They inspired girls to aim higher; their beauty and talent inspired fantasies in young men. But, to the studio execs in Hollywood who employed them, they were property, “the only merchandise allowed to leave the shop at night,” as Ava Gardner used to say.
The women who refused to be pigeonholed or bossed around, and whose performances live to this day, are being celebrated by Toronto actress Rebecca Perry in her one-woman show, Stars of Old Hollywood, playing Barrie’s Mady Centre next week.
Perry tells BarrieToday she remains flabbergasted that only a generation or so ago, these formidable actresses – Bette Davis, Betty Hutton, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, household names, all of them – were treated as “un-special” by film tzars like Warner, Goldwyn, Cohn, and Mayer.
“During that era, actresses were only signed if they agreed to five-year binding contracts that made them exclusive to one studio at a time.”
The wonder is heightened because these women were instrumental in making “old Hollywood” the magical place for which movie fans remember it.
“Nowadays, films are more about the quick cuts, impressive CGI and non-stop action. Back then, it was pure entertainment – movies were simply made to make you feel good.
“(What’s more) movie actors required a higher skill level – just look at the likes of Gene Kelly or Judy Garland, who would do their own stunts or belt out a perfect high note while tap dancing up a storm. There’s a reason it’s called the ‘Golden Age of Cinema’.”
The current HBO series Feud: Bette and Joan, about a perhaps contrived rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, has captured public attention, though Perry considers the story a “footnote”.
“I thought Feud really captured the feel of what it would be like to work in Hollywood back in the day. But, while anecdotal stories like that are amusing, I have chosen to focus more on the game-changing and long-lasting legacies of these women and what they have done for the industry.”
As for Davis, she “was the first woman to take a Hollywood movie studio to court when RKO Studios offered her a career-making role before her Warner Brothers contract had expired, and Warner refused to let her take it.”
The four actresses Perry spotlights each helped shape the movie industry the way it is today. And all had to fight for what they achieved.
MGM, for example, knew Garland had the chops to play Dorothy in the The Wizard of Oz, “yet they almost cast Shirley Temple, until Judy herself stepped in and insisted they hear her sing Somewhere over the Rainbow.”
Ball, known as the ‘Queen of the B’s’ for the ‘B’ pictures from which she sprang, “came into her career much later than the others, and became famous not only as an actor, but also for being the first woman to own her own studio and to produce her own show.”
Hutton became the star of musical films such as Annie Get Your Gun, belting out tunes like You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun. But for all the serious points made in the show, Perry spotlights the fun they provided.
“Yes, these women were ahead of their time in many respects, but they were also charming and funny… onstage and off. There are a lot of comedic and musical moments in my show to accompany these amazing stories. They could make you laugh or cry, or feel utter joy by the tone of their voices.”
Stars of Old Hollywood plays the Mady Centre, 1 Dunlop St. W., Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, click here.
