Best Actress 1950, Part 2: Eleanor Parker and "Caged"

This is a review of Eleanor Parker's Oscar-nominated performance in "Caged".
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
03:18 The Beginning of Eleanor's career
21:10 Caged
30:17 My Review
You can find the reviews of the other Best Actress nominees of 1950 here: • Review 1950
Ressources:
"Screened out. Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall" by Richard Barrios
"A Woman's View. How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930-1960" byJeanine Basinger
"The Women of Warner Brothers. The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies" by Daniel Bubbeo
"Female Masculinity" by Judith Halberstam
"framed. Lesbians, Feminists, and Media Culture" by Judith Mayne
"Eleanor Parker. Woman of a Thousand Faces" by Doug McClelland
"Eleanor Parker. Stop Button Sum ups" by Andrew Wickliffe
Music
Hanging Out - Bruno E.
#eleanorparker #academyawards #bestactress #oscars #caged #annebaxter #bettedavis #gloriaswanson #katharinehepburn #judyholliday

[@oscarman42]

Even though Parker likely came in 5th, her performance was Oscar-worthy, and in a less competitive year, she could have won.

[@Nicovertime]

This is unfortunately true and I don't think it's outrageous to suggest that's she's the strongest fifth in history in the category

[@oscarman42]

@Nicovertime That's a fair and accurate statement!

[@dudeforcaster8630]

When I lived in NYC I won at auction a Louis XVI style Duchesse en bateau which belonged to Eleanor Parker.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

oh WOW!

[@issakelly8071]

I'm so happy you're back. What a great lineup of actresses!! A veritable treaure trove of talent and performances

[@jbspeare]

The most literate, well-thought out and fair assessments I’ve yet to read.

[@user-wm2mq7rz2s]

Fritz, well worth the wait! So good to hear you again. Wonderful work on one of my favorite actresses.

[@douglaso6428]

Thank you for this excellent presentation! I searched tonight to understand more about the nominations of 1950 because I have known for many years about Judy Holiday's win and it was hard to feel good about that having loved the performances of Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis. How wonderful to find an entire segment on Eleanor Parker and the movie "Caged"! You made me realize that I don't know a thing about Eleanor Parker, even though I have loved film for most of my life including studying film history in college and even teaching it for several years when I had the opportunity. The way you presented Ms. Parker's career and her personal attitude towards acting and filmmaking and Hollywood was done with honesty and integrity. Thank you so very much for your commitment and care, for illuminating an important person in cinema history.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

thanks so much for watching and your nice words! I also have videos about the other 1950 nominees if you care about them :)

[@slc2466]

Fantastic video- great to see you back, and love all your research here, resulting in a great review of Parker's early career, then her breakthrough in "Caged." Love her dramatic in work in this (IMO she definitely places higher than #5 among the nominees) and "Detective Story" (which, by running time, is the shortest performance to gain a Best Actress nomination, but you can see why Parker got the nod for her vivid work). However, in her autobiography Parker's costar Patricia Neal stated Eleanor was one of the funniest people she ever worked with, which Parker wasn't usually allowed to demonstrate onscreen after scoring so big in dramatic roles (with "Scaramouche" a glorious exception).

[@tantalavita6015]

I adored her...great acting range,beauty & glamour!!!!

[@CrissyRed]

This was absolutely awesome! I am so grateful for your hard work!

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@sanfordpress8943]

Fritz,you're amazing. I can't think anyone else who is so gifted in telling Hollywood's story

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much 🥰

[@barrylangford3276]

Agreed 100%

[@FritzandtheOscars]

@@barrylangford3276 ❤️❤️

[@j.d.youtube6557]

Great review. Keep them coming!

[@JoshMcSkimming]

I just wanted to thank you for these videos, they are so well put together and information dense, filled with lyrical insights and charm. I've been a fan of your content since the blog and these videos are a brilliant progression!

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks so much for watching and staying for so long! 😊

[@faith2461]

Thanks for this. Eleanor is quite possibly my favorite actress next to Deborah Kerr. She was so talented!!

[@barrylangford3276]

Thank you for this wondrous insight into Eleanor's early career. It's a mystery to me why she was not recognised by the Academy for The Sound of Music, a performance that deserved not only a nomination but the award itself.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Totally agree, that should have been an easy win for her

[@waynej2608]

She and Barbara Stanwyck never won an acting Oscar. It's mind-blowing to me.

[@johnfulton4061]

Did you see the winner Shelley Winters in A Patch of Blue?

[@barrylangford3276]

@@johnfulton4061 Yes, a brilliant performance and l hugely admire Shelley's work, but it is easier to be outstanding in such a big, showy role. Eleanor's subtle playing of Baroness Schraeder was magnificent.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

@@johnfulton4061 yes but I have to be honest that she is one of my least favorite winners

[@mjc4real]

Great, as always, Fritz... I hope you're having a great year so far... Your videos and research and presentation bring such a highlight to when ever they are presented to us.. They are always such a gift... I learned so much about Eleanor and I can't wait for the other 1950 profiles... It's going to be a good year, thanks to your work and passion..(!)

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thank you so much! :)

[@DavidN369]

Brilliant, totally brilliant. Thank you.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks a lot!

