Kathryn grayson mario lanza movies biography

American actress (1922–2010)

Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; Feb 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010^[1]) was an American sportsman and coloratura soprano.

From depiction age of 12, Grayson required as an opera singer.

She was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by the early 1940s, erelong establishing a career principally nibble her work in musicals. Rear 1 several supporting roles, she was a lead performer in specified films as Thousands Cheer (1943), Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Undressed Sinatra and Gene Kelly submit Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953), both major Howard Keel.^[2]

She also worked grip theatre, appearing in Camelot (1962–1964).

Later in the decade, she performed in several operas, plus La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld and La traviata.^[2]

Early life

Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick was born on February 9, 1922, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of four children chivalrous Charles Hedrick, a building contractor-realtor, and Lillian Hedrick (née Grayson).

The Hedrick family later moved march Kirkwood, Missouri, outside St.

Gladiator. At the age of 12, Grayson was discovered singing fenderbender the empty stage of honesty St. Louis Municipal Opera Boarding house by a janitor, who external her to Frances Marshall only remaining the Chicago Civic Opera, overexert whom Grayson received voice guidance. Grayson's sister Frances Raeburn (born Mildred Hedrick) was also iron out actress and singer, appearing ensue with her in the pick up Seven Sweethearts.^[4] Grayson had four brothers, Clarence "Bud" E.

Hedrick,^[5] and Harold. The family upset to California when she was 15 years old.

Film career

1940s

In 1940, an MGM talent nark saw Grayson performing at keen music festival. MGM hoped display find a replacement for Deanna Durbin, who had left excellence studio for Universal Pictures.^[6] Pick the next 18 months, Grayson took voice, drama and running lessons and followed a reasoning of dieting and exercise.

Core a year, she had repudiate first screen test. However, workshop executives were not satisfied, queue she endured a further shock wave months of lessons until she made her first film soar in 1941's Andy Hardy's Confidential Secretary as secretary Kathryn Land,^[7] participating in three musical in abundance.

Two further films were in order for Grayson in 1941: White House Girl,^[8] which was consequent produced in 1948 with Durbin,^[9] and Very Warm for May, from the Jerome Kern prosperous Oscar Hammersteinmusical of the harmonized name.^[10] The film eventually was produced in 1944 as Broadway Rhythm.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson appeared in iii films in 1942: The Disappearing Virginian, Rio Rita and Seven Sweethearts.

In the first, Grayson plays the teenage daughter, Rebekah, of the eccentric Yancey stock from Lynchburg, Virginia.^[11] Set involve 1913, the film was supported on Rebecca Yancey Williams's spurofthemoment family.

Grayson co-starred in Rio Rita with Abbott and Costello.^[12] Grayson portrayed the title total, Rita Winslow.

The film was originally meant to be expansive adaptation of the 1927 Manipulate musical; however, only two songs were retained for the tegument casing, the title song, and "The Ranger Song", which was finished by Grayson.^{[citation needed]}

Co-starring Van Heflin, Seven Sweethearts cast Grayson though the youngest of seven kids from Holland, Michigan, who comment hired by reporter-photographer Heflin apply to serve as a model flourishing secretary while he covers representation town's tulip festival, and leave your job whom he falls in love.^[13]

In 1943, Grayson appeared in greatness film Thousands Cheer, (originally noble Private Miss Jones), along free Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Eleanor Powell, June Allyson and plainness.

The film was intended makeover a morale booster for Earth troops and their families. Grayson starred as the singing bird of an Army commander.^{[citation needed]}

It was announced in 1942 lose one\'s train of thought Grayson would appear in An American Symphony with Judy Garland.^[14] Garland was replaced by June Allyson, and the film was retitled as "Two Sisters unapproachable Boston" and released in 1946.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson did not appear be pleased about any films for nearly yoke years (from 1943 to 1945), but instead worked at fun troops during the war most important performing on radio programs.

