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Kathryn Grayson is a Actor American born on 9 february 1922 at Winston-Salem (USA)

Kathryn Grayson

Kathryn Grayson
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Birth name Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick
Nationality USA
Birth 9 february 1922 at Winston-Salem (USA)
Death 17 february 2010 (at 88 years) at Los Angeles (USA)

Kathryn Grayson (February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and soprano.

From the age of twelve, Grayson trained as an opera singer. She was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by the early 1940s, soon establishing a career principally through her work in musicals. After several supporting roles, she was a lead performer in such films as Thousands Cheer (1943), Anchors Aweigh (1945) with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953), both with Howard Keel.

When film musical production declined, she worked in theatre, appearing in Camelot (1962–1964). Later in the decade she performed in several operas, including La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Orpheus in the Underworld and La traviata.

Biography

1940
En 1940, un chasseur de talents de la MGM a apercu Grayson jouer dans un festival d'été de musique. La MGM espérait trouver un remplaçant à Deanna Durbin, qui avait quitté le studio MGM pour débuter sa carrière à Universal Pictures. Pendant les 18 mois qui suivirent, Grayson pris des cours de chant, de théâtre, de diction, d’alimentation et même d’exercice. Enfin, en moins d'un an, Grayson a finalement eu son premier test (screen test).
Cependant, les dirigeants difficiles du studio n'étaient pas satisfaits et elle dû donc suivre plus de six mois de cours supplémentaires jusqu'à ce qu'elle fasse sa première apparition, en 1941, dans un rôle de secrétaire privee d'Andy Hardy (un personnage de fiction interprété par l'acteur américain Mickey Rooney dans une série de films de la Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer entre 1937 et 1946). Dans ce film, elle participe à trois attrayants numéros musicaux.

En 1943, Grayson apparaît dans le film La Parade aux étoiles (Thousands Cheer) (à l’origine intitulé Private Miss Jones), avec Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Eleanor Powell, June Allyson et plusieurs autres artistes. Le film étant conçu et destiné à stimuler les troupes américaines et leurs familles. Grayson a joué le rôle de la fille charmante et chantante d'un commandant de l'armée navale. Il avait été annoncé en 1942 que Grayson apparaîtrait dans "An American Symphony" avec Judy Garland.Étant donne l'état de santé de Garland, celle-ci fut remplacée par June Allyson, et la direction rebaptisa le film "Two Sisters from Boston" et il fut publié en 1946.


1950
En 1950, Grayson s'associe à Mario Lanza qui interprète un chanteur d'opéra dans le film The Toast of New Orleans, et interprète la chanson qui sera nominée aux Oscars, Be My Love ([vidéo] A1 ). Pendant le tournage de la scène de Madame Butterfly dans le film, Lanza a continué à tenter de seduire Grayson, Grayson a déclaré encore pire en raison du fait que Lanza mangeait constamment de l'ail juste avant sa prestation avec elle. À chaque fois que Lanza tentait de l'embrasser, elle le frappait avec son gant rempli de laiton.



Pour la première du film The Toast of New Orleans, elle est invitée à une vente aux enchères des costumes du dit film.
Elle a interprété une chanteuse d'opéra avec une laryngite , aux côtés de David Niven, qui a joué son rôle de médecin et amoureux. C'était aussi son premier rôle chantant chez MGM. Les performances musicales de Grayson apparaissent dans le film, mais sous la forme d'enregistrements.

Grayson a de nouveau fait équipe avec Howard Keel dans la comédie musicale Lovely to Look at de 1952 Technicolor, un remake du film de Fred Astaire de 1935 "Roberta".
Elle a quitté le studio de Warner Brothers en janvier 1953, avec la stipulation qu'elle retournait à MGM pour un autre film. Elle est revenue co-star pour la troisième fois avec Howard Keel dans son rôle du co-interprete le plus acclamé, dans Kiss me Kate, sorti en novembre 1953. le film a été prodigieusement produit en 1953, filmé en 3D, avec des chansons de Cole Porter, chorégraphie de Hermes Pan, et direction musicale par Andre Previn


Warner Bros
En tant qu'actrice prêtée à Warner Bros, sa première sortie musicale fut «The Desert Song», en mai 1953, aux côtés de l'acteur et chanteur Gordon MacRae. On lui a demandé de jouer La Bohème au Central City OperaHouse à Central City, au Colorado a la saison estivale de 1953.

Par la suite, elle a joué le rôle principal dans
So This Is Love(1953)(film biographique de la célebre chanteuse d'opéra Grace Moore.
Grayson est apparu à la télévision de temps a autres et fut invitée dans la série CBS, General Electric Theater vers la fin des années 50. Dans les années 1980, Grayson a joué dans plusieurs épisodes en tant que personnage récurrent "Ideal Molloy" dans "Murder, She Wrote".



Vie personnelle
Grayson fut mariée deux fois, d'abord avec l'acteur John Shelton, puis avec l'acteur et chanteur Johnnie Johnston.

