MIRIAM HOPKINS AMERICAN ACTRESS BORN 1902 OCTOBER 18

MIRIAM HOPKINS AMERICAN ACTRESS

BORN 1902 OCTOBER 18

Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American film and TV actress known for her versatility.[1] She first signed with Paramount in 1930, working with Ernst Lubitsch and Joel McCrea, among many others. Her long-running feud with Bette Davis was publicized for effect. Later she became a pioneer of TV drama. Hopkins was a distinguished Hollywood hostess, who moved in intellectual and creative circles.

Career[edit]

Hopkins was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Bainbridge, near the Alabama border. In 1909 she briefly lived in Mexico. After her parents separated, she moved as a teen with her mother to Syracuse, New York, to be near her uncle, Thomas Cramer Hopkins, head of the Geology Department at Syracuse University.[2]

She attended Goddard Seminary in Barre, Vermont (which later became Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont) and Syracuse University (in New York).[2] She became estranged from her father, and when at the age of 19 she applied for a passport in 1922 in preparation for a theatrical tour of South America, she listed his address as "unknown."[3]

At age 20, Hopkins became a chorus girl in New York City. In 1930, she signed with Paramount Pictures, and made her official film debut in Fast and Loose. Her first great success was in the 1931 horror drama film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in which she portrayed the character Ivy Pearson, a prostitute who becomes entangled with Jekyll and Hyde. 

Hopkins received rave reviews, but because of the potential controversy of the film and her character, many of her scenes were cut before the official release, reducing her screen time to approximately five minutes.[4]

Nevertheless, her career ascended swiftly thereafter and in 1932 she scored her breakthrough in Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise, where she proved her charm and wit as a beautiful and jealous pickpocket. During the pre-code Hollywood of the early 1930s, she appeared in The Smiling Lieutenant, The Story of Temple Drake and Design for Living, all of which were box office successes and critically acclaimed.[5] 

Her pre-Code films were considered risqué even at that time, with The Story of Temple Drake depicting a rape scene and Design for Living featuring a ménage à trois with Fredric March and Gary Cooper. She also had success during the remainder of the decade with the romantic screwball comedy The Richest Girl in the World (1934), the historical drama Becky Sharp (1935), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, Barbary Coast (1935), These Three (1936) (the first of four films with director William Wyler) and The Old Maid (1939).[citation needed]

Hopkins was one of the first actresses approached to play the role of Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night (1934). However, she rejected the part.[6] She did audition for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, having one advantage none of the other candidates had: she was a native Georgian. But the part went to Vivien Leigh.

Hopkins had well-publicized fights with her arch-enemy Bette Davis (Hopkins believed Davis was having an affair with Hopkins' husband at the time, Anatole Litvak), when they co-starred in their two films The Old Maid (1939) and Old Acquaintance (1943).[7] 

Davis admitted to enjoying very much a scene in Old Acquaintance in which she shakes Hopkins forcefully during a scene where Hopkins' character makes unfounded allegations against Davis's. There were even press photos taken with both divas in a boxing ring with gloves up and director Vincent Sherman between the two.


Hopkins and Herbert Marshall in a publicity photo for Trouble in Paradise (1932)
After Old Acquaintance, Hopkins did not work again in films until The Heiress (1949), where she played the lead character's aunt. In Mitchell Leisen's 1951's comedy The Mating Season, she gave a comic performance as Gene Tierney's character's mother. She also acted in The Children's Hour, which is the theatrical basis of her film These Three (1936). In the remake, she played the aunt to Shirley MacLaine, who took Hopkins' original role.[citation needed]

Hopkins was a television pioneer, performing in teleplays in three decades, spanning the late 1940s through the late 1960s, in such programs as The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1949), Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1951), Lux Video Theatre (1951–1955), The Outer Limits (1964) and even an episode of The Flying Nun in 1969.

She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for motion pictures at 1701 Vine Street, and one for television at 1708 Vine Street.

Private life[edit]

Hopkins was married and divorced four times: 

first to actor Brandon Peters, 
second to aviator, screenwriter Austin Parker, 
third to the director Anatole Litvak, and 
fourth to war correspondent Raymond B. Brock. 

In 1932, Hopkins adopted a son, Michael T. Hopkins (March 29, 1932 – October 5, 2010).

