Geraldine Fitzgerald is a theater, film and television actress. She began her career in Ireland, performing in theaters. In 1939, the first Hollywood film with her participation was released. During her career, she was among the nominees for the Oscar, Emmy, Tony. Winner of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the cultural award "Medallion of Gendal". Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Geraldine Fitzgerald's acting career began in the early 1930s with performances in the theater. Later, after moving to the states, the actress began working in films. The very first film with her participation made a splash: the girl literally made her draw attention to herself. In her creative biography, there are over 80 roles in feature films shot not only in America, but also in England, serials and television films. She also has many roles in the productions of British theaters and on Broadway.
Biography facts
The birthplace of the future famous actress is the town of Greyston, which is located near Dublin, Ireland. A girl was born, who was named Geraldine Mary Fitzgerald, in 1913. Her birthday: November 24.
Geraldine's parents were not directly related to art, creativity, theater. Her father's name was Edward William Fitzgerald, and he was a lawyer by profession. The girl's mother, Edith Mary Fitzgerald (Richards), was mainly engaged in housekeeping and raising her daughter.
Among Geraldine's relatives was Aunt Shelah Richards, a famous actress. It was she who influenced little Geraldine, her desire to become an artist. Her aunt brought her to the Dublin's Gate Theater, where Geraldine Fitzgerald eventually made her stage debut. The actress also had a cousin named Neville Shute, who devoted his life to writing novels and plays. One of his works - "On the Beach" - was filmed in 1959.
The future star was educated in one of the monastic closed schools in London, UK.
The talented girl performed her first roles in the performances in a small theater in her native Greystone, as well as in Dublin's Gate. Her acting career began in 1931. A few years later, she moved to London, where she made her film debut on television. In Great Britain, the artist managed to take part in 11 films, most of which did not receive world fame. However, working on the set gave Geraldine experience, which she later took advantage of, building her career in Hollywood.
In 1938, the young artist dropped everything and literally fled to America. She almost immediately managed to get on Broadway, in the same 1938 appeared in the musical "Heartbreak House". The talented Irish actress was immediately noticed. She received an offer from Warner Bros. Studios, with which Geraldine Fitzgerald eventually signed a contract. Leaving her work in the theater, the girl resolutely began to conquer Hollywood.
It is worth noting that the actress had a rather difficult relationship with representatives of the film studio. She was distinguished by a stubborn and explosive character, often entered into disputes with agents and directors, which is why she repeatedly lost her roles in films.
Geraldine Fitzgerald's film career developed, one might say, in waves. In the late 1940s, she left Hollywood and temporarily moved to New York. Then, being already the second married, she returned to England, where she stayed until 1951. Arriving again in the states, the artist only in the 1960s was able to resume filming in films and on television. It was also during this time period that Fitzgerald became interested in directing. She has directed several theatrical productions.
In the 1970s, the movie star again began to actively appear on the Broadway stage and in performances of other famous theaters. Her performance in plays such as "The Long Day Leaves Into Night" and "The Soul of a Poet" was highly acclaimed. The Broadway musical "The Shadow Box," starring Geraldine Fitzgerald, was nominated for a Tony and won a Pulitzer Prize.
Geraldine Fitzgerald founded the Everyman street theater for children and teenagers in the states. Absolutely all children were admitted to the theater troupe, regardless of education, race or financial wealth of their family. The actress became famous for actively helping young talented actors and students from the ghetto.
In the late 1980s, the artist began performing in cabaret, before that she had been taking vocals for a long time. She organized the "Streetsongs" show, which ran in nightclubs and also aired on Broadway for 3 seasons.
Film career
Geraldine Fitzgerald came to great success in cinema after the film "Wuthering Heights" was released. This project became the debut Hollywood movie for the artist, even if she got only a supporting role. It came out in 1939. For a brilliant performance, the actress was nominated for an Oscar. That same year, another highly successful Fitzgerald movie, Defeat the Dark, was released.
In the 1940s, the actress's filmography expanded very quickly. The most successful films with her participation at that time were: "Watch on the Rhine", "Wilson", "Uncle Harry's Unusual Business", "Three Strangers", "Nobody Lasts Forever", "First Studio" (TV series).
In subsequent years, Geraldine Fitzgerald appeared mainly in television shows and series. She starred, for example, in such famous projects as "Climax", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Naked City", "The Defenders", "The Hour of Alfred Hitchcock".
In 1964, the full-length film "The Usurer" was released, which brought the artist a new wave of popularity. She was followed by another short break in Geraldine's career, she returned to the screens in the film "Rachel, Rachel". It was released in 1968 and received a lot of positive reviews from audiences and film critics.
In the further career of the actress, there were many more successful works. Among the films and TV series with her participation can be distinguished: "The Last American Hero", "Harry and Tonto", "Goodbye Male", "Arthur", "Easy Money", "American Masters", "Arthur 2: Broke." The TV movie "Pernicious Attraction" was Geraldine Fitzgerald's last. It premiered in 1991.
Personal life and death
The actress got married for the first time in 1936. Edward Lindsay-Hogg became her husband. They married in Great Britain, and in 1938 moved to New York, where Edward planned to pursue a musical career. He was a composer.
In this marriage, a son was born - Michael, who in the future became a famous film director. According to rumors, Michael's biological father was not Edward, but Orson Welles, with whom Geraldine had a short romance. The divorce between the actress and her first husband happened in 1946, although before that they had lived separately for some time.
The second time Fitzgerald was married to the Englishman Stuart Sheftel. The man was the grandson of Isidor Strauss, who died on the Titanic in 1912.
Stewart first saw the actress on screen in 1944 in the film "Wilson" and fell madly in love with her. After meeting, he and Geraldine began a romantic relationship that led to marriage. They became husband and wife in the fall of 1946. A few years later, they had a daughter, Susan, who became a professional clinical psychologist.
Sheftel died in January 1994.
At the end of her life, the artist suffered from Alzheimer's disease, the first signs of which appeared in the early 1990s. Her death came as a result of complications caused by this disease. She passed away in New York in mid-July 2005. At that time she was 91 years old. The theater and movie star was buried at Woodlon Cemetery, located in the Bronx.