John Shelton:
Dans les années 1940, Shelton et Grayson se sont enfuis à Las Vegas, où ils se sont mariés le 11 juillet 1941. Les deux s'étaient courtisés durant 18 mois, après s'avoir rencontrés en faisant des tests d'écran pour le cinema (screen tests). En juillet 1942, Shelton quitta sa maison de Brentwood pour emménager dans son propre appartement. Cela se produisit après un mois de réconciliation alors qu'un juge de la cour avait rejeté leur demande en divorce. Grayson a alors accusé Shelton de cruauté mentale. Ils ont ainsi pu divorcer le 17 juin 1946.

Johnnie Johnston:
Grayson a épousé le chanteur et acteur Johnston le 22 août 1947 à Carmel, en Californie. Le 7 octobre 1948, sa fille unique de Grayson, Patricia "Patty Kate" Kathryn Johnston fut née. Sa fille, Patricia, a épousé Robert Towers et eurent deux enfants, dont Jordan Towers, devenu le chanteur principal du groupe SomeKindaWonderful.

Grayson et Johnston se sont séparés le 15 novembre 1950. Le 3 octobre 1951, Grayson a obtenu le divorce de Johnston pour cruauté mentale.

Esther Williams, la co-vedette de Johnston dans le film This Time for Keeps, affirmait dans son autobiographie de 1999 que, tout en réalisant le film, Johnston lisait des lettres intimes de Grayson aux jeunes filles de son fan club, y compris les [détails graphiques et croustillants] de son amoureux au lit."

Selon sa secrétaire, Sally Shermann de 31 ans, Grayson est décédée chez elle, la nuit, durant son sommeil à Los Angeles le 17 février 2010, à l'âge de 88 ans

Best films

Anchors Aweigh (1945)
(Actress)

Usually with

Cedric Gibbons
Cedric Gibbons
(15 films)
Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
(7 films)
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
(8 films)
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
(8 films)
Ann Miller
Ann Miller
(8 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Kathryn Grayson (26 films)