She was known for hosting elegant parties. John O'Hara, a frequent guest, noted that "most of her guests were chosen from the world of the intellect...Miriam knew them all, had read their work, had listened to their music, had bought their paintings. They were not there because a secretary had given her a list of highbrows."[8]

She was a staunch Democrat who strongly supported the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.[9]

Death[edit]

Hopkins died in New York City from a heart attack nine days before her 70th birthday. Her maternal great-grandfather, the fourth mayor of Bainbridge, helped establish St. John's Episcopal Church, in Bainbridge,[10] where Miriam sang in the choir.[11]











Miriam Hopkins Born October 18, 1902 in Savannah, Georgia, USA
Died October 9, 1972 in New York City, New York, USA (heart attack)
Birth Name Ellen Miriam Hopkins
Nickname Mims
Height 5' 1½" (1.56 m)

Mini Bio (2)
Born into wealth in Savannah,Georgia on October 18, 1902, Ellen Miriam Hopkins was able to attend the finest educational institutions including Goddard Seminary in Plainfield, Vermont and Syracuse University in New York State. Studying dance in New York , she received her first taste of show business as a chorus girl at twenty. She appeared in local musicals before she began expanding her horizons by trying out dramatic roles four years later. By 1928, Miriam was appearing in stock companies on the East Coast and her reviews were getting better after having been vilified earlier in her career. In 1930, Miriam decided to try the silver screen and signed with Paramount Studios. Since she was already established on Broadway, Paramount felt they were getting a seasoned performer after the rave reviews she had received on Broadway. Her first role was in Fast and Loose (1930). The role, where Miriam played a rebellious girl, was a good start. After appearing in 24 Hours (1931), where she is killed by her husband, Miriam played Princess Anna in The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) opposite Maurice Chevalier. Still considered a newcomer, Miriam displayed a talent that had all the earmarks of stardom. She was to finish out the year by playing Ivy Pearson in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). 

Miriam began filming World and the Flesh (1932) which was not a box-office blockbuster. Later, she appeared in Dancers in the Dark (1932) with George Raft. The film was unexpectedly strong and enjoyable which served as a catalyst to propel Miriam and Raft to bigger stardom. In Two Kinds of Women (1932) directed by William C. de Mille, Miriam once again performed magnificently. Later that year she played Lily Vautier in the sophisticated comedy Trouble in Paradise (1932). A film that should have been nominated for an Academy Award, it has lasted through the years as a masterpiece in comedy - even today, film buffs and historians rave about it. Miriam's brilliant performance in Design for Living (1933) propelled her to the top of Paramount's salary scale. Later that year, Miriam played the title role in The Story of Temple Drake (1933). Paramount was forced to tone down the film's violence and character being raped to pass they Hayes Office code. Despite being watered down, it was still a box-office smash. In 1934, Miriam filmed All of Me (1934) which was less than well-received. 


Soon, the country was abuzz as to who would play Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (1939). Miriam wanted the coveted spot especially since she was a Southern lady and Georgia native. Unfortunately, as we all know, she didn't win the role. As a matter of fact, her only movie role that year was in The Old Maid (1939). By this time, the roles were only trickling in for her. With the slowdown in film work, Miriam found herself returning to the stage. 

She made two films in 1940, none in 1941, and one in 1942 and 1943, respectively. The stage was her work now. However in 1949, she received the role of Lavinia Penniman in The Heiress (1949). Miriam made only three films in the 1950's, but she had begun making appearances on television programs. Miriam made her final big screen appearance in Savage Intruder (1970). Nine days before her 70th birthday, on October 9, 1972, Miriam died of a heart attack in New York City.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson
Born in Savannah, Georgia and brought up in nearby Bainbridge, Miriam Hopkins spent most of her formative years with her maternal grandmother. She received her secondary education in Barre, Vermont and then Syracuse University. Upon graduation, she went to New York to become a ballet dancer, but instead gravitated towards Broadway revues and vaudeville instead. After ten years on the stage as a successful actress, she joined Paramount in 1930 and became one of Hollywood's top-ranking stars. She returned to the stage as her movie career slowed in the forties. During the fifties she added television to her repertoire, guesting on dramatic series, including "The Outer Limits". She died in 1972.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Herman Seifer <alagain@aol.com>

Spouse (4)
Raymond Benton Brock (23 October 1945 - 25 April 1951) (divorced)
Anatole Litvak (4 September 1937 - 11 October 1939) (divorced)
Austin Parker (2 June 1928 - 2 May 1932) (divorced)
Brandon Peters (11 May 1926 - 31 May 1928) (divorced)
Trivia (10)
Was good friends with actress Kay Francis.
Is portrayed by Sheilah Wells in The Scarlett O'Hara War (1980)
In 1932, at a time when single-parent adoption was illegal in most states, she adopted a baby boy while between marriages. She adored her son, Michael, and always called him the most important man in her life.
Turned down the part of Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night (1934). Claudette Colbert was then given the role and won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.
She was Margaret Mitchell's first choice to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939).

