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Posted: |
Jan 15, 2018 - 12:07 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Jean Porter had a supporting role in 1945's ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD. The comedy is set in the movie capital of the world, at Mammoth Studios, where "'Buzz' Kurtis" (Bud Abbott) and his pal,"Abercrombie" (Lou Costello), are employees at the Hollywood Shop, "Barber to the Stars," with "Ruthie" (Jean Porter), Abercrombie's girlfriend and roommate of their closest friend, "Claire Warren" (Frances Rafferty), taking reservations over the telephone.
Jean recalls: “I was only the manicurist girlfriend to Lou, running in and out of the picture. The only thing I hated was that Lou, Frances Rafferty, Bob Haymes [billed in the film as Bob Stanton] and I had a lavish musical number, ‘Coca Bola Tree’, which was to end the film. We shot it on the Esther Williams set which was built into an amusement park setting. There was a singing group and a big band. It was the best part I had in the picture—and they cut it out! They thought the picture ran too long. It was heartbreaking! I later did a lot of TV shows with Bud and Lou. They liked me from this picture, and they used me over and over again.”
S. Sylvan Simon directed the film, which had musical direction by George Bassman. Four musical numbers from the film (including "The Cocobola Tree") were released in 2003, as a bonus on the Rhino Handmade CD of the score for BEST FOOT FORWARD. After the disappointing performance of the film at the box office, MGM dropped its option to produce more Abbott & Costello films.
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Posted: |
Jan 15, 2018 - 12:38 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Jean Porter moved into dramatic roles with her part in the 1946 post-war drama TILL THE END OF TIME. MGM loaned Porter to RKO to replace Shirley Temple in the picture. In the film, after he is discharged from the Marines, twenty-one-year-old "Cliff Harper" (Tom Tully) returns to his home in Los Angeles. At his parents' empty house, Cliff meets his new neighbor, "Helen Ingersoll" (Porter), a vivacious college freshman, who is immediately starstruck by the decorated hero. The film was directed by Edward Dmytryk, whom Porter would marry in 1948. They would remain together until his death in 1999. Leigh Harline provided the unreleased score for the film.
Jean: “It was a good job but I felt I was going backwards, being cast as a teenager again. But I did meet my future husband, Edward Dmytryk—it was around October, 1945.”
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The perky 5-foot-tall, 98-pound Porter was signed to her first Hollywood contract at MGM.
I really love these bios you do, Bob. Thanks so much. I was just hoping on Jean that you could add one more film of hers to your tribute, 1951's Cry Danger. This is one of my favourite film noirs and Jean was fabulous in it even though she has a relatively small part. She was one of three surviving stars (the other two still with us are Rhonda Fleming and Richard Erdman).
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In 1951's CRY DANGER, ex-con "Rocky Mulloy" (Dick Powell) seeks the real culprit in the crime he was framed for--in a night world of deceptive dames and double crosses. Richard Erdman plays "Delong," the decorated, disabled Marine who provided Rocky with the alibi that finally freed him. And Jean Porter is "Darlene," Delong's girl friend. CRY DANGER marked the first feature-film directing credit for Robert Parrish, a former editor and actor. Emil Newman and Paul Dunlap provided the unreleased score.
Thanks so much Bob for the addition! I love this film!
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