JackBurley Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 As I type this I'm wending my way through the Ann Dvorak vehicle Housewife (as part of the Bette Davis Festival). I'm reminded of Miss Dvorak's beauty and wonder why she didn't find more success on the screen. According to IMDB she wasn't happy about it either. Anyone have more on her career? I'm also struck by Ronnie Crosby, who plays the young son of Miss Dvorak and George Brent. He has an edge that cuts through the usual "preciousness" of kid actors. He's swell. I wonder if he was as good in his other roles? Has anyone seen more of his work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vallo13 Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 Jack, check here:http://imdb.com/name/nm0245304/bio it's a little something about Dvorak.Not much on Ronnie Crosby he stopped acting in 1941. This could be a job for Mongo in the "Ask Mongo" section of the information area. vallo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted May 18, 2006 Author Share Posted May 18, 2006 Thanks vallo. That bio is what I was referring to in my post ("According to IMDB she wasn't happy about it either."). Mr. Mongo might be the way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vecchiolarry Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 Jack, I know Ann Dvorak was once married to a Russian dancer, whom I met when I was 5 or 6 or 7!!! He was one of those who got invited to parties because he was a 'smooth dancer'. He always made a "B-line" for Rose Douras, Marion Davies sister. And the two of them ended up in Florida, where I dare say they ended up doing the horizontal mumbo. Ann Dvorak was blackballed to a certain extent by Jack Warner and just finally gave up. The last I heard she was in Hawaii, where she died about 20 years ago. Mongo will probably know more about her. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vecchiolarry Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 Jack, I finally remembered that Ann Dvorak made a movie with Lana Turner at MGM. She plays a wash-up model who jumps out the window. You should see that movie. I remember she was very moving and touching in it. The movie itself is not that exciting, but Ann jumps near the beginning, so you could skip the rest. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 Larry, Is it possible that the movie you're referring to is MGM's 1950 flick A Life of Her Own? I think I'll put it on the "Suggest a Movie"... Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorainmay Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Jack, you might like to check out the website below about Ann Dvorak and, if you're not familiar with it, Mick LaSalle's book, "Complicated Women" discusses her appeal in some depth. http://anndvorak.com/ Thanks to TCM for bringing this lady's work to light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vecchiolarry Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Hello Jack, Yes, that's it -- "A Life of Her Own"... Lana is a model, who has affairs with Barry Sullivan and Ray Milland. These two had previously been lovers of Ann Dvorak. I saw this movie loonnggg ago and was completely bored, but the Dvorak character stuck out in my mind. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 Thank you Miss Finnie! Yes, I'm familiar with Mick LaSalle; he's one of our local film critics. Though I'm sorry to say I still haven't read his book Complicated Women. I've seen him read from it at local showings, but haven't managed to pick it up myself yet. Thank you so much for the Ann link. And Larry, I'm suggesting that movie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorainmay Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Please make it Moira, Jack. I think Miss Finnie lived somewhere in the animated ether with Tweetybird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandykaypax Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 I saw A LIFE OF HER OWN last year on TCM and I was so taken with Ann Dvorak's performance! The rest of the movie is ok, but I was wishing that the film had been about Dvorak's character, she was so intriguing. I recently recorded THREE ON A MATCH with Bette Davis, Joan Blondell, and Ann Dvorak and I look forward to seeing it! I hear it's good! What was the trouble between Dvorak and Warners? Sandy K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 Apparently it was the same situation as Bette Davis' and anyone else who held higher standards regarding their role. Miss Dvorak received accolades for her work in Scarface, but this was followed by roles that weren't as challenging. She often complained about the lack of quality of her films, and this led to arguments with the top brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandykaypax Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Thanks, Jack. Too bad that Dvorak has faded from view. Sandy K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 "Too bad that Dvorak has faded from view." Not as long as we're alive, SandyK. Let's go to "Suggest a Movie"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vecchiolarry Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Hi Jack et al, Today at brunch, we got to discussing "Three On A Match", which was apparently shown on late night TV here last week. One of the girls said that some woman had jumped out the window in it and I just casually mentioned Ann Dvorak jumping in "A Life of Her Own".... Well, an older couple sitting next to us, pipped up and said that it was Ann Dvorak in both movies who did the jumping..... What a surprise -- they are both movie buffs and watch TCM all the time....... But, poor Ann, did she make a career out of jumping?? Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackBurley Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 What a unique case of type-casting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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