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Post by spiderwort on Jul 25, 2024 4:36:56 GMT
The Group Theatre was a collective theater group based in New York City that was formed in 1931 by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg, who invited 29 actors to join. It was responsible for formally introducing the Stanislavski system to the American theatre and films. From 1931 to 1941 they produced some outstanding Broadway productions, including Golden Boy, Awake and Sing!, and Waiting for Lefty. L-R: Cheryl Crawford, Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, ca. 1931 ![]()  The Group founders and members, ca. 1933, too many to identify Elia Kazan (arms raised high) in the Group Theatre production of Clifford Odet’s Waiting for Lefty (1935). Kazan would later become one of the most important directors in film and theatre history.
The first Group member to appear in a film was Franchot Tone in The Wiser Sex (1932). Fellow member John Garfield's first film was Four Daughters (1938). But a number of other Group Theatre actors (Luther Adler, Stella Adler, Howard Da Silva, Morris Carnovsky, Lee J. Cobb and Elia Kazan, among others) also appeared in films around the time John Garfield did. Luther Adler, his sister, Stella (later the great acting teacher), and Morris Carnovsky first appeared in films in 1937. Lee J. Cobb's first film was in 1934, but his first major role was Golden Boy in 1939 (at 28 playing the father of William Holden).
 Elia Kazan's first film acting role was with James Cagney in City For Conquest (1940).  Frances Farmer, who had visited the Moscow Art Theatre (run by Constantin Stanislavski) before her Hollywood career began, made four films in 1936 that made her a star. After that she joined the Group Theatre and starred on Broadway in, among other productions, Golden Boy (1937), produced by The Group (and written by playwright member, Clifford Odets). Francis Farmer and Luther Adler in Golden Boy (1938).  Frances Farmer and then husband and fellow Group member, Leif Erickson ca. 1936 When it comes to the kind of actor thought of as a true "method" actor who was also a film star before the 1950s, I think most people would choose John Garfield (probably rightly so) -- though anyone who studies Franchot Tone's work carefully can see the Group's influence on him throughout his film career.  Other notable members of the Group Theatre who came to films slightly later were Harry Morgan, Canada Lee, Will Geer, and John Randolph, among others. And Martin Ritt, an actor in The Group, later became a prominent director. The Group was a profoundly influential and important organization. When it ended in 1941, Kazan missed it and was inspired to start the Actors Studio in 1947, along with original Group members Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis. But Kazan preferred directing, so he turned the reins of the Studio over to Lee Strasberg in 1951. Although it only lasted ten years, I think the influence of the Group on theatre and film acting and directing was unquestionably monumental. |
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Post by spiderwort on Jul 26, 2024 13:24:54 GMT
I'm adding this caveat to be fair: there were a couple of prominent actors who worked in Hollywood during the time of the Group Theatre and the Actor's Studio, who were not members of either, but who also utilized the Stanislavski method -- Maria Ouspenskaya, who was trained by Stanislavski himself at the Moscow Art Theatre. She received two Oscar nominations, for Dodsworth (1937) and Love Affair (1940). And Michael Chekhov, the nephew of the great playwright Anton Chekhov, who was also trained by Stanislavski himself. He received an Oscar nomination for Spellbound (1946). Both were extremely gifted actors.
Also, film director Richard Boleslawski was trained by Stanislavski at the Moscow Art Theatre. And both he and Maria Ouspenskaya started their own schools in New York teaching the Stanislavski method before the Group Theatre was founded, though their schools never had the broad reach the Group Theatre had. Ouspenskaya founded the School of Dramatic Art in New York in 1929, and Boleslawski created the American Laboratory Theatre in New York in 1923, which suffered a rather quick financial collapse (though Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg, and Stella Adler all studied there, learning the Stanislavski method). That led Boleslawski to Hollywood where he directed some notable films, including Rasputin and the Empress (1932) (all three Barrymores appearing together), Men in White (1934) (Clark Gable and Myrna Loy), The Painted Veil (1934) (Greta Garbo), and Les Misérables (1935), before his early death. His legacy lives on through his book, "Acting--The First Six Lessons," which is predicated upon the Stanislavski method.
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Post by jervistetch on Jul 27, 2024 0:52:53 GMT
Thank you for this presentation, Spider. It’s amazing to think of the ripple effect that this “Group” would have on all of us. Even just simple movie lovers like myself. Was Lee J. Cobb born old? He’s only 28 years old in that picture. How have I never seen GOLDEN BOY? My shame is real. I have to remedy this situation soon. I think Cobb is the third from the left, top row in this picture. Correct me if I’m wrong. He must have been born old like Benjamin Button.   |
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Post by spiderwort on Jul 27, 2024 1:46:41 GMT
jervistetch Thanks so much for your comments. I really appreciate them. And yes, indeed, I think Cobb may have been a bit of a Benjamin Button. I believe in that picture he is actually 5th from the left in the back row, slightly bald; I wonder if he wore toupees throughout his career, or if he was bald at that time for a role? Don't know. To his left is Leif Ericson; beneath him is Harold Clurman; beneath Clurman is Frances Farmer; next to her is Robert Lewis, one of the founders, along with Elia Kazan and Cheryl Crawford, of the Actors Studio; and in front of Lewis is Kazan. And yes, you need to see Golden Boy! It's a winner. If memory serves, Barbara Stanwyck fought for the very young William Holden to be in the film. And later, when her career took a bit of a dive, he insisted that she be in Executive Suite. I think they were friends for life. Thanks again for your appreciation and for your comment about the "ripple" effect. That was exactly my point.
EDIT: Here's a trailer for Golden Boy.
