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Mary Astor is a Actor American born on 3 may 1906 at Quincy (USA)

Mary Astor

Mary Astor
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Birth name Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke
Nationality USA
Birth 3 may 1906 at Quincy (USA)
Death 25 september 1987 (at 81 years) at Woodland Hills (USA)
Awards Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Best remembered for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon (1941), Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s. She eventually transitioned to talkies, but nearly saw her career destroyed due to public scandal in the mid-1930s. She was sued for support by her parents and was later branded an adulterous wife by her ex-husband in a custody fight over her daughter. Overcoming these stumbling blocks in her private life, Astor went on to greater success on screen, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Great Lie (1941). She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player through most of the 1940s and continued to work in film, on television, and on stage until her retirement in 1964. Astor was the author of five novels. Her autobiography was a bestseller, as was her later book, A Life on Film, which was specifically about her career. Director Lindsay Anderson wrote of her in 1990: "that when two or three who love the cinema are gathered together, the name of Mary Astor always comes up, and everybody agrees that she was an actress of special attraction, whose qualities of depth and reality always seemed to illuminate the parts she played.

Biography

Célèbre pour son rôle de Brigid O'Shaughnessy dans Le Faucon maltais (1941) avec Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor commence adolescente sa longue carrière dans le cinéma muet au début des années 1920.

Elle finit par s’adapter avec succès au cinéma parlant, mais sa carrière est entachée d'un scandale au milieu des années 1930. Elle est poursuivie en justice par ses parents puis marquée par le sceau infamant de l’adultère par son ex-mari dans la lutte qu’ils mènent pour la garde de leur fille. Des extraits de son journal intime paraissent dans les journaux. Surmontant ses obstacles, elle connaîtra encore la fortune à l'écran, jusqu’à remporter l’Oscar de la meilleure actrice dans un second rôle pour son interprétation de Sandra Kovak dans Le Grand Mensonge (1941). Le réalisateur Lindsay Anderson dit à son propos : «...quand deux ou trois cinéphiles se croisent, le nom de Mary Astor finit toujours par être évoqué, et tout le monde s’accorde sur l'attrait qu'elle produit, dont la profondeur et la réalité semblent toujours mettre en valeur les rôles qu'elle joua. » Elle poursuit sa carrière, au cinéma, à la télévision et au théâtre jusqu'aux années 1960. Elle se retire en 1964.

Elle est également l’auteur de cinq romans. Son autobiographie fut un best-seller, tout comme son dernier livre, A Life on Film, qui traitait uniquement de sa carrière.


Enfance
Elle est née Lucile de Vasconcellos Langhanke à Quincy (Illinois) le 3 mai 1906, la seule enfant de Otto Ludwig Langhanke (2 octobre 1871-3 février 1943) et Helen Marie de Vasconcellos (19 avril 1881-18 janvier 1947).

Best films

Little Women (1949)
(Actress)
Fiesta (1947)
(Actress)
Dodsworth (1936)
(Actress)
The Great Lie (1941)
(Actress)
Holiday (1930)
(Actress)
The Hurricane (1937)
(Actress)

Usually with

Cedric Gibbons
Cedric Gibbons
(12 films)
Max Steiner
Max Steiner
(8 films)
Orry-Kelly
Orry-Kelly
(8 films)
Max Rée
Max Rée
(5 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Mary Astor (103 films)