[@jiananlee5482]

First! Thank goodness you’re back. I’m just running out of good new movie reviews content to watch ❤❤

[@willieluncheonette5843]

my short review from a few years ago Saw CAGED (1950) for the first time this week.. Excellently directed by John Cromwell and photographed by Carl Guthrie, this women behind bars prison drama is fast paced and exciting. The acting by Eleanor Parker, Agnes Moorehead, Hope Emerson, Betty Garde and Ellen Corby is first rate. Parker and Emerson were both nominated for Academy Awards. Virginia Kellogg and Bernard C. Schoenfeld were also nominated for best screenplay. This is a hold nothing back look at the realities of prison life with dashed hopes of parole, suicides, and sadistic prison guards (another hair raising, terrific performance by Emerson) The socially conscious side of the film, prison reform, is presented fairly and realistically with far from an upbeat outlook. Moorehead, as the one kind prison administrator is hamstrung by the forces stacked against her. The ending, nailing down the complete transformation of the once innocent Parker, is particularly disturbing. The film opens with a very expressive shadowy noir shot through the window of a truck bringing girls to the prison. From then on I knew Caged was going to be a fine film. Not sure I would want to see it again, however. It's harrowing and grim but as I said, very well done and definitely should be seen.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks for this!

[@willieluncheonette5843]

@@FritzandtheOscars Thanks for highlighting this film and actress.

[@slc2466]

I have a piece on "Caged" I wrote on my blog ("And Your Little Blog, Too") a few years ago, focusing on that incredible cast (one of the most perfectly chosen ever, IMO).

[@jeffpagan7735]

One of my favorites. This was her opus.

[@KrueMann1992]

Eleanore Parker should’ve won, she’s so so good in Caged!!

[@johnsax1445]

“Thanks for the haircut”. Classic.

[@PeterFitzgerald]

I appreciate your attention to every detail, Fritz, especially in the quality of your clips. 1950 is the penultimate year for Best Actress Oscar robberies. Even though I love Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday it's hard to argue that anyone but Bette Davis would have been the sure winner (if not for Anne Baxter!). Gloria Swanson, as wonderfully mad in Sunset B. but a little too out there by the end to be a real contender. I agree that Eleanor Parker's overly dramatic in Caged and almost every other role. But, that was the style of movie acting then. Really, could any of these actresses made it in today's boring Hollywood? Hell no. But, that's why I love film. It still transports us to a time when true excellence was almost commonplace. Keep making these please. BTW - wouldn't it be something to be able to see the ballot count for this year?

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Oh, I would love to see the results for that year!

[@jamesa.romano8500]

Regardless who who people think was the rightful Best Actress winner of 1950, I think we can all agree that Hope Emerson was robbed for the Supporting Actress Oscar ... that has to be one of the most sadistic screen characters I've ever watched...

[@FritzandtheOscars]

I actually think Josephine Hull was the correct winner that year

[@fred3467]

No Hope Emerson deserved the supporting actress award. Her performance was amazing in its brutality.

[@oscarman42]

💯She stole the film from a strong ensemble!

[@jamesa.romano8500]

@@oscarman42 She was munching on chocolates while terrorizing the inmates for crying out loud LOL

[@oscarman42]

@@jamesa.romano8500 What a great performance!

[@jimc6054]

Great video Fritz. I look forward to the next one. For anyone interested in her later work, Parker had strong performances on TV. Two come to mind: the materialistic mother of Sally Field in “Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring” (free on amazon prime) and the nasty mother in law in the TV version of “Madame X”.

[@howardstern8249]

Brilliant video, watched it twice! I always thought she should have won the Oscar for this performance! One mistake you made is the pronunciation of her character's name which is MARIE ( Ma ree) ALLEN (al an) . Thanks.

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks for watching and pointing that out. Pronunciation is not my strongest talent 😀

[@sanfordpress8943]

She was so special ❤

[@OMGitstheBRITTS]

great content as usual. can you please cover Gena Rowlands?

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Thanks a lot! I cannot promise anything at the moment , I'm too busy with 1950 to think ahead

[@derrionbrown3923]

Yay Fritz!!!

[@ericmartin9296]

Caged was a really good movie

[@jamesmelvin2357]

The results of this year as in votes are the holy grail of the Oscar’s . I do wish they would be revealed . I’d predict that bette was 2nd and Gloria 3rd Baxter 4th and Parker 5th

[@jeffreysuggs2799]

Maybe, just maybe

[@Count1jt]

I seen Caged and I do agree that this is Eleanor Parker finest performance. Eleanor character is not strong enough to compete with Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis and Ann Baxter. Those three women look out are golden.

[@fitnessfreak7851]

Yaaaaassss!!!!

[@larkpraise]

Gloria Swanson gave the performance of the ages and should have won. But Eleanor Parker should have come in next followed by Judy Holliday, Bette Davis (Always Overrated) and Anne Baxter last. Parker was superb in Caged!

[@jeffreysuggs2799]

Bette Davis, overrated? Your opinion, after all, there are some who believe Streisand & Aretha can't sing

[@issakelly8071]

I think the only weak link of this year is Anne Baxter for All About Eve, but she's still quite good. But Eleanor is definitely a strong contender

[@jamesmelvin2357]

My theory of why Judy Holliday won is this . I think the voters probably assumed that Bette would win and other viewers would vote for her so they decided to vote for a performance they actually really liked , Judys .

[@johnsax1445]

I think it was so close between Bette and Gloria that it split the vote.

[@tateandemmy]

Born in Ohio.

[@adamodeo9320]

your criticism is somewhat contradictory - please check yourself

[@FritzandtheOscars]

Of course, Stranger