The Country Girl (1954)
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83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
73% of users liked it
(2,982 ratings)
Bing Crosby does the Academy Award-bid bit in the atypical role of a self-pitying alcoholic, but it was his co-star, a deglamorized Grace Kelly, who won the Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl. This adaptation of Clifford Odets' play stars Crosby as Frank Elgin, a once-famous Broadway… More Bing Crosby does the Academy Award-bid bit in the atypical role of a self-pitying alcoholic, but it was his co-star, a deglamorized Grace Kelly, who won the Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl. This adaptation of Clifford Odets' play stars Crosby as Frank Elgin, a once-famous Broadway star who's hit the skids. Hotshot young director Bernie Dodd (William Holden), a longtime admirer of Elgin, tries to get the old-timer back on his feet with a starring role in a new play. But Dodd must contend with Elgin's hard, suspicious wife Georgie, who seemingly runs roughshod over her husband. Dodd holds Georgie responsible for Elgin's lack of self-confidence and his reliance upon the bottle--a suspicion fueled by Elgin himself, who insists that Georgie has been suicidal ever since the death of their son. When Elgin goes on a monumental bender during the play's out-of-town tryouts, the truth comes out: it is Elgin who is suicidal, and Georgie has been the glue that has held him together. Adopting a now-or-never stance, Dodd forces Elgin to stay off the sauce long enough for the play to open--and, in spite of himself, falls in love with Georgie. A few Hollywood liberties were taken with the Odets original, including a slightly altered ending. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- George Seaton
- Written By
- George Seaton
- Genres
- Drama, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Dec 15, 1954 Wide
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Based on Odets' play, Seaton's version is an odd, overrated melodrama about co-dependency in alcoholic marriages, with decent turns by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly as the central couple.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The backstage drama, when judged by today's standards, seems stagy, creaky and outdated.
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Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
If you enjoy Crosby as a crooner instead of a showman, this is your movie.
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
Two of Hollywood's greatest stars give what might be their best performances.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Bing Crosby
as Frank Elgin
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Grace Kelly
as Georgie Elgin
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William Holden
as Bernie Dodd
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Anthony Ross
as Phil Cook
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Gene Reynolds
as Larry
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Jacqueline Fontaine
as Singer and Actress
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Eddie Ryder
as Ed
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Robert Kent
as Paul Linger
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John W. Reynolds
as Henry Johnson
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Ida Moore
as Woman
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Frank J. Scannell
as Bartender
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Ruth Rickaby
as Second Woman
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Hal K. Dawson
as Actor
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Howard Joslin
as Actor
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Charles Tannen
as Photographer
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Les Clark
as Actor
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Allan Douglas
as Mian
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Jon Provost
as Jimmie
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Don Dunning
as Expressman
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Max Wagner
as Expressman
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Chester Jones
as Ralph (Dresser)
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Jack Roberts
as Man
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Richard Keene
as Actor
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Jack Kenney
as Actor
-
Bob Alden
as Bellboy
