainly on the conflicts Simmons faces with poppa Spencer Tracy who is opposed to her career choice. Tracy isn't a brute as a father, only concerned for her well-being, and if being "Father of the Actress" could be an alternative title for this, it's obvious that he'll be hatch her opening night, cheering her on with love along with wife Teresa Wright.

The young Anthony Perkins is amusing as Simmons' boyfriend, the typical all American boy who faces a romantic night with Simmons in her home where off camera, you hear Tracy and Wright making all sorts of noises then Tracy complaining about Perkins still being there. Another sequence features Mary Wickes as a female athletes performing a calisthenics routine. It is very bizarre, and sadly, she gets no dialogue. What a waste for one of the stage and screen's great wisecrackers to not even get to speak! The mixture of comedy and drama (directed with care by George Cukor) makes this a nice slice of life in the experiences of one of stage and screen's great performers, and indeed, it does feel like you've gone back in time through a kaleidoscope of memories, although outside the performances and situations is missing that little something extra that would have made this great.

A Play

[jnlife · 6/10 · 21 August 2009]

The Actress was truly a PLAY. You could tell this from the outset but after a while, the acting of the players overcame the stilted or cramped feeling of a playlike movie. Eventually I began to think of small , warm scenes of earlier life such as My Town & The skin of My Teeth. Jean had not been acting too long & I wondered if she relied on her memories of being a youth who day dreamed about being an actress. Tony Perkins truly shows a "first" movie appearance. Teresa Wright, as the mom, is very reserved, letting the father, Tracy, be the leader of the family, although sometimes wrongheaded.

A fairly good movie. If you are interested in getting copies of old movies, write me at jn1010life@yahoo for more info. I found a place that copies old movies legally if they are public domain.

Fine cast carries a nostalgic play turned movie

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 21 February 2015]

This is among a very few movies I have watched (that I didn't originally see in a theater) without reading reviews, comments or background in advance. So, in watching "The Actress," my sense that this would make a good stage play was validated when I learned the film was based on a stage play. Ruth Gordon who became a successful stage and movie actress, playwright and author, wrote the screenplay for this film based on her own stage play, "Years Ago." It's an autobiographic work that pays as much tribute to her parents as it does a young woman's ambition to become a star.

The movie sets mostly resemble stage sets, to be sure, but they don't have a "stagy" feel. Perhaps the occasional outdoor scene and shots help with that. I agree with the reviewers who see it as much more a drama than a comedy. It has some light-hearted bits and a few clever lines. But for the most part, this is a snapshot of a time in the life of a high school senior in the early 20th century who longs for a stage career. We must remember that this was 1913, and although silent films had been around for some time, the allure of becoming a movie star was not something that most young people were drawn to until the 1950s. Before then, it was the stage. In the scene when Ruth (played by Jean Simmons) gives her folks a couple of samples of her abilities, she stops and moves to the lower landing of the stairs, so she could appear more to them as being on stage.

These type of stories made good plots for stage and early movies. Today, they are very uncommon, and not as much of interest. That is, unless they have a particular something extra to jazz them up a bit. But, a film like this gives we viewers the chance to see how truly great acting appears. We don't get much opportunity in the fast-paced films of today. Although the story may be more than mildly interesting for some, it is the acting that makes this movie a winner. It doesn't have a large cast (a la stage play, again), but its four leads are all stellar actors. Simmons is excellent as Ruth, showing a full range of emotions. Spencer Tracy as Clinton Jones is excellent. I agree with another reviewer who said it is one of his best roles. Teresa Wright plays Ruth's mother, Annie, superbly. And, in his first screen role, Anthony Perkins is very good as Ruth's beau, Fred Whitmarsh.

This is a fine biopic and story that some may find somewhat familiar and nostalgic. But, many in modern audiences may find it difficult to sit still long enough to enjoy this film.

