Betsy Blair (1923–2009)

I learned about this book after reading an end-of-the-year tribute to the under-rated actress Betsy Blair in the NYT Magazine. (She was among those who died in 2009). In this 2003 memoir, she looks back on her fascinating life, including a happy marriage to the brilliant actor, dancer and choreographer Gene Kelly and, later, French director Karel Reisz, frequent socializing with Hollywood's brightest stars, and her growing interest in leftist politics. She has many stories to share about Hollywood celebrities and the film culture of the 1940s and 50s, calling L.A. "more than anything, a company town." She was nominated for an Academy Award for her pivotal role in the breakthrough working-class film, "Marty," with Ernest Borgnine. She also writes of being blacklisted. The McCarthy era split Hollywood in two, with rumors and accusations flying everywhere. Later, she moved to Paris, where she worked under directors such as Costa Gavras and Michelangelo Antonioni.

Blair comes across as a thoughtful American who was lucky enough to live in exciting times, to befriend and work with fascinating creative people, and to later recall her experiences with gratitude and insight. I would have liked to meet her.… (mehr)