The Actress (1953)

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The Actress is a 1953 American comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor and based on Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play Years Ago. Gordon also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Jean Simmons and Teresa Wright, and it features Anthony Perkins in his film debut.

Production

Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play Years Ago, directed by her husband Garson Kanin, debuted on Broadway at New York's Mansfield Theatre on December 3, 1946, starring Frederic March and his wife Florence Eldridge. The play was Gordon's second as a playwright; her first, Over 21, in which she also starred, ran on Broadway for 221 performances.

In May 1947, MGM was reportedly seeking to obtain the screen rights to Gordon's play for a sum speculated to be as high as $450,000. The studio initially planned to team Spencer Tracy with Judy Garland for the film adaptation.

In September 1950, RKO Pictures was nearing a deal for the film rights, with Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna to be the film's producers and Kanin to write the screenplay and direct. However, MGM was the studio that eventually secured the property.

Debbie Reynolds had been considered for the lead role but had conflicting commitments to Give a Girl a Break and The Affairs of Dobie Gillis. Jean Simmons, a hot property recently freed from her RKO Pictures contract, was announced in November 1952.

The film's title was changed from Years Ago to Fame and Fortune in December 1952, the title under which the film entered production the following month. Production was completed by the end of January 1953 and the title was changed to The Actress before the film's release.

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