Underrated Cukor Film with Three Terrific Lead Performances

[shark-43 · 9/10 · 17 March 2020]

I've liked many of George Cukor's films (PHILADELPHIA STORY, WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD, etc.) and am a huge Spencer Tracy fan so I was surprised I had never seen this 1953 flick. Based on Ruth Gordon's biographical play, this is a sweet, endearing film and it holds one of Spencer Tracy's best performances. He is so real, so good as the overwhelmed father - trying to deal with a turn of the century daughter who wants to be an actress (back then that was like saying you wanted to be a prostitute - theatre people were very looked down upon). Tracy (based on Ruth Gordon's real father) has wonderful scenes/speeches where he tries to lay down the law but later on, you see how much he loves his daughter and would do anything for her. Teresa Wright is good as always and the lovely Jean Simmons is superb as the young girl who has become star struck. Plus a very young Anthony Perkins making his screen debut as a possible suitor. Highly recommended

Ruth Gordon story

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 31 January 2023]

In 1913 Massachusetts, teen Ruth Gordon Jones (Jean Simmons) dreams of being a stage actress. Her father Clinton Jones (Spencer Tracy) is a poor workman. She's the only child of Clinton and Annie (Teresa Wright). Harvard student Fred Whitmarsh (Anthony Perkins) is head over heels for her. She sets off to chase her dream despite her father's reservations. For her, he is willing to give it all.

I only know Ruth Gordon from her later works. For me, she is always that compelling sassy old lady with the memorable voice. I don't know much about her earlier acting or her writing. This is not the most dramatic of stories. It's a very straight forward plot. It's all about the actors. I really love Spencer Tracy and his character. The friction in the father daughter relationship is never that harsh. He's rather endearing. Jean Simmons is a little older to play a teen. It's Perkins' screen debut. This is fine, but the story needs more drama.

Lugubrious coming of age autobiography Is strictly for fans of the author

[Turfseer · 4/10 · 2 June 2022]

Most people remember Ruth Gordon for her role in the cult classic "Harold and Maude" as well as "Rosemary's Baby," in which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. But her acting career began as far back as 1915.

The Actress is Gordon's coming of age tale of growing up with her parents Clinton and Annie Jones (Spencer Tracy and Teresa Wright) in Wollaston, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston).

Despite being directed by the esteemed George Cukor, The Actress is sadly a very slow-moving affair. The exposition just goes on and on as we're introduced to Ruth's curmudgeon father who is bent on not permitting her to pursue her dreams of becoming a star of stage and screen.

Jean Simmons, 24-year-old at the time, plays the 17-year-old Ruth, although the character acts more like she's 14. Ruth is depicted comically, naïve and immature but determined to succeed at all costs.

The main dramatic moment at the midpoint is Ruth's failed interview with a theatrical producer in Boston, an appointment she keeps despite promises to her father to the contrary. Inexplicably we never get to see the scene in which her dreams are initially dashed.

Similarly, the same thing happens at the end of the film-what becomes of Ruth in New York City? The narrative simply ends abruptly. Instead, there is a little dramatic tension prior to the climax when Clinton is fired from his job and must initially renege on his promise to allow Ruth to pursue an acting career.

All's well that end's well when Clinton relents and gives Ruth his precious spyglass (an heirloom from his seafaring days which is worth $100) and sends her off to the Big Apple where we all know the rest of the story.

Both Tracy and Simmons have one-note parts. Don't ask me about Teresa Wright's performance as there was nothing memorable about her role except providing a supportive presence for the rambunctious Simmons.

Oh yes.there's also Anthony Perkins in his film debut as Fred, Ruth's suitor desperate to marry her. Since Ruth pursues a theatrical career Fred is left in the lurch. Those who can't get enough of Anthony Perkins will enjoy his performance here.

The Actress is burdened by the fact that the screenplay is based upon Gordon's autobiographical play Years Ago. Hence the film is marked by a surfeit of dialogue. The most interesting aspect of the film-Gordon's fate as an actress-is left out entirely.

Be forewarned: The Actress (the film) is incredibly lugubrious. Therefore I recommend it strictly for Ruth Gordon aficionados.