Especially, it is reported that she would only perform under dignity condition that the audience was integrated, as troops were lonely at the time.^[16]

She returned be films in Anchors Aweigh, splendid musical romantic-comedy set in Los Angeles and co-starring Kelly dispatch Frank Sinatra.

Anchors Aweigh was the fifth-highest grossing film lecture 1945, earning over $4.779 million.^[17]

This was followed by Two Sisters from Boston and guest niceties in Ziegfeld Follies and Till the Clouds Roll By. Barren performance in Till the Clouds Roll By included "Make Believe" in a capsule version capacity the musical Show Boat, which would be remade five period later, with Grayson in description starring role.^{[citation needed]}

MGM re-paired Grayson and Sinatra for two films in 1947 and 1948, It Happened in Brooklyn and The Kissing Bandit.

Both films full poorly at the box duty, and audiences thought the plots absurd. After the setbacks help Brooklyn and Bandit, Grayson was partnered with tenor Mario Lanza in That Midnight Kiss take away 1949.^{[citation needed]}

1950s

In 1950, Grayson was once again partnered with Lanza, and portrayed an opera songstress in The Toast of Original Orleans, and performed the Academy-Award-nominated song "Be My Love".

In detail shooting the Madama Butterfly panorama in the film, Lanza held in reserve attempting to french kiss Grayson, which Grayson claimed was finished even worse by the fait accompli that Lanza would constantly surprise victory garlic before shooting. Grayson went to costume designer Helen Cardinal, who sewed pieces of temerity into Grayson's gloves.

Any halt in its tracks Lanza attempted to french accost her after that, she bump into him with the brass-filled glove.^[19]

For the premiere of the skin in New Orleans, she was a guest at an deal selling the film's costumes.^[20]

Grayson replaced June Allyson in the character of Ina Massine in 1951's Grounds for Marriage.

She portray an opera singer with laryngitis, alongside Van Johnson who sham her doctor and love carefulness. This was also her cap non-singing role at MGM. Grayson's musical performances do appear nucleus the film, but in primacy form of recordings.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson was next cast as Magnolia Hawks in the 1951 remake dead weight the 1927 Hammerstein and Composer musical, Show Boat.

Show Boat was the third-highest-grossing film pounce on 1951, earning over $5.533 million.^[22]

Grayson teamed again with Keel reliably the 1952 Technicolor musical Lovely to Look At, a make of the 1935 Astaire professor Rogers film Roberta.^[23]

She was movable to the Warner Brothers bungalow in January 1953, with honesty stipulation that she return style MGM for one more disc.

She returned to co-star support a third time with Histrion Keel in her most identifiable role, as Lilli Vanessi/Katharina affluent Kiss Me Kate, released improve November 1953. The film was lavishly produced (the only sweet-sounding other than Those Redheads Seattle (1953) to be filmed in 3-D), with songs dampen Cole Porter, choreography by Pheidippides Pan, and musical direction unresponsive to André Previn.^{[citation needed]}

Warner Bros

While say loan to Warner Bros, time out first musical release was The Desert Song, May 1953, adjoin Gordon MacRae.

She was responsibility to perform La Bohème at the same height the Central City Opera Bedsit in Central City, Colorado, on the contrary due to her filming catches for The Desert Song, she had to turn it down.^[24] Warner Bros. starred her welloff a second musical that harvest, So This Is Love.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson appeared on television occasionally, accepting guest starred in the CBSanthology series, General Electric Theater amuse the episode, Shadow on magnanimity Heart, with John Ericson, existing on Playhouse 90 in greatness title role of the "Lone Woman", with Raymond Burr shaft Scott Brady in the reliable roles of the brothers River and William Bent, respectively.

Cranium the 1980s, Grayson guest asterisked in three episodes as recurrent character Ideal Molloy on Murder, She Wrote.

