The Country Girl (1954)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

George Seaton

Writers:

Clifford Odets (play)
George Seaton (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 May 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

How far should a woman go...to redeem the man she loves?

Plot:

A director hires an alcoholic has-been and strikes up a stormy relationship with the actor's wife, whom he believes is the cause of all the man's problems.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Alcoholic | Actor | Alley | Guilt

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	Frank Elgin
Grace Kelly	...	Georgie Elgin
William Holden	...	Bernie Dodd
Anthony Ross	...	Philip Cook
Gene Reynolds	...	Larry
Jacqueline Fontaine	...	Lounge singer
Eddie Ryder	...	Ed
Robert Kent	...	Paul Unger
John W. Reynolds	...	Henry Johnson

Also Known As:

Country Girl (Australia) (TV title)
Ein Mädchen vom Lande (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Une fille de la province (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Amar É Sofrer (Brazil) [pt]
Dziewczyna z prowincji (Poland) [pl]
Het buitenmeisje (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
I horiatopoula (Greece) [el]
La angustia de vivir (Spain) [es]
La que volvió por su amor (Chile) [es]
La ragazza di campagna (Italy) [it]
Mannen du gav mig (Sweden) [sv]
Mies jonka minulle annoit (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #17063, General Audience) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (2004) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Changes to Canadian video ratings standards in the late 1980s resulted in this classic being slapped with an R rating, making it illegal to rent or sell it to anyone under the age of 18. No reasons were ever suggested for this rating (which was later changed), though it is possible it may have been confused with a porn film of the same name.

Quotes:

Georgie Elgin: Let's say I try my small way to help
Bernie Dodd: That's what my ex-wife used to keep me reminding of, cheerfully. She had a theory that behind every great man there was a great woman. She also was thoroughly convinced that she was great and all I needed to qualify was guidance on her part.
Georgie Elgin: Still does not prove that the theory is completely wrong. I imagine one can go through history and find a few good examples.
Bernie Dodd: It's a pity that Leonardo da Vinci never had a wife to guide him, he might have really gotten somewhere.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Land Around Us

Extraordinary performance make this a must-see!

It has long been assumed that, had the music been eliminated from "The Country Girl" and, in the process, taking emphasis off Bing Crosby's singing and more on his acting, he would have certainly beaten Marlon Brando for the Oscar of 1954. Crosby is extraordinary in this film, playing an alcoholic, washed-up actor/singer with few if any redeemable qualities. William Holden, as the director of a new Broadway musical, insists that Bing be cast in the lead role, even though he is painfully aware of the actor's history. Grace Kelly is Bing's misunderstood wife. While all three performances are first rate, it is Crosby who stands so far above the others, especially considering Hollywood's idea of realism in 1954. Kelly, on the other hand, who DID win an Oscar as best actress, seems workmanlike but not of that acting calibur. Miss Kelly was such a glamorous "star" that simply putting her in a frumpy housedress does not a plain and ordinary housewife make! Her last scene, in which she appears in a very elegant evening gown (but with glasses to downplay her beauty) is completely unconvincing. But, taken as a whole, "The Country Girl" is great video viewing!