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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00


@MarnieRez3 wrote:
@Oznell
@mousiegirl
et al
Thank you for recommending this movie! I had never seen "Nora Prentiss" and I loved it. I am not really that familiar with Ann Sheridan...wow, she IS a beauty..."lugubrious glamour" indeed, Oz. Her hair was Veronica Lake luscious and her outfits...fantastic! She smolders onscreen.
I also have never seen Rosemary De Camp as a young actress, although I'm familiar with her later work in film and on TV. She is so talented, and I have always loved her rather matronly voice and demeanor, even as a younger actress. She was perfect as the loyal wife in this movie. And a young Robert Alda too! Wow! What a great cast.
The biggest surprise, though, for me personally was the lead actor Kent Smith. This is the first time I've seen him in anything. What a great-looking, suave actor. The epitome of the 1940s "tall, dark and handsome" casting call. I must Google him, as I don't think he was ever a big star.
Thanks again to all for this heads-up. I'm from California so it was great to see all the old footage of San Francisco.

 

 

@MarnieRez3   I was born in SF, and DH works in SF, so now I am more anxious to see this film.

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

From IMBD on KENT SMITH, who was a Philips Exeter and Harvard grad....


"He was one of Hollywood's more interesting curiosities. Kent Smith, by most standards, had the makings of a topflight 40s and 50s film star -- handsome; virile; personable; highly dedicated; equipped with a rich stage background; no slouch in the talent department. For some reason all these fine qualities did not add up and stardom would remain elusive in a career that nevertheless covered almost five decades. Today, Smith's name and face has been almost completely forgotten. His solid body of work on stage, screen and TV certainly defies such treatment. Perhaps his looks weren't distinctive enough; perhaps he was overshadowed once too often by his more popular female screen stars; perhaps there was a certain lack of charisma or sex appeal for audiences to latch onto; perhaps a lack of ego or even an interest in being a "name" star. Whatever the reason, this purposeful lead and second lead's resumé deserves more than a passing glance."
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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

@mousiegirl
Oh then you will recognize SO many places! Can't wait for you to see it...the black and white noir moodiness makes SF look even more beautiful. Enjoy!
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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

Hey, @MarnieRez3, I've always had a weakness for Kent Smith too!  He's got this sweetly boyish, all-American quality that appeals.  Another film you'll want to catch him in, is "Cat People", a macabre Forties' cult film adored by critics.  Here a bemused Kent contemplates the statue owned by his beloved, a girl with a mysterious, Transylvania-esque pedigree, played by Simone Simon:

 

 

Much later in his career, he played a tycoon who becomes an ally and supporter of "architect, David Vincent" (Roy Thinnes) in the fabulous, Quinn Martin-produced Sixties' sci fy TV series, "The Invaders"....

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00


@Oznell wrote:

@mousiegirl,  "The Unfaithful" is my favorite Ann Sheridan movie!  Plus it has the benefit of having adorable Zachary Scott as her hubbo...

 

@Shelbelle, so glad you mentioned that.  Went on a search, and found an interview that a guy named John Kobal did with her from that period in the Sixties.  It is a fab interview-- she must have liked him, and clearly he loved her, her authenticity and charm.  She tells story after story about her Hollywood days.  Wonderful read.  Here's the link:

 

http://www.ann-sheridan.com/Ann_Sheridan_Interviews/Ann_Sheridan_John_Kobal_Interview.html



That was so interesting. I am glad you posted the link. Sad to read that she died at 51.

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

@Oznell @drizzellla 

 

Agreed! This Ann Sheridan interview is terrific. She TURNED DOWN "Mildred Pierce!!!"

Wow - that might have made her a massive star!

 

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

@Oznell 

 

I honestly had never heard of Kent Smith!

 

But...When I googled and saw that he was largely forgotten these days, it made me sad. He was so well-educated and trained in classical theater.

It has always interested me why someone like a George Brent or a Robert Taylor became so well-known, while an actor like Kent Smith, who, as you said, has a boyish and delightful quality, falls just short of being a major star.

 

I must see Cat People -- it IS always mentioned as a crazy, cult picture and I DO love and adore kitties! Simone Simon, there's an interesting face, hmm?

 

I have never seen The Invaders either!

 

 

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

@Shelbelle 

 

Wait - Ann Sheridan was on ANOTHER WORLD!!????

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00


@MarnieRez3 wrote:

@Shelbelle 

 

Wait - Ann Sheridan was on ANOTHER WORLD!!????


Yes, she and Constance Ford joined the show at the same time, Ford was Ada Davis, and Sheridan was herf riend, but cannot think of her character name. 

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Re: "NORA PRENTISS" ANN SHERIDAN, KENT SMITH SATURDAY MIDNIGHT EASTERN TCM, SUNDAY 10:00

Another World (TV Series) 
Kathryn Corning (1965-1966)

 

Ann Sheridan on AW, this was her character name.