In July, 1972, despite concerns about her health and a premonition that she shouldn't travel, she flew to New York to attend the special screening of "Story of Temple Drake," celebrating the 60th anniversary of Paramount Pictures, followed by a gala party in her honor at the Museum of Modern Art. Just as she had feared, she suffered a major heart attack and died in her hotel suite before getting back to her California home.
She was a lifelong progressive Democrat who strongly supported the presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson. In the 1930s and '40s she served as the second vice president of the Hollywood Democratic Committee.
She is buried at Oak City Cemetary in Bainbridge, Georgia, USA [May 2011]
Had a long-running feud with Bette Davis that started before they even entered films, because of jealousy. They were both stage actresses with the same company where Hopkins had been the bigger star who first made it to Hollywood to become a star in films. They were both nominated for Best Actress Oscar in 1935, and Davis won and became the bigger star. She won her second Oscar for Jezebel (1938), which had been a flop on Broadway for Hopkins back in 1933. Davis had an affair with director Anatole Litvak, who at one point was married to Hopkins, although there have been conflicting reports whether the affair took place while he was still married to Hopkins. They competed with each other for screen time in the two films they acted together: The Old Maid (1939) and Old Acquaintance (1943). Long after Hopkins died, the only nice thing that Davis said about her was that she was a good actress, but otherwise she was a "real bitch".

Director William Wyler cast her in four films that received Academy Award nominations: These Three (1936) and its remake The Children's Hour (1961), The Heiress (1949) and Carrie (1952).
Personal Quotes (6)
I'm a bad judge of a play or film. I turned down It Happened One Night (1934). It won Claudette Colbert an Oscar. I said it was just a silly comedy.
How can a motion picture reflect real life when it is made by people who are living artificial lives?
[on being directed in 'Virginia City' by Michael Curtiz] (He was) a complete madman - mad and adorable. For twelve weeks he yelled at me and I yelled back at him. We're exactly alike.
TV is the toughest medium because there's more strain, but the theatre requires the most work. Movies are the easiest. You can sip coffee between takes.
Me temperamental? I never was. Proof of that is that I made four pictures with Willie Wyler, who is a very demanding director. I made two with Rouben Mamoulian who is the same. Two with Ernst Lubitsch, such a dear man.
I will never retire. Put that down and underline it. The world is too nice - and so have been all the breaks.
Salary (1)

The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) $1,500 /week

Filmography[edit]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1930	Fast and Loose	Marion Lenox	Hopkins's film debut
1931	The Smiling Lieutenant	Princess Anna	The first of three films Hopkins made with Lubitsch
1931	24 Hours	Rosie Duggan
1931	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde	Ivy Pearson
1932	Two Kinds of Women	Emma Krull
1932	Dancers in the Dark	Gloria Bishop
1932	The World and the Flesh	Maria Yaskaya
1932	Trouble in Paradise	Lily	Second film directed by Lubitsch and starring Hopkins
1933	The Story of Temple Drake	Temple Drake
1933	The Stranger's Return	Louise Starr
1933	Design for Living	Gilda Farrell	Third and final film Hopkins and Lubitsch made together
1934	All of Me	Lydia Darrow
1934	She Loves Me Not	Curly Flagg
1934	The Richest Girl in the World	Dorothy Hunter	First of five films Hopkins and McCrea made together
1935	Becky Sharp	Becky Sharp	Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress The first feature film made in the three strip Technicolor process
1935	Barbary Coast	Mary 'Swan' Rutledge	Second film starring Hopkins and McCrea
1935	Splendor	Phyllis Manning Lorrimore	Third film starring Hopkins and McCrea
1936	These Three	Martha Dobie	The film was adapted from the 1934 play The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman. Fourth film starring Hopkins and McCrea
1936	Men Are Not Gods	Ann Williams
1937	The Woman I Love	Madame Helene Maury	Hopkins married director Anatole Litvak shortly after this film was made. It is the only film Hopkins made with Paul Muni
1937	Woman Chases Man	Virginia Travis	Final film Hopkins and McCrea made together
1937	Wise Girl	Susan 'Susie' Fletcher
1939	The Old Maid	Delia Lovell Ralston	The first of two films Hopkins made with Bette Davis
1940	Virginia City	Julia Hayne	Hopkins co-starred with Errol Flynn
1940	Lady with Red Hair	Mrs. Leslie Carter
1942	A Gentleman After Dark	Flo Melton
1943	Old Acquaintance	Millie Drake	Second of two films Hopkins made with Bette Davis.
1949	The Heiress	Lavinia Penniman	Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1951	The Mating Season	Fran Carleton
1952	The Outcasts of Poker Flat	Mrs. Shipton/'The Duchess'
1952	Carrie	Julie Hurstwood
1961	The Children's Hour	Lily Mortar	Hopkins had starred in the original film adaptation of the play The Children's Hour entitled These Threein the role of Martha Dobie. In this film Shirley MacLaine played Martha and Miriam Hopkins played her Aunt Lily.
1964	Fanny Hill	Mrs. Maude Brown
1966	The Chase	Mrs. Reeves	Hopkins played the mother of Robert Redford's character
1970	Savage Intruder	Katharine Parker	Hopkins's last film