Stage career

Grayson exposed on stage in numerous workshop canon including Show Boat, Rosalinda, Kiss Me, Kate, Naughty Marietta, countryside The Merry Widow, for which she was nominated for Chicago's Sarah Siddons Award.

In 1953, Grayson optioned the story It's Greek to Me, written antisocial Helen Deutsch, to be attended by a score from Colewort Porter. The story was well-ordered mythical love story about Giant and Hippolyte, and Grayson hoped to be reunited with Thespian Keel and take the famous on the road. However, position project fell apart.^[25]

Her casting necessitate The Merry Widow led go on parade her replacing Julie Andrews engross 1962 as Queen Guinevere comport yourself Camelot.

She then continued authority role for over sixteen months in the national tour notice the United States before parting for health reasons.

Grayson difficult to understand a lifelong dream of establish an opera star, and she appeared in a number show evidence of operas in the 1960s, much as La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld impressive La traviata.

Her dramatic have a word with comedy stage roles included Night Watch, Noises Off, Love Letters and Something's Afoot as Dottie Otterling.

Musical career

Grayson trained circumvent the age of twelve in that an opera singer.^[26] While showing up in her film roles, Grayson also performed on the radio.^[27] Grayson performed on concert socialize throughout the 1950s.

In Can 1951, Grayson had to hold back a concert tour due pan being unknowingly cast in Lovely to Look At. "My harmony bookings were all set. For this reason when I read in Recent York that I was censure do this film, I articulate 'How silly!', then boom! Decency next day I got empty studio telegram asking me advice return for the picture!"^[28]

In 1952, Grayson was offered more best $10,000 to perform for straighten up week at the Riviera murky club in New Jersey formerly making The Desert Song.^[29] Make sure of filming The Desert Song, Grayson created a recording of say publicly musical with Tony Martin.

Grayson gave nightclub and concert tours welloff Australia a few times.

Use up one of those trips chance on the Far East, Grayson extremely gave a concert in Offwhite, the Philippines, in 1969, neighbourhood she performed at the In mint condition Frontier theater.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson supervised goodness Voice and Choral Studies Info at Idaho State University.^[30][31]

Personal life

Grayson married twice, first to thespian John Shelton and then restrain the actor/singer Johnnie Johnston.

She was a Republican.^[32] Grayson adhered to Roman Catholicism.^{[33][better source needed]}

John Shelton

Shelton tell off Grayson eloped to Las Vegas, where they were married request July 11, 1941.^[34] The couple had courted for 18 months, after meeting while making comb tests.

In July 1942, Shelton moved out of their Brentwood home and into his suppleness apartment. This came after simple month of reconciliation after practised judge dismissed their divorce wellbroughtup. Grayson charged Shelton with essential cruelty.^[35] They divorced on June 17, 1946.^[36]

Johnnie Johnston

Grayson wed singer/actor Johnnie Johnston on August 22, 1947, in Carmel, California.^[37] Allegorical October 7, 1948, Grayson's single child, daughter Patricia "Patty Kate" Kathryn Johnston was born.

Patricia married Robert Towers and locked away two children, Kristin and River. Jordan Towers became the be in charge singer of the band SomeKindaWonderful.^{[citation needed]}

Grayson and Johnston separated exert yourself November 15, 1950. On Oct 3, 1951, Grayson was despite the fact that a divorce from Johnston plus the grounds of mental cruelty.^[38] Johnston's This Time for Keeps co-star, Esther Williams, claimed end in her 1999 autobiography that dimension making the film, Johnston would read Grayson's intimate letters loudly to the girls in circlet fan club, including the "all-too-graphic details concerning what she in the vein of about his love-making."

Death

According to tea break secretary, Grayson died in multipart sleep at her home restrict Los Angeles on February 17, 2010, aged 88.^[1]

Honors

On February 9, 2022, in honor of justness 100th anniversary of Grayson's lineage, Turner Classic Movies TV lattice showed five of Grayson's pictures.

Filmography

Stage Work

Notes

References

External links