Geraldine Fitzgerald was the only actress to appear as both
Laurence Olivier's
wife and
Rodney Dangerfield's mother-in-law, which surely qualifies her as running
the gamut (if not the gauntlet, in the latter case) of A to Z for
co-starring with cinema immortals. The Irish lass appeared in many
masterpieces of Hollywood's Golden Age, including
Wuthering Heights (1939) and
Dark Victory (1939),
to say nothing of her late-career screen work in the blue-collar
white-trash classic,
Easy Money (1983).
She was born in Dublin, Ireland, on November 24, 1913, and made her
theatrical debut at her hometown's Gate Theater in 1932. She appeared
in English films from 1934 to 1937 before emigrating to New York City,
where she acted with
Orson Welles (who had appeared at the Gate when he was
all of 16 years old as a protƩgƩ of
MicheĆ”l MacLiammĆ³ir). In 1938 she made her
Broadway debut with Welles' Mercury Theater in their production of
George Bernard Shaw's "Heartbreak House," but her connection with Welles was
sundered when she was signed by a Warner Bros. talent scout and
decamped to Hollywood. Her first American film turned out to be a
masterpiece. Her portrayal of Isabella, the wife of Olivier's
Heathcliff in
William Wyler's "Wuthering Heights" brought her a Best
Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in her very first role in
Tinseltown. She followed that up with a supporting turn in the
Bette Davis
three-hankie tearjerker "Dark Victory." Other major films she appeared
in at Warner Bros. were
Shining Victory (1941),
The Gay Sisters (1942) and
Watch on the Rhine (1943), but her career
was stymied by a rebellious streak. Like Warner Bros. divas Davis and
Olivia de Havilland, Fitzgerald refused roles she disliked and was put on
suspension by the studio. Unlike Davis and de Havilland, however, she
never won an Oscar, nor did she ever become a star. She matured into a character actress, appearing in a wide variety of
quality movies, including
Ten North Frederick (1958),
The Pawnbroker (1964),
Rachel, Rachel (1968) and
Harry and Tonto (1974). In
later years she appeared in several hit comedies, among them
Arthur (1981).
Fitzgerald appeared on Broadway and off-Broadway in many plays,
including revivals of the works of Irish-American playwright Eugene
O'Neill (I)'; she was Mary Tyrone in a 1971 off-Broadway production of
"Long Day's Journey into Night" opposite
Robert Ryan and was in the 1977
Broadway revival of "A Touch of the Poet" with
Jason Robards. She also
appeared earlier that year on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony
Award-winning play "The Shadow Box." The previous year she had
performed in her own cabaret act for a one-week engagement on Broadway,
which she then revived in New York nightclubs as "Streetsongs." In
addition to singing, she would reminisce about her life. Later, she
received Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for directing "Mass
Appeal," a play about Catholic priests.
Geraldine Fitzgerald died in New York City on July 19, 2005, of
complications from Alzheimer's disease. She was 91 years
old.
Geraldine Fitzgerald at Reno Sweeney(1978)
Bump in the Night(1991)as Mrs. Beauchamps
The Golden Girls(1985)as Anna, Martha
Arthur 2: On the Rocks(1988)as Martha Bach
A Year in the Life(1987)as Mrs. Wilbourne
CBS Summer Playhouse(1987)as Mabel
Working in the Theatre(1976)
Bye Bye Monkey(1978)
The Merv Griffin Show(1962)
Studio One Forever(2023)as Self
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History(2014)as Wilson
The Mango Tree: Interview with Christopher Pate(2009)as Self, Grandma Carr
12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(2006)as Self - In Memoriam
