Marty (1955)

Born Elizabeth Winifred Boger in Cliffside Park, NJ. She is proud to say that she was a sympathizer who asked to join the Hollywood section of the Communist Party. She was turned down, because she was then the wife of Gene Kelly and the Party leadership thought that her membership might endanger Kelly's stature as one of the film industry's most dedicated progressives. Kelly was on the planeload of celebrities who flew to Washington, D.C., in October 1947 to oppose the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings. Even afterward, when most of the liberal contingent of Hollywood caved in to the anti-Communist hysteria, Kelly stayed loyal to left-wing friends and beliefs. So did his wife, whose name, courtesy of Red Channels, was soon added to the blacklist. She and Kelly divorced in 1957 after 15 years of marriage. Originally a dancer in a nightclub revue choreographed by Kelly, she played one lead on Broadway, then entered films in 1947. Although usually playing second leads, she won critical acclaim, an Oscar nomination, and the Cannes Festival Award for best actress in 1955 for her lead role in MARTY, a role that was almost denied to her because of her political associations. However, critical acclaim and awards meant nothing in Hollywood during the blacklist era. Apart from an undistinguished B Western (THE HALLIDAY BRAND, 1957), the actress never got another offer from Hollywood in the 1950s or 1960s. She moved to France in the mid-50s, and then to England, where she lived with her second husband, director Karel Reisz, to whom she was married from 1963 until his death in 2002. In Europe, she starred in several films, including Bardem's MAIN STREET (1956) / THE LOVEMAKER / CALLE MAYOR, and Antonioni's THE OUTCRY (1957) / IL GRIDO. Since the mid-1970s, she has made sporadic appearances on television series and mini-series.  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1955: MARTY 1 nomination