Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters, a blond bombshell of the 1940s, evolved into a character actress best remembered for her roles as victims, shrews and matrons.
After years on studio contract playing negligible parts, she got a break in George Cukor's 1947 film, "A Double Life," in which she played a waitress who was murdered by Ronald Colman.
Four years later, she became a full-fledged star as the dowdy factory girl that Montgomery Clift lets drown to be with the beautiful, rich Elizabeth Taylor in George Stevens' "A Place in the Sun." Winters was nominated but did not win a best actress Oscar for the portrayal.
But Winters did win in the best supporting actress category for her roles as Mrs. Van Daan in Stevens' "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959) and Rose-Ann D'Arcy, the abusive mother who tries to turn her blind daughter into a prostitute in "A Patch of Blue" (1965).
Among her other films was the well-regarded "The Night of the Hunter," which starred Robert Mitchum and was the only film directed by actor Charles Laughton, a mentor with whom she also studied Shakespeare.
Late in her career, Winters became a favorite on late-night talk show programs, beloved for her sense of humor and saltiness. She provided Johnny Carson one of the most memorable moments on "The Tonight Show" when she dumped a glass of water over the head of English actor Oliver Reed, who had annoyed her with an anti-feminist remark.
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Points of interest
Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Work | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Best Actress | A Place in the Sun | Nomination |
| 1959 | Best Supporting Actress | The Diary of Anne Frank | Win |
| 1965 | Best Supporting Actress | A Patch of Blue | Win |
| 1972 | Best Supporting Actress | The Poseidon Adventure | Nomination |
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