What's your favorite Jane Wyman?
Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 12:21AM 
It's Jane Wyman's Centennial. The actress was born on this day in Missouri in 1917 as Sara Jane Mayfield.
Like many major stars her legacy rests on a period that's only about a decade long -- in Wyman's case the mid 40s through the 50s, or more specifically the Best Picture winner The Lost Weekend (1945) through the Douglas Sirk classic All that Heaven Allows (1955) a period in which she specialized in childlike women and their inverse young widows-- but her career was long, stretching from bit parts in the early 30s through TV stardom in the 80s.
Her greatest hits and Oscar triumphs after the jump. Which is your favorite?
...As "Helen St James," girlfriend of a drunk, in Best Picture winner The Lost Weekend (1945)
...As "Orry Baxter" in Best Picture nominee The Yearling (1946) - Oscar Nomination Best Actress
...As mute rape victim "Belinda McDonald" in Best Picture nominee Johnny Belinda (1948) - Oscar & Golden Globe Winner Best Actress
...As timid "Laura Wingfield" in The Glass Menagerie (1950)
...As struggling actress "Eve Gill" in Stage Fright (1950)
...As widow and nurse "Louise Mason" in The Blue Veil (1951) - Oscar Nominee & Golden Globe Winner, Best Actress
...As blind widow "Helen Phillips" in Magnificent Obsession (1954) -Oscar Nomination Best Actress
...As lonely widow "Cary Scott" in Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows (1955)
THINK IT OVER. THEN CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE COMMENTS...
Fun trivia note #1
While other actresses have been married to elected leaders of various kinds, Jane Wyman is the only woman nominated for acting at the Oscars who was ever married to a US President. She was Ronald Reagan's first wife (from 1940 through 1949 after their co-starring gig in Brother Rat, 1938) but they divorced over reported differences about his political ambitions. Nevertheless they reportedly remained friends and Wyman voted for him in both of his Presidential runs.
Fun trivia note #2
Her final major role was of course as the matriarch of Falcon Crest (1981-1990). She won a Golden Globe for her television soap work in the same year that another 1940s A-Lister, none other than Barbara Stanwyck, took home a Globe for a role in a prestige soapy mini series The Thorn Birds (1983). Prime-time soaps were the most popular TV genre for a time in the 80s and these weren't the only two that harnessed the grande dame appeal of actresses from classic Hollywood. Other examples include Anne Baxter on Hotel, Joan Collins on Dynasty, and Barbara Stanwyck again on The Colbys.
Reader Comments (16)
Her perf in ATHA is surely more deserving o a nom than Magnificent Obsession? as we all know the MVP o tt pic is Rock Hudson, the breakout star o the year
I guess 1955 is a tough yr, while 1954 is weaker yr for BA
IMO, De Havilland's work in The Snake Pit is more deserving o a win back in 1948, but I guess Johnny Belinda was a huge n critical success n going in w ten nom, they have to honour it w at least one win.
Her best pert imo, is ATHA
Here's to you, Miss Kittykat Face (as I used to call her):
1. Ex-Mrs. Reagan—she *SAID* she voted for him ;-)
2. All That Heaven Allows
3. Stage Fright
4. Magnificent Obsession
5. Johnny Belinda
Can't say I have a favorite performance of JW's, but if I had to choose it would be All That Heaven Allows.
Her nominations in 46, 48, 51 continue to bewilder me..
And Hitchcock stated she was a horror to direct in Stage Fright. Too jealous of Dietrich.
Now there is an Oscar crime....Wyman won an Oscar. Dietrich never did...
All That Heaven Allows. That shot of the television just wrecked me.
So Big, directed by Robert Wise
Pollyanna
Lost Weekend
While I'm intrigued by ATHA, I am not what you'd call a Jane Wyman fan. I remember enjoying her in Princess O'Rourke, but her Oscar-nominated turns aren't my cup of tea and Dietrich>>>>>>>>>>>Wyman in Stage Fright.
I think her "Johnny Belinda" Oscar is fully deserved. A fine picture elevated even further by her wonderful work. She's spunky fun in a lot of her 30's and early 40's films and effortlessly steals all her scenes in the Cole Porter biopic "Night and Day". She also revealed a very pleasant singing voice in some of her films, acquitting herself especially well in the Oscar winning duet "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" with Bing. Aside from "Johnny Belinda", I'd rank "All That Heaven Allows" and "Pollyanna" as my favorite Wyman films -one from the 40's, one from the 50's, one from the 60's. And considering her career longevity and level of success (30's to 80's), I'd say she had a long and lovely run.
Easy. The gif of her being hit my a car, of course.
Not a great fan.
For me Johnny Belinda (1948) is the better performance and All That Heaven Allows (1955) the better movie. I would only nominate her for this two roles, but i didn't think she is the best in any of those year.
BELINDA, of course, and OBSESSION for the Sirk's Factor...but you can't overlook Angela Channig when you talk about Wyman :)
My favorite Jane Wyman performance is The Yearling. The Best Actress Oscas for 1946 & 1948 should simply be swapped.
I really like her work in The Yearling--there's a stark integrity to how she portrays this woman, without a hint of sweetness. There's no pandering to the crowd--this woman is a hard, cold biotch, and she goes for it.
I was obsessed with the first season of FalconCrest, so I would have to say my fave is Angela Channing. Genuflect.
Fittingly enough Jane is TCM's Star of the Month for January. Though in an odd twist they are preempting the final day of her films for the Debbie Reynolds tribute day. Not that Debbie doesn't completely deserve her day it just seems a bit odd that they would bump part of one star's salute to make room for another rather than moving other films. Still they are showing a slew of her work.
She went through such a change as she worked towards her peak years. While she rarely played an idiot-though she came close in the delightful The Doughgirls with Ann Sheridan, Alexis Smith and Eve Arden-she frequently played flighty somewhat dizzy women. Then she slowly became more sober concurrent with her switching from blonde back to her natural darker shade.
My top 5 favorites of her films:
All That Heaven Allows
Lucy Gallant
Make Your Own Bed
Let's Do It Again
The Doughgirls
There is one programmer that she made that I wouldn't call a favorite but it's a breezy odd little number called Kid Nightingale where she plays girlfriend to John Payne who plays a singing prizefighter! It's as silly as it sounds but the pair of them make it work.
That's easy, All That Heaven Allows.... what a film....
Johnny Belinda she acts with her eyes. The our father scene is very poigant All that heaven allows who wouldn' love her! Every time I watch it I discover more subtilities and confirms my belief that she is underrated Miracle in the rain. Her chemistry with van Johnson and Eileen hecert is special
Aw cmon Doug how can you not be a fan of Jane wyman?