Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Summer Under the Stars: Greer Garson

Movie Dearest continues our daily previews of Turner Classic Movies' month long "Summer Under the Stars" celebration:

Now Playing Star Profile for Greer Garson - Stardates: Born September 29, 1904, London, England; died 1996. Star Sign: Libra. Star Qualities: Glorious red hair, starchy "perfect lady" image with reserves of humor and passion. Star definition: "There are actors who work in movies. And then there are movie stars. She was a movie star." -- Teresa Wright. Galaxy of Characters: Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, Edna Kahly Gladney in Blossoms in the Dust, Mrs. Miniver in Mrs. Miniver, Paula in Random Harvest.

If you are into swooningly romantic, old fashioned, tear-jerking melodramas (and, really, who isn't?) then you would be hard pressed to find one more satisfying then Random Harvest. Ronald Colman stars as a shell-shocked soldier suffering from amnesia who meets Garson's kind-hearted music hall singer. Naturally, he falls in love with her (who wouldn't), they marry and have a child. Their blissful happiness is jeopardized though when, while away on business, he regains all his memory -- all, that is, except for the time he knew her.

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Colman, Garson was not nominated ... but won anyway for her other film that year, BP champ Mrs. Miniver (also airing tomorrow).

Random Harvest airs tomorrow on TCM at 10:00 PM EST.

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