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Here we
have a publicity shot of Lee Grant for the 1951 film Detective Story.The caption says simply "Lee
Grant as a shoplifter." This superb actress originated the role on
Broadway in 1949, earning herself a Critic's Circle Award, and when she
made her film debut in William Wyler's screen version she won a best actress
award at Cannes. She also got an Oscar nomination. With all that she should
have become one of the biggest stars of the 1950s, but, alas, that pesky
Mr. McCarthy and his angry red planet shenanigans had to make things generally
unpleasant for a lot of people. Miss Grant refused to testify against
her blacklisted husband (playwright Arnold Manoff) and her screen appearances
were sporadic for several years thereafter. When we finally did get to
know this talented lady well (on TV's Peyton Place)
she looked radically different from what you see here. Maybe living well
is the best revenge. Lee Grant survived to play a featured role in 1968's
legendary Valley of the Dolls and she also
finally got that Oscar -- for 1975's Shampoo.
All this and she's the mother of actress Dinah Manoff too! |