Lovely Old Fashioned Movie

[Scoval71 · 10/10 · 27 October 2005]

Lovely, beautiful, sentimental and also a funny movie that takes you back to a much, much earlier time in America that will never be again. A story of a young girl who wants to be an actress and her salty father who is really a kind person. We have the appearance of the young Anthony Perkins as well. The movie is very well acted and it is based on the true life story of Ruth Gordon (born Ruth Gordon Jones). It is a movie that the whole family will enjoy--very nostalgic and endearing. I enjoyed it. See it when you can or rent or buy it. Entertaining and delightful and as I said at the beginning: it is a lovely old fashioned movie. They don't make them like this anymore and more's the pity.

The Actress Just Isn't *

[edwagreen · 2/10 · 31 January 2007]

Spencer Tracy, Jean Simmons and Teresa Wright starred in this colossal 1953 bomb-stinker. That's about the best I can call it.

In 1913, Boston, Simmons wants to be an actress. Her father, Tracy, wants her to finish school before taking the plunge to New York. He briefly talks of his background and is worried that a retirement of a fellow worker may be forced. When he asks for a $2.00 raise instead of the $100.00 annual bonus, he is refused and quits.

Wright is terribly miscast as the mother. She looks like an older version of Eleanor Gehrig without the tears.

Anthony Perkins is a suitor that Simmons rejects to fulfill her dream. I thought that Tracy would go on with a long discourse about the value of education and not dropping out as he had done. Instead, he agrees and the 3 characters march off to see Simmons off on the train.

Simmons is ridiculous here at best. She talks like an 8 or 9 year old. The acting she shows her parents is positively awful but so is the picture.

Some comic relief is at the YMCU where Tracy shows off some athletic ability. In the scene, Mary Wickes appears as well.

Ruth Gordon wrote this junk but wisely was not in the film. Coincidentally, Simmons's name in the picture is Ruth Gordon. Another corny joke in a completely lackluster film. Strong recommendation to be avoided.

An Undiscovered Treasure

[aimless-46 · 9/10 · 4 April 2007]

Set in 1913 New England, seventeen-year-old Ruth Gordon Jones (Jean Simmons) decides on a stage career at about the same time her father decides to send her to the Boston Physical Culture Institute to become a PE teacher. His inspiration is Emma Glavey (Mary Wickes).

Despite its title, "The Actress" (1953) is really Ruth Gordon's loving tribute to her parents; written at a time when she could look back and really appreciate them. It is based on a stage play she wrote and then adapted to the screen. Although primarily known today (because of a couple of cult films) for her acting, Gordon was an excellent writer of both plays and screenplays.

If you are looking for spectacular sets and exciting action adventure, "The Actress" is not the film for you. But if you are looking for some of the best dialogue out there and what is arguably Spencer Tracy's most amusing performance you should make it a point to track this down.

Gordon obviously got her love of performing from her father Clinton (played by Tracy), a one-time sailor with a gift for gab and a desire to pontificate and be the center of attention. The conflict in the story is not so much over her desire to become an actress, but between the tendency of both father and daughter to be overly dramatic. They tend to get on each other's nerves with the mother Annie (Teresa Wright) caught in the middle. Only the mother picks up on how alike father and daughter actually are, the old acorn never falls far from the tree thing.

Much of what Clinton says is too original not to have been invented by the author. My favorite is a lengthy piece about the family's grocery bills during which Clinton complains that Ruth is too lazy to walk to a nearby farm for three pounds of butter. Annie excuses her daughter's inactivity by citing her bad back. A little later when he notices that Annie has been buying expensive tangerines instead of oranges for Ruth's school lunch, he speculates that carrying the lighter tangerine is easier on her back.

Although Wright is a little young for her role, her uncanny resemblance to Gordon (some believed that she was actually Gordon's daughter) made casting her as Gordon's mother a nice inside joke.

This production is extremely funny and has a lot of charm. They go out on a cool shot of the cat on windowsill eating a plant; with the family visible through the window heading off to the railroad station.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.