Display filmography as list

Actress

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, 2h13
Directed by Robert Aldrich
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes Children's films
Actors Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Cecil Kellaway, Mary Astor
Roles Jewel Mayhew
Rating74% 3.7471853.7471853.7471853.7471853.747185
In 1927, young belle Charlotte Hollis (Bette Davis) and her married lover, John Mayhew (Bruce Dern), plan to elope during a party at the Hollis family's antebellum mansion in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. However, after Charlotte's father intimidates him, telling him that John's wife had visited the day before and revealed the affair, John pretends he no longer loves Charlotte and tells her they must part.
Youngblood Hawke, 2h17
Directed by Delmer Daves, Robert Totten
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Films about writers
Actors James Franciscus, Suzanne Pleshette, Geneviève Page, Eva Gabor, Mary Astor, Lee Bowman
Roles Irene Perry
Rating60% 3.0019553.0019553.0019553.0019553.001955
Based on the 1962 novel of the same name, Youngblood Hawke is about a Kentucky truck driver, (James Franciscus), who moves to New York City with dreams of becoming a hot-shot writer. Almost immediately he meets editor Jeanne Green, (Suzanne Pleshette). She sees great promise in Hawke's writing and falls for the handsome Kentuckian while helping him put together his first book deal. His first novel is moderately successful, but is soon transformed into a Broadway play by a has-been stage actress. Jeanne discovers that Youngblood has an effect on a great many women, so she takes a new job at a new publishing company. Soon after, Hawke's second novel is heralded and he becomes the toast of the town. He then has an affair with a married socialite. His third novel bombs and is also panned by critics. Hawke's financial state declines and he has to move back to Kentucky. While in Kentucky working on his next book, he contracts pneumonia just before realizing that Jeanne was his true ideal woman.
Hollywood Without Make-Up
Directed by Ken Murray
Origin USA
Genres Documentary
Themes Documentary films about business, Documentary films about the film industry, Documentary films about cities
Actors Kirk Douglas, Ken Murray, Cary Grant, June Allyson, George K. Arthur, Eddie Albert
Roles Self (archive footage)
Rating71% 3.578353.578353.578353.578353.57835
The film consists of archive footage of famous Hollywood stars, mostly home movies showing the stars as themselves instead of playing a role in front of the camera.
Return to Peyton Place, 2h3
Directed by José Ferrer, David S. Hall
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Actors Carol Lynley, Tuesday Weld, Jeff Chandler, Eleanor Parker, Mary Astor, Robert Sterling
Roles Mrs. Roberta Carter
Rating59% 2.9647752.9647752.9647752.9647752.964775
The film takes place some eight to ten years after the events of the original Mark Robson movie.
A Stranger in My Arms
Directed by Helmut Käutner
Genres Drama, War, Romance
Themes Transport films, Aviation films, Political films
Actors Jeff Chandler, June Allyson, Sandra Dee, Mary Astor, Charles Coburn, Peter Graves
Roles Virgilnie Beasley
Rating60% 3.043623.043623.043623.043623.04362
A Korean War pilot, Pike Yarnell, a major, survives a jet crash in the Pacific Ocean, as does Donald Beasley, his navigator. After many days on a raft, Donald dies.
This Happy Feeling, 1h32
Directed by Blake Edwards
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy
Themes Films based on plays
Actors Debbie Reynolds, Curd Jürgens, John Saxon, Alexis Smith, Mary Astor, Estelle Winwood
Roles Mrs. Tremaine
Rating58% 2.9025252.9025252.9025252.9025252.902525
Nita Holloway, a woman romantically involved with veteran actor Preston "Mitch" Mitchell, tries to persuade him to come out of retirement to appear in a Broadway play as the father of a character played by a new teen idol, Tony Manza.
The Devil's Hairpin
Directed by Cornel Wilde
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action
Themes Sports films, Transport films, Films about automobiles, Auto racing films, Road movies
Actors Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, Mary Astor, Arthur Franz, Morgan Jones, Larry Pennell
Roles Mrs. Jargin
Rating60% 3.047133.047133.047133.047133.04713
Nick Jargin retired from auto racing undefeated. He is continually goaded by Mike Houston, a sportswriter, to come out of retirement and challenge the top racer of the day, Tony Botari, particularly after egotistically saying in an interview that Botari has no real competition now that he's out of the sport.
A Kiss Before Dying, 1h34
Directed by Gerd Oswald
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Crime, Romance
Themes Medical-themed films, Films about psychiatry
Actors Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Virginia Leith, Joanne Woodward, Mary Astor, George Macready
Roles Mrs. Corliss
Rating66% 3.3457653.3457653.3457653.3457653.345765
Bud Corliss (Robert Wagner) is an ambitious student who is wooing Dorothy Kingship (Joanne Woodward) purely for her father's mining fortune. When he discovers that Dorothy is pregnant with his child, he realizes she is quite likely to be disinherited by her wealthy family. He assures Dorothy that he'll take care of her, yet he hesitates when Dorothy insists on marrying. Bud then murders Dorothy and stages it in a way that it appears to be a suicide. He then reaches out to her sister Ellen (Virginia Leith) with the hopes of marrying her in order to ingratiate himself with her father. After a couple of months Ellen finds evidence to question the suicide verdict, and then discovers that Bud knew Dorothy. Ellen struggles to avenge her sister and save her own life.
