Eva Marie Saint

Eva Marie Saint

Born July 4, 1924 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Occupation Actor

Years active 1948–present

Spouse Jeffrey Hayden nee Levine (Married in 1951) (2 children)

Eva Marie Saint is an American actress who has starred in films, on Broadway and television in a career spanning seven decades. She won an Academy Award for her feature film debut in On the Waterfront (1954), and later appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller North by Northwest (1959). Saint received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for A Hatful of Rain (1957) and won an Emmy Award for the miniseries People Like Us (1990). Her film career also includes a lead role in Exodus (1960) and supporting roles in Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), and Superman Returns (2006).

Early life

Saint was born in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of Eva Marie (née Rice) and John Merle Saint.[1] She attended Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar, New York, graduating in 1942. Eva Marie was inducted into the high school's hall of fame in 2006. She studied acting at Bowling Green State University, while a member of Delta Gamma Sorority. There is a theater on Bowling Green's campus named for her. She was an active member in the theater honorary fraternity, Theta Alpha Phi.

Early television career

Saint's introduction to television began as an NBC page.[2] In the late 1940s, she began doing extensive work in radio and television before winning the Drama Critics Award for her Broadway stage role in the Horton Foote play The Trip to Bountiful (1953), in which she co-starred with such formidable actors as Lillian Gish and Jo Van Fleet. In 1955, she was nominated for her first Emmy for "Best Actress In A Single Performance" on The Philco Television Playhouse for playing the young mistress of middle-aged E. G. Marshall in Middle of the Night by Paddy Chayevsky. She won another Emmy nomination for the 1955 television musical version of the Thornton Wilder classic play Our Town with co-stars Paul Newman (in his only musical) and Frank Sinatra. Her success and acclaim were of such a high level that the young Saint earned the nickname "the Helen Hayes of television."

Film debut

Saint in On the Waterfront, 1954 Saint's first feature motion picture role was in On the Waterfront (1954), directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando — a performance for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her role as Edie Doyle (whose brother's death sets the film's drama in motion), which she won over such leading contenders as Claire Trevor, Nina Foch, Katy Jurado, and Jan Sterling also earned her a British Academy of Film and Television Award nomination for "Most Promising Newcomer." In his New York Times review, film critic Bosley Crowther wrote:

"In casting Eva Marie Saint — a newcomer to movies from TV and Broadway — Mr. Kazan has come up with a pretty and blond artisan who does not have to depend on these attributes. Her parochial school training is no bar to love with the proper stranger. Amid scenes of carnage, she gives tenderness and sensitivity to genuine romance."[3]

In a 2000 interview in Premiere magazine, Saint recalled making the hugely influential film:

“ [Elia] Kazan put me in a room with Marlon Brando. He said, 'Brando is the boyfriend of your sister. You're a Catholic girl and not used to being with a young man. Don't let him in the door under any circumstances.' I don't know what he told Marlon; you'll have to ask him — good luck! [Brando] came in and started teasing me. He put me off-balance. And I remained off-balance for the whole shoot. ”

The watershed success of the film launched Saint into many of the best known films of her early screen career. They include starring with Don Murray in the pioneering drug-addiction drama, A Hatful of Rain (1957), for which she received a nomination for the "Best Foreign Actress" award from the British Academy of Film and Television, and the lavish Civil War epic Raintree County, opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift.

Hitchcock blonde era

in North by Northwest, 1959 Legendary director Alfred Hitchcock surprised many by choosing Saint over dozens of other candidates for the femme fatale role in what was to become a suspense classic North by Northwest (1959) with Cary Grant and James Mason. Written by Ernest Lehman, the film updated and expanded upon the director's early "wrong man" spy adventures of the '30s, '40s, and '50s, including The 39 Steps, Young and Innocent, and Foreign Correspondent. North by Northwest became a box-office hit and an influence on spy films for decades. The film ranks number forty on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time.

At the time of the film's production, much publicity was garnered by Hitchcock's decision to cut Saint's waist-length blonde hair for the first time in her career. Hitchcock explained at the time, "Short hair gives Eva a more exotic look, in keeping with her role of the glamorous woman of my story. I wanted her dressed like a kept woman — smart, simple, subtle and quiet. In other words, anything but the bangles and beads type." The director also worked with Saint to make her voice lower and huskier and even personally chose costumes for her during a shopping trip to Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

The change in Saint's screen persona, coupled with her adroit performance as a seductive woman of mystery who keeps Cary Grant (and the audience) off-balance, was widely heralded. In his New York Times review of August 7, 1959. critic Bosley Crowther wrote, "In casting Eva Marie Saint as [Cary Grant's] romantic vis-a-vis, Mr. Hitchcock has plumbed some talents not shown by the actress heretofore. Although she is seemingly a hard, designing type, she also emerges both the sweet heroine and a glamorous charmer." In 2000, recalling her experience making the picture with Cary Grant and Hitchcock, Saint said, "[Grant] would say, 'See, Eva Marie, you don't have to cry in a movie to have a good time. Just kick up your heels and have fun.' Hitchcock said, 'I don't want you to do a sink-to-sink movie again, ever. You've done these black-and-white movies like On the Waterfront. It's drab in that tenement house. Women go to the movies, and they've just left the sink at home. They don't want to see you at the sink.' I said, 'I can't promise you that, Hitch, because I love those dramas.'"

