Post by timshelboy on Aug 19, 2024 19:45:40 GMT
Dana Andrews played in some classic 40s movies - especially memorable in Noir, especially blossoming when working for Otto Preminger.
He was born in 1909 Mississippi and made his debut in 1940s THE WESTERNER supporting Gary Cooper.
Fox picked up his option and he co-starred in 3 Bs LUCKY CISCO KID, SAILORS LADY and KIT CARSON
He was featured in TOBACCO ROAD (41), less salacious than the novel but with Gene Tierney (their first of 5 together) a memorable farm slut.
He was second lead to Randolph Scott in Tierney's lady outlaw epic BELLE STARR
He got into a couple of good films - As Stanwyck's gangster boyfriend in BALL OF FIRE and finally a lead (albeit 4th billed) in Renoirs strong SWAMP WATER With Walter Brennan in SWAMP WATER
He played another second lead (to Tyrone Power) in the popular CRASH DIVE
His next was as the object of a lynch mob - William Wellman's excellent OX BOW INCIDENT (with Henry Fonda)
War detained him on screen if not real life (he was medically unfit) THE NORTH STAR, THE PURPLE HEART, A WING AND A PRAYER and UP IN ARMS
LAURA alone guarantees him classic film immortality - as the detective fascinated by the portrait of a dead girl....
He had another smash hit opposite Jeanne Crain (the first of four together) in STATE FAIR. Although he had a good baritone voice he allowed himself to be dubbed so the dubber didn't lose work. Sounds like a nice kinda guy.
FALLEN ANGEL was another successful Noir - this time with Linda Darnell
A WALK IN THE SUN was a well received war film
CANYON PASSAGE was an enjoyable Western with Susan Hayward
The most prestigious film he appeared in was as one of three returning war veterans in William Wyler's THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. His Co-stars Fredric March and Harold Russell both won oscars but not even a nomination for Dana. With Teresa Wright.
BOOMERANG for Kazan kept his standing high - but the next batch lost him some of this standing. Including - DAISY KENYON ( although he was more animated than usual as Crawford's spiv....and now billed above Henry Fonda) for Preminger again - THE IRON CURTAIN , a weak anti red thriller- BRITANNIA MEWS in a double role - SWORD IN THE DESERT, about the Middle East and Palestine.
The downward trend was halted temporarily by MY FOOLISH HEART, a highly successful adaptation of a JD Salinger story, paired with Susan Hayward
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS gave him a good role as a corrupt cop - his final one with Gene Tierney
I WANT YOU didnt repeat for Korea what TBYOOL did for WW2
He played the "other" man in ELEPHANT WALK with Liz Taylor
SMOKE SIGNAL was a jolly Western he did around this time.
DUEL IN THE JUNGLE his second with Jeanne Crain
He finished off his Noir CV with WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS AND BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (both 1956) for Fritz Lang (here directing Ida Lupino and Dana in the former)
NIGHT OF THE DEMON has a fairish cult attached to it . No such joy for SPRING REUNION, a forgotten tearjerker set at a school reunion SPRING REUNION cast him opposite a fairly restrained Betty Hutton
He was drunk on set for much of ENCHANTED ISLAND - and no wonder - Jane Powell was the cannibal princess!
ZERO HOUR is now something of a camp classic having been spoofed by AIRPLANE
He was still up in the air in THE CROWDED SKY
MADISON AVENUE aimed for MAD MEN territory and failed.
with 1965 he upped his work schedule taking featured roles now IN HARMS WAY and THE LOVED ONE were the best movies
He hit the European trail augmented Stateside by the hilarious HOT RODS TO HELL (on the shelf for 3 years)
He was quite active on TV in the 70s - A SHADOW ON THE STREETS, THE FIRST 36 HOURS OF DR DURANT and THE LAST HURRAH are three that passed me by - sources welcome.
Back on the big screen he was in AIRPORT 75
His last significant movie was Kazan;s THE LAST TYCOON (76)
Thanks for reading