The Power and the Prize, 1h38
Directed by Henry Koster
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Actors Robert Taylor, Burl Ives, Mary Astor, Cedric Hardwicke, Charles Coburn, Richard Erdman
Roles Mrs. George Salt
Rating60% 3.0487953.0487953.0487953.0487953.048795
Although he is scheduled to wed his boss George Salt's niece that weekend, Amalgamated World Metals vice chairman Cliff Barton is sent to London to conduct a business deal that will enrich the firm. Salt considers him a protege and intends to turn over control of the company to Barton someday, insisting to him that business always comes first.
The Prisoner of Zenda, 1h36
Directed by John Cromwell, Richard Thorpe
Origin USA
Genres Adventure
Themes Monde imaginaire, Politique, Théâtre, L'usurpation d'identité, Political films, Films based on plays, Escroquerie, Films about royalty
Actors Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Louis Calhern, Robert Douglas, Jane Greer
Rating68% 3.4476353.4476353.4476353.4476353.447635
Rodolphe Rassendyll, un touriste anglais, arrive à Strelsau, capitale d'un pays imaginaire d'Europe Centrale, la Ruritanie. Il y rencontre un lointain cousin dont il est le parfait sosie, le prince héritier Rodolphe V. Celui-ci doit être couronné Roi le lendemain, mais à l'issue de la soirée que les deux parents éloignés passent ensemble, le futur souverain ne peut être ranimé : il a bu un vin drogué par une complice de son demi-frère, Michael de Strelsau, lequel escompte se proclamer Régent du Royaume, en l'absence à la Cérémonie du Couronnement de Rodolphe V, puis faire assassiner ce dernier pour accéder ainsi au Trône. Mais deux fidèles du prince légitime, le Colonel Zapt et Fritz von Tarlenheim, font accepter par Rassendyll qu'il joue le rôle de souverain au couronnement, grâce à cette providentielle ressemblance. Les choses se compliquent lorsque Rodolphe V, toujours endormi, est enlevé le même jour par le mercenaire Rupert de Hentzau ; en outre, Rassendyll tombe amoureux de la Princesse Flavia, promise en mariage au prince héritier.
Little Women, 2h1
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama, Romance
Themes Films about writers, Films about families, Political films, Children's films
Actors Elizabeth Taylor, June Allyson, Janet Leigh, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Peter Lawford
Roles Marmee
Rating72% 3.6010453.6010453.6010453.6010453.601045
In the small town of Concord, Massachusetts, during the Civil War, the March sisters — Meg (Janet Leigh), Jo (June Allyson), Amy (Elizabeth Taylor) and Beth (Margaret O'Brien) — live with their mother in a state of genteel poverty, their father having lost the family's fortune to an unscrupulous businessman several years earlier. While Mr. March (Leon Ames) serves in the Union Army, Mrs. March (Mary Astor), affectionately referred to as "Marmee" by her daughters, holds the family together and teaches the girls the importance of giving to those less fortunate than themselves, especially during the upcoming Christmas season. Though the spoiled and vain Amy often bemoans the family's lack of material wealth and social status, Jo, an aspiring writer, keeps everyone entertained with her stories and plays, while the youngest March, the shy and sensitive Beth, accompanies Jo's productions on an out-of-tune piano.
Any Number Can Play, 1h52
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Actors Clark Gable, Wendell Corey, Alexis Smith, Audrey Totter, Frank Morgan, Mary Astor
Roles Ada
Rating67% 3.395213.395213.395213.395213.39521
Casino owner Charley Enley Kyng (Clark Gable) is advised by his physician to slow down, after being diagnosed with a heart disease. Charley supports his own family as well as his wife's sister, Alice (Audrey Totter) and her husband, Robbin (Wendell Corey). Charley quits drinking and smoking and vows to spend more time with his wife and son.
Act of Violence, 1h22
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, John Sturges
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Noir, Crime
Actors Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Bruce Bennett, Volkert Kraeft, Elsa Lanchester
Roles Pat
Rating74% 3.744093.744093.744093.744093.74409
Frank Enley (Van Heflin), returns home from World War II after surviving a German POW camp where the rest of his comrades had been murdered by guards during an escape attempt. The "war hero" is respected and praised for his fine character and good works in the California town of Santa Lisa, where he, his young wife and baby had settled after moving from the East. What his wife doesn't know is that Frank relocated them to get away from Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan), once his best friend, who also lived through the ordeal, though he was left with a crippled leg. In exchange for food, Frank had alerted the Nazi camp commander to their escape plans, thinking wrongly that the men would not be punished, and Joe is now determined finally to exact justice on Frank, whose location he has learned from a newspaper story commending him for his civic endeavors.