Mid-career

Although North by Northwest might have propelled her to the top ranks of stardom, she elected to limit film work in order to spend time with her husband since 1951, director Jeffrey Hayden, and their two children. Nevertheless, in the 1960s, Saint continued to distinguish herself in both high-profile and offbeat pictures. She co-starred again with Paul Newman in the historical drama about the founding of the state of Israel Exodus (1960), directed by Otto Preminger. She also co-starred with Warren Beatty, Karl Malden, and Angela Lansbury as a tragic beauty in the 1962 drama All Fall Down. Based upon a novel by James Leo Herlihy and a screenplay by William Inge, the film was directed by John Frankenheimer.

She was seen with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the melodrama The Sandpiper for Vincente Minnelli, and with James Garner in the World War II thriller 36 Hours, directed by George Seaton. Saint joined an all-star cast in the comedic satire The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, directed by Norman Jewison and the international racing drama Grand Prix presented in Cinerama and directed by Frankenheimer. Although she was announced as the leading lady opposite Steve McQueen in Jewison's ultra-stylish romantic caper film The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), the meteoric rise of newcomer Faye Dunaway, who was cast instead, cost Saint a glamorous and sexy role.

In 1970, she received some of her best reviews for Loving, co-starring as the wife of George Segal in a critically-acclaimed but underseen drama about a commercial artist's relationship with his wife and other women. Because of the mostly second-rate film roles that came her way in the 1970s, Saint returned to television and the stage in the 1980s. She appeared in a number of made-for-TV movies and played the mother of Cybill Shepherd on the hit television series Moonlighting over a three-year period. She received an Emmy nomination for the 1977 miniseries How The West Was Won, and a 1978 Emmy nomination for Taxi!!!.

[edit] Later career

Saint in September 1990Saint returned to the big screen for the first time in over a decade as Tom Hanks’ mother in the Garry Marshall-directed comedy Nothing in Common (1986). Critics applauded her return to features, but Saint was soon back on the small screen in numerous projects.

After receiving five nominations, Saint won her first Emmy Award for the 1990 miniseries film People Like Us. She appeared in a number of television productions in the 1990s and was cast as the mother of Frasier Crane's radio producer, Roz Doyle, in a 1999 episode of the hit comedy series Frasier.

In 2000, she returned to feature films once again in I Dreamed of Africa with Kim Basinger. In 2005 she co-starred with Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard in Don't Come Knocking. Also in 2005, she appeared in in the family film Because of Winn-Dixie, co-starring Annasophia Robb, Jeff Daniels and Cicely Tyson.

In 2006, Saint appeared in Superman Returns, as Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Superman, alongside Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and a computer-generated performance from her On The Waterfront co-star Marlon Brando.

Saint has appeared in a number of television specials and documentaries, particularly in the past decade, including The Making of North by Northwest, which she narrated and hosted. In 2009, she made a rare public appearance at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony as a Best Supporting Actress presenter.

She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for motion pictures at 6624 Hollywood Boulevard, and television at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard.

[] Personal life

Saint has been married to producer/director Jeffrey Hayden ( nee Levine) since October 28, 1951. They have two children, Darryl (born April 1, 1955) and Laurette (born July 19, 1958), and three grandchildren.