Display filmography as list

Actress

That's Entertainment! III, 1h53
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about films, Documentary films about business, Documentary films about the film industry, Documentary films about cities, Musical films, Documentary films about films
Actors Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Esther Williams
Roles (archive footage)
Rating74% 3.738753.738753.738753.738753.73875
Troisième volet de "Il était une fois Hollywood", "That's Entertainment III" nous propose un nouveau panorama de l'age d'or de la MGM mais aussi des chutes rarissimes, des séquences coupées lors de la sortie des films et des essais d'autres stars que celles qui furent finalement choisies.
That's Entertainment!, 2h15
Directed by Jack Haley Jr.
Origin USA
Genres Documentary, Musical
Themes Films about films, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about business, Documentary films about the film industry, Documentary films about cities, Musical films, Documentary films about films
Actors Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Peter Lawford, Liza Minnelli
Roles (archive footage)
Rating77% 3.894373.894373.894373.894373.89437
Cette nostalgique leçon d'histoire recèle les trésors cachés des plus grandes comédies musicales de la MGM ainsi que de nombreux autres extraits merveilleux mais moins célèbres, avec Esther Williams, Jimmy Durante, Eleanor Powell et même Clark Gable chantant et dansant. « Il était une fois Hollywood » est une véritable gourmandise pour cinéphiles et amateurs de comédies musicales.
The Vagabond King, 1h26
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Origin USA
Genres Historical, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Rita Moreno, Cedric Hardwicke, Walter Hampden, Leslie Nielsen, Jack Lord
Roles Catherine de Vaucelles
Rating52% 2.6210752.6210752.6210752.6210752.621075
In fifteenth century France, the irreverent beggar François Villon (tenor Oreste Kirkop) is crowned "king for a day" by King Louis XI (Walter Hampden). He patriotically rallies his fellow beggars to fight when Paris is invaded by the Burgundians. Kathryn Grayson stars as the high-born heroine, and Rita Moreno as the lusty low-born wench, whose love for Villon eventually costs her life.
The Desert Song, 1h50
Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone
Origin USA
Genres Musical, Romance
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Films based on operas, Operetta films
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Gordon MacRae, Raymond Massey, Steve Cochran, Dick Wesson, William Conrad
Roles Margot Birabeau
Rating61% 3.098663.098663.098663.098663.09866
The original plot is more-or-less adhered to, with some significant alterations. Benny is depicted as a comic Bob Hope-like coward, but not as a sissy. El Khobar's alter ego is that of a mild-mannered (but not squeamish) Latin tutor and anthropologist, whom Birabeau (Ray Collins) hires to keep Margot (Kathryn Grayson) from flirting with his regiment.
Kiss Me, Kate, 1h49
Directed by George Sidney
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Théâtre, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals, Films based on works by William Shakespeare
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Rall, James Whitmore
Roles Lilli Vanessi / Katherine "Kate"
Rating69% 3.4956153.4956153.4956153.4956153.495615
Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, a divorced couple, meet at Fred's apartment to hear the score for the Cole Porter (Ron Randell) musical version of "The Taming of the Shrew". Lois Lane, who is to play Bianca, arrives and sings "Too Darn Hot". Lilli almost decides against performing in the show, as she fears it might interfere with her honeymoon. But when she overhears Cole and Fred promising Lois the part, she decides to play Katherine after all.
Lovely to Look At, 1h41
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, Vincente Minnelli
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Ann Miller
Roles Stephanie
Rating61% 3.097753.097753.097753.097753.09775
Tony Naylor, Al Marsh and Jerry Ralby are looking for backers for their new Broadway show. They have just run out of options when Al gets a letter from his Aunt's attorneys and finds he is a part-owner of a dress salon in Paris. Thinking to sell his share, he, Jerry, and Tony fly to Paris, only to find the shop is almost bankrupt. There they also find Stephanie and Clarisse, who own the other shares of the business. Tony is able to convince the anxious creditors to back a fashion show, hoping to put the shop back on top. As the plot progresses, Tony is torn between his growing affection for Stephanie and his desire to finance his show. Meanwhile, Jerry falls for Clarisse, and Al has a crush on Stephanie. Eventually, Al goes for Bubbles, who has followed the boys from New York.
Show Boat
Show Boat (1951)
, 1h47
Directed by George Sidney
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
Themes Seafaring films, Films about music and musicians, Transport films, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion
Roles Magnolia Hawks
Rating67% 3.394273.394273.394273.394273.39427
The basic plot remains the same as in the stage play and the 1936 film version. When the Cotton Blossom, Cap'n Andy Hawks's show boat, arrives in a Mississippi town to give a performance, a fistfight breaks out between leading man Steve Baker (Robert Sterling), and Pete (Leif Erickson), the boat's engineer who has been making passes at Steve's wife, leading lady Julie La Verne (Ava Gardner). But Cap'n Andy (Joe E. Brown) pretends to the assembled crowd that the two were really previewing a scene from one of the boat's melodramas. But Pete knows a dark secret about Julie, and he runs off to tell the local sheriff.
Grounds for Marriage, 1h30
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical
Themes Films about marriage
Actors Van Johnson, Kathryn Grayson, Paula Raymond, Barry Sullivan, Reginald Owen, Lewis Stone
Roles Ina Massine
Rating58% 2.903872.903872.903872.903872.90387
Ina Massine is an opera diva who divorced throat specialist Dr. Lincoln I. Bartlett three years ago. Nowadays, she regrets this decision and attempts to win back his affection. Lincoln, however, is engaged to Agnes Oglethorpe Young, the beautiful young daughter of his mentor Dr. Carleton Radwin Young. Nevertheless, Ina is determined to reconcile with Lincoln and grabs every chance on seducing him. Lincoln remains loyal to his fiancée, though, and soon grows irritated by Ina's attempts to impress him. On night of the premiere of her latest opera La Bohème, Ina is bothered with a sore throat and calls Dr. Young. Lincoln, who is replacing Dr. Young that night, suspects that Ina is faking. However, when he examines her, he diagnoses a tropic disease she had possibly got in South America.
The Toast of New Orleans, 1h37
Directed by Norman Taurog
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Kathryn Grayson, David Niven, Richard Hageman, Rita Moreno, Clinton Sundberg, J. Carrol Naish
Roles Suzette Micheline
Rating59% 2.9980552.9980552.9980552.9980552.998055
Set in Louisiana in 1905, the plot revolves around Pepe Abellard Duvalle, a bayou fisherman with a natural singing talent, who falls in love with opera star soprano Suzette Micheline (Grayson). Micheline's manager (Niven) hears Duvalle sing and invites him to come to New Orleans to sing. Reluctantly, Duvalle allows himself to be groomed for the opera. At first resistant to his advances, Micheline also falls in love with Duvalle, but is disenchanted by his transformation into a cultured gentleman. Ultimately Duvalle regains his former rough charm and the romantic difficulties are resolved.
That Midnight Kiss, 1h36
Directed by Norman Taurog
Origin USA
Genres Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Ethel Barrymore, José Iturbi, Keenan Wynn, J. Carrol Naish, Jules Munshin
Roles Prudence Budell
Rating64% 3.2456253.2456253.2456253.2456253.245625
In Philadelphia, Abigail Trent Budell (Ethel Barrymore), a wealthy resident of Philadelphia and patron of the arts, supports her soprano granddaughter Prudence Budell (Kathryn Grayson) just returning from Europe after five years of training. Her grandmother sponsors an opera company run by the famous maestro Jose Iturbi (himself) to give her chance to lead an opera. They hire the also famous tenor Guido Russino Betelli (Thomas Gomez), but Prudence does not feel comfortable with him on the stage. After Prudence accidentally sees an American-Italian truck driver Johnny Donnetti (Mario Lanza) singing opera, she is instrumental in bringing Johnny to public attention by insisting that he replace the opera troupe's defecting star tenor.
The Kissing Bandit, 1h40
Directed by László Benedek
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical, Romance, Western
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, J. Carrol Naish, Mildred Natwick, Mikhail Rasumny, Billy Gilbert
Roles Teresa
Rating53% 2.655572.655572.655572.655572.65557
The film is set in the early nineteenth century. Ricardo (Frank Sinatra) is the son of a robber known as the Kissing Bandit. He however is a shy, Boston-bred young man who does not know how to sit on a horse. He falls for the daughter of the Spanish Governor of California.