The Country Girl (1954)

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Alden	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
George Chakiris	...	Dancer with pick (uncredited)
Les Clark	...	Actor (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	Actor (uncredited)
Allan Douglas	...	Man (uncredited)
Don Dunning	...	Expressman (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	First-nighter (uncredited)
Neva Gilbert	...	Lady (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Police desk sergeant (uncredited)
Chester Jones	...	Ralph, dresser (uncredited)
Howard Joslin	...	Actor (uncredited)
Richard Keene	...	Actor (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Drunken table extra (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Actor (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Theatregoer / Party guest (uncredited)
Ida Moore	...	First woman (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Jon Provost	...	Johnnie Elgin (uncredited)
Ruth Rickaby	...	Second woman (uncredited)
Jack Roberts	...	Man (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Diner at Sardi's (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Sarah Selby	...	Theatregoer (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	First photographer (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Expressman (uncredited)
Katherine Warren	...	Theatregoer (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
George Seaton

Writing credits
Clifford Odets		(play)
George Seaton		(screenplay)

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer
George Seaton	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
John F. Warren		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ellsworth Hoagland

Art Direction by
Roland Anderson
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Grace Gregory

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francisco Day	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Gene Merritt	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Music Department
Robert Alton	....	musical sequence stager

Other crew
Arthur Jacobson	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (video)

Also Known As:

Country Girl (Australia) (TV title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 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:

In a great many of his films, Bing Crosby played lighthearted comedy and musical roles as a singer or songwriter, however he demonstrated a talent as a fine dramatic actor and provide the screen with several highly acclaimed dramatic performances including this one.

Quotes:

Bernie Dodd: Does your wife really want you to play this part?
Frank Elgin: Yeah, she's all for it
Bernie Dodd: I was just wondering. The day I met her, she seemed a little difficult about terms and rather domineering, I thought.
Frank Elgin: She wasn't always like that
Bernie Dodd: Oh I know, I know. They all start out as Juliets and wind up as Lady Macbeths.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dallas: Country Girl (#12.15)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

The Land Around Us

Surprisingly superb performances

I accidentally came across this movie on a classic movie channel and decided to watch. I have never considered Bing Crosby or Grace Kelly to be academy award winning actors, and I knew little of William Holden's acting abilities. I was both surprised and moved to tears in watching the compelling performances of these actors. I forgot that they were the "stars" and only saw them as the desperate individuals that they portrayed. I also realized that scripts like those no longer appear in contemporary films. Each word chosen for it's precision, poignancy and heart. Also surprising is how well the disease of alcoholism was understood even at that time, although there are sadly still many in society today who lack that level of sophistication to fully comprehend the agonizing aspects of alcoholism both to the individual addict and his family. Brilliantly performed by all! Thank you.