[ Filmography

Year Film Role Notes

1947 A Christmas Carol Television movie

1949 Lights Out TV, 1 episode

Suspense Francie TV, 1 episode

1949-1950 Actor's Studio TV, 3 episodes

1949-1953 Studio One TV, 3 episodes

1950 The Prudential Family Playhouse TV, 1 episode

1950-1951 Buck Rogers Wilma Deering TV, 41 episodes

1950-1952 One Man's Family Claudia Barbour Roberts #2 TV

1950-1951 Versatile Varieties TV, unknown episodes

1953 The Trip to Bountiful Thelma Television movie

ABC Album Cousin Liz TV, 1 episode

The Web TV, 2 episodes

Eye Witness TV, 1 episode

The Revlon Mirror Theater TV, 1 episode

1953-1954 Goodyear Television Playhouse Frances Barclay TV, 2 episodes

The Philco Television Playhouse TV, 4 episodes, Nominated for Best Actress Emmy

1954 On the Waterfront Edie Doyle Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Nominated for BAFTA award

General Electric Theater Maudle Applegate TV, 1 episode

1955 Producers' Showcase TV, 2 episodes, Nominated for Best Actress Emmy

1956 That Certain Feeling Dunreath Henry

1957 A Hatful of Rain Celia Pope Nominated for Best Foreign Actress BAFTA

Nominated for Golden Globe

Nominated for Laurel Award

Raintree County Nell Gaither

1959 North by Northwest Eve Kendall

1960 Exodus Kitty Fremont

1962 All Fall Down Echo O'Brien

1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Diane Wescott TV, 1 episode

Carol for Another Christmas The Wave Television movie

1965 36 Hours Anna Hedler

The Sandpiper Claire Hewitt

1966 The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming Elspeth Whittaker

Grand Prix Louise Frederickson

1968 The Stalking Moon Sarah Carver

1970 Loving Selma Wilson

1972 Cancel My Reservation Sheila Bartlett

1974 The First Woman President Oklahoma Red Television movie

1976 The Macahans Kate Macahan Television movie

The Fatal Weakness Television movie

1977 How the West Was Won Katherine "Kate" Macahan Miniseries, Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy

1978 Taxi!!! Passenger Television movie, Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy

A Christmas to Remember Emma Larson Television movie

1979 When Hell Was in Session Jane Denton Television movie

1980 The Curse of King Tut's Tomb Sarah Morrissey Television movie

1981 The Best Little Girl in the World Joanne Powell Television movie

Splendor in the Grass Mrs. Loomis Television movie

1983 Malibu Mary Wharton Television movie

Jane Doe Dr. Addie Coleman Television movie

1983-1984 The Love Boat Priscilla TV, 4 episodes

1984 Love Leads the Way: A True Story Mrs. Eustes Television movie

Fatal Vision Mildred Kassab Television movie

1986 A Year in the Life Ruth Gardner Miniseries

Nothing in Common Lorraine Basner

The Last Days of Patton Mrs. Beatrice Ayer Patton Television movie

1986-1988 Moonlighting Virginia Hayes TV, 6 episodes

1987 Breaking Home Ties Emma Television movie

1988 I'll Be Home for Christmas Television movie

1990 Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair Marilyn Klinghoffer Television movie

People Like Us Lil Van Degan Altemus Television movie

Won Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy

1991 Palomino Caroline Lord Television movie

1993 Kiss of a Killer Mrs. Wilson Television movie

1995 My Antonia Emmaline Burden Television movie

1996 Mariette in Ecstasy Mother Saint-Raphael

After Jimmy Liz Television movie

Titanic Hazel Foley Miniseries

1997 Time to Say Goodbye? Ruth Klooster

1999 Frasier Joanna Doyle TV, 1 episode

2000 I Dreamed of Africa Franca

Papa's Angels Dori "Grammy" Jenkins Television movie

2003 Open House Veronica Reynolds Television movie

2005 Because of Winn-Dixie Miss Franny

Don't Come Knocking Howard's Mother

2006 Superman Returns Martha Kent

[e] Awards and nominations

Year Group Award Film or series Result

1955 Academy Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role On the Waterfront Won

1999 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award - Won

2000 Savannah Film and Video Festival Lifetime Achievement Award - Won

2004 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival King Vidor Memorial Award - Won

2007 Golden Boot Awards - - Won

1955 BAFTA Award Most Promising Newcomer to Film On the Waterfront Nominated

1958 BAFTA Award Best Foreign Actress Hatful of Rain Nominated

1955 Emmy Award Best Actress in a Single Performance The Philco Television Playhouse (Episode: "Middle of the Night") Nominated

1956 Emmy Award Best Actress - Single Performance Producers' Showcase (Episode: "Our Town") Nominated

1977 Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series How the West Was Won Nominated

1978 Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special Taxi!!! Nominated

1990 Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special People Like Us Won

1958 Golden Globe Award Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama A Hatful of Rain Nominated

1958 Laurel Awards Top Female Dramatic Performance A Hatful of Rain 3rd Place

[edit] References

^ Eva Marie Saint Biography (1924-)

^ Buckley, Cara (2008-10-14). "For NBC Pages, ‘Please Follow Me’ Is a Fervent Wish". The New York Times: p. A23. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/nyregion/14page.html?_r=2&hp&oref.... Retrieved 2009-03-26.

^ New York Times. July 30, 1954

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eva Marie Saint 

Eva Marie Saint at the Internet Movie Database

Idol Chatter: Eva Marie Saint

On Life Between Brando’s Babe and Superman’s Mom (Moving Pictures Magazine interview)