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Post by jervistetch on Jul 27, 2024 2:10:13 GMT
Oh, you’re right, Spider. That is Cobb, fifth from the left. The third from the left guy is somebody, though. He looks so familiar.
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Post by spiderwort on Jul 27, 2024 2:59:07 GMT
Oh, you’re right, Spider. That is Cobb, fifth from the left. The third from the left guy is somebody, though. He looks so familiar. Yes, he looks familiar to me, too. I wonder if it might be Sanford Meisner, who later became a prominent acting teacher at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and was known for the Meisner Technique, which was born out of his introduction to the Stanislavski method at The Group Theatre.
Yes, it is Meisner! I found a photo in this wikipedia article: Sanford Meisner (scroll down to get to the picture)
He taught many wonderful actors through the years, including Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Sydney Pollack, Eli Wallach, James Caan, Steve McQueen, Suzanne Pleshette, Jon Voight, and many, many more, as the article notes.
In his day, Meisner was as important a teacher as Strasberg was at the Actor's Studio and Stella Adler was with her students Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, Cloris Leachman, and Anthony Quinn, among many, many more.
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Post by jervistetch on Jul 27, 2024 3:43:50 GMT
Nice detective work, Spider! Yes, Meisner, Strasberg and Adler may be responsible for most of what we hold dear about our love of the cinema.
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Post by spiderwort on Jul 27, 2024 3:54:26 GMT
Nice detective work, Spider! Yes, Meisner, Strasberg and Adler may be responsible for most of what we hold dear about our love of the cinema. Absolutely, jervistetch! I couldn't agree more. |
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Post by Teleadm on Jul 27, 2024 14:13:49 GMT
Thanks for this introduction spiderwort ! Somehow Group Theatre and Actor's Studio has been enmeshed into having been the same in my foreign mind but now I understand the difference. Golden Boy the movie is well worth watching, William Holden already had the charisma to carry him through a long career.   Read a book written by a left leaning Swedish critic and why he loved "Some Americans", as the book was named, and one of those was John Garfield who had a chapter for himself, and his first experience. Forced by family to watch Four Daughters and the revelation to see John Garfield, never had he seen such an intense performance in a movie that was in general otherwise.  One last thing, didn't those associated with Group Theatre come under the scrutiny of HUAC? |
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Post by spiderwort on Jul 27, 2024 14:50:52 GMT
Thanks for this introduction spiderwort ! Somehow Group Theatre and Actor's Studio has been enmeshed into having been the same in my foreign mind but now I understand the difference. Golden Boy the movie is well worth watching, William Holden already had the charisma to carry him through a long career. Read a book written by a left leaning Swedish critic and why he loved "Some Americans", as the book was named, and one of those was John Garfield who had a chapter for himself, and his first experience. Forced by family to watch Four Daughters and the revelation to see John Garfield, never had he seen such an intense performance in a movie that was in general otherwise. One last thing, didn't those associated with Group Theatre come under the scrutiny of HUAC? You're quite welcome, Teleadm . And thanks for the story about John Garfield in Four Daughters. I think that pretty much sums up the impact the Group Theatre had on film acting.
As for HUAC, yes, unfortunately several members were later called to testify before HUAC, including Garfield. Also, Elia Kazan, Lee J. Cobb, Clifford Odets, Howard de Silva, Will Geer, Canada Lee, and Michael Gordon. Some were blacklisted, some were not. Martin Ritt wasn't called, but was nevertheless blacklisted. That was a terrible time in our history, a true national disgrace.
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Post by ZolotoyRetriever on Aug 15, 2024 22:31:32 GMT
Very informative, spiderwort. Thanks for posting.
In case you or anyone else is interested, there is a ~90-minute PBS documentary about The Group Theater, on YouTube:
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Post by spiderwort on Aug 16, 2024 12:50:23 GMT
Very informative, spiderwort . Thanks for posting.
In case you or anyone else is interested, there is a ~90-minute PBS documentary about The Group Theater, on YouTube:
Bless you, ZolotoyRetriever !! I saw this when it first aired a long time ago, and it was wonderful, with Joanne Woodward as the host as I recall. I highly recommend it to everyone, and I will definitely be watching it again myself. Can't get enough of this remarkable history. I'm so glad you found it, however you did.
EDIT: I looked it up, and it first aired on PBS' "American Masters" in 1989: Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre. Joanne Woodward was the host (and co-producer), accompanied by several other stars and directors, including Paul Newman, Ellen Burstyn, Shelley Winters, Katherine Hepburn, and Sydney Pollack, along with every living member of The Group, which in itself is amazing. |
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Post by spiderwort on Aug 20, 2024 22:38:20 GMT
Adding this, about the Stanislavski influence on acting on stage and film down through the years. It's quite informative, and I think it helps contextualize this thread a bit more. It's also brief.
And I learned this interesting bit about director Joshua Logan (actually I think I knew it, but forgot it long ago): When he was at Princeton University, he was was involved with the intercollegiate summer stock company, known as the University Players, with fellow student James Stewart and also non-students Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan. And before his graduation, he won a scholarship to travel to Moscow to observe the rehearsals of Konstantin Stanislavski, where he learned a great deal about what was called the Stanislavski system (it only became known as the "method" decades later when Lee Strasberg took over the Actors Studio). LINK 1 LINK 2 |
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Post by spiderwort on Aug 26, 2024 0:11:40 GMT
Adding another American Masters -- Harold Clurman: A Life of Theatre (1989), narrated by Meryl Streep, with some prominent actors, playwrights and directors making comments. And for the record, Clurman did direct two films, so his work was not entirely in the theatre (though that is where his real contribution was).
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