Killer Collaborators: Greer Carson and Walter Pidgeon

A lot has been written over the years about some classic movie couples.  Movie actors who are so closely associated that they're frequently spoken of in the same sentence.  Likely you've heard of "Tracy and Hepburn", or "William Powell and Myrna Loy", or even "John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara". And while I adore all those pairings and could go on about their films for hours, today I thought I'd focus on a classic movie couple that gets perhaps a little less attention.  I'm talking about Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon.

Greer Garson was THE queen of the movies throughout the 1940's. Forget Betty Davis, forget Joan Crawford. Greer Garson was it, and she got the classiest roles at her studio MGM.  She usually played noble, self-sacrificing, and even heroic parts.  And in most of her best performances, she was matched by Walter Pidgeon every step of the way. They made 8 pictures together, and their chemistry and warm friendship is evident in every one of them.  Tracy and Hepburn would frequently be at odds, Duke and Maureen O'Hara would have huge fights and tender reunions, and William Powell and Myrna Loy specialized in sarcasm and sophistication.  But with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon you always got warmth, genuine affection, mutual respect, and enjoyment of each others company. Perhaps it helped that they were such good friends off screen.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Blossoms in the Dust (1941) - In their first pairing, Garson and Pidgeon play Edna and Sam Gladney, a well-to-do and happily married Texas couple, who after experiencing a miscarriage are sadly unable to have more children. Eventually this leads them to become proponents of adoption. After Sam's death, Edna carries on and eventually is prominent in the fight to remove the word "illegitimate" from Texas birth records.

The first of Garson's noble and stoic roles, and her second Oscar nomination.

Mrs. Miniver (1942) - In this war-time classic, our duo play Kay and Clem Miniver, who live an idyllic middle-class family life, until they're both forced to rise to the occasion during the Battle of Britain.  Notable for it's terrific cast - including Dame May Whitty, Henry Travers, Reginald Owen, Henry Wilcoxon, and Teresa Wright (in her Oscar-winning supporting role), and for doing it's part to convince America to join the war effort.  Garson received her own well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress, and the movie was named Best Picture. You'll laugh, and cry and feel full of fortitude. A truly terrific movie, and Director William Wyler's first masterpiece.

Trivia notes: Couple of trivia tidbits for this one that might be interesting.  Shortly after the movie wrapped production, Garson married her much younger co-star who played her son.  Who knew Mrs. Miniver was a Cougar?  Another interesting tidbit - Garson has gone down in history for the longest Oscar acceptance speech, at roughly 5 and 1/2 minutes.  In today's world the orchestra would have played her off the stage and the show would have gone to commercial.

Madame Curie (1943) - Garson and Pidgeon star in the love story of Nobel prize-winning scientists Marie and Pierre Curie, and their determination to discover the element radium.  After Pierre's death, Marie carries on her life's work and becomes a noted scientist in her own right.

Julia Misbehaves (1948) - This picture features our dynamic duo at odds with each other.  Young newlyweds Julia and William Packett are prodded into a separation by his overbearing and conservative family.  It seems Julia is a former dance-hall actress, and is not at all suitable for their boy.  On her way out, Julia leaves their new-born daughter behind, so as to be raised in a proper manner.  Years later, Julia receives an unexpected invitation to her daughter's wedding.  She decides to attend the nuptials, and all sorts of hilarity then ensues.  This movie is a real treat.  For once, Garson and Pidgeon both are allowed to showcase their comedic talents.  She in a hilarious sequence with a squad of acrobats, and he with a trained seal. Seriously silly stuff, and a nice break from their rather stuffy images. Also notable for co-starring a 16-year old Liz Taylor, who receives her first on-screen kiss from a young Peter Lawford.

The Miniver Story (1950) - A sequel to the aforementioned "Mrs. Miniver", this one picks up on VE-Day in 1945.  War has changed the Miniver family.  Youngest son Toby had been sent off to America for safe keeping, daughter Judy had joined up and been stationed in Cairo, while father Clem became an army officer stationed in Europe, and Mother Kay held down the fort in England.  As the family comes back together for the first time in years, obvious changes have taken place and they have to not only become re-acquainted, but deal with new crises.

Panned by the critics when it was first released, and nowhere near the financial success the others were, this movie is not really given it's due credit.  As a sequel, there some holes in it, not least of which is how quickly the kids have grown in so short a time (they were much younger in the original), and what in the world became of oldest son Vin (it's never mentioned).  But if you can suspend disbelief, get away from the sequel idea and take it on it's own merits, then it's a really sweet and tender movie.  Garson and particularly Pidgeon are at the top of their game, and I literally balled through the last half of it.

Getting Your Irish On

In honor of St. Paddy's Day, we present 4 great family movies for putting your Irish on.

Rudy (1993) - Starring Sean Astin in the true story of Rudy Ruettiger, who dreams his entire life of attending Notre Dame, and playing on the football team, despite the fact that he comes from a poor family, lacks the good grades, and the athletic talent.  Through persistence, perseverance, and belief in himself, he's able to make his dreams come true.

Return to Me (2000) - Starring Minnie Driver and David Duchovny.  Minnie is a heart transplant recipient who falls in love with the widowed husband of her donor.  Co-starring some terrific character actors, among them Carroll O'Connor, Robert Loggia, David Allen Grier, Bonnie Hunt and Jim Belushi.  O'Connor and Loggia play Minnie's grandfather and uncle, co-owners of the Irish-Italian restaurant where she works, and first meets Duchovny.  Sweet and funny.

Knute Rockne, All-American (1940) - Speaking of Notre Dame, this is the story of Notre Dame's great football coach, Knute Rockne, played by Pat O'Brien, and how he turned the football team into a national powerhouse. Co-starring the Gipper himself, Ronnie Reagan, as legendary player George Gipp, who tells Rock with his dying breath to go out and "win one for the Gipper".

The Quiet Man (1952) - Starring The Duke as a former prizefighter who goes home to Ireland and falls in love with Irish Lass Maureen O'Hara.  There's plenty of feuding, fighting, and drinking, all of it masterfully directed by John Ford and co-starring several regulars from his stock company, Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, Barry Fitzgerald, and Ward Bond, to name a few.  A movie my family treasures and quotes from on a regular basis.