Jeanne Eagels

Young waitress from Kansas City in the early 1920s hitches up with a traveling carnival with the fervent, starry-eyed hope of breaking into show business; once in New York City, she gets herself a drama coach and lands a plum part in a Broadway show after the original actress falls ill. Fabrication of real-life Broadway and silent movie starlet Jeanne Eagels is useless as a biography but rather entertaining as a backstage melodrama. Kim Novak is uneven in the lead, mercurial and brittle (and occasionally quite amusing when lapsing into a haughty European accent once she finds fame and fortune), however the part is a pretty good fit for Kim and she fills the bill. Jeff Chandler (as a fictitious lifelong beau) and Agnes Moorehead (as the drama coach who suddenly morphs into Jeanne's best friend and nursemaid) are both solid, as is Charles Drake as an ex-football player who marries Jeanne apparently for her money (yet seems to love her and puts up with her). Drake also played a role in "Valley of the Dolls", which mirrors this film in several ways (there's even one character called "Neely" and another named "O'Hara"!). Producer-director George Sidney takes great care in setting up this story, which is snappy and brash and looks fantastic in black-and-white. Not everyone will go for the picture's mix of hard-shelled pathos, booze-soaked blackouts and rags-to-riches clichés, yet the film manages to capture the excitement of stage life quite vividly. **1/2 from ****

I saw this film only once, when I was a kid, but I still remember it, and I loved it. I have been hoping to see it again someday and am disappointed that it is not available even on video. Not only was Kim Novak, she of the lavender blonde hair, gorgeous, she was really just right for this movie. The story was interesting too. Yes, I know, TRUTH is hardly the most valued element in screen biopics, but since I knew nothing about Jeanne Eagels then (and, indeed, know little now--let's face it, there isn't a whole lot of information about her available) it was fascinating to see a story about an actress in the 1920s. Yes, somebody should do a more realistic remake, but put this one out too. Whether the story is factual or not, seeing Kim in the role is a reward in itself. I really can't think of an actress today who could match Kim's performance--she might be more like the real Jeanne Eagels, but Kim Novak's Jeanne shouldn't be lost. Put out the DVD-- you've got one customer for sure. Here's hoping.

It's early 20th century. Kansas City teen waitress Jeanne Eagels (Kim Novak) spends her last dollar to join the circus. She's desperate and pushes owner Sal Satori (Jeff Chandler) to give her jobs at any level. Her eyes are set on Broadway. Eventually, her name is in the lights but she has to step on others to get there. Her career declines with alcohol and drug abuse.

It's a biopic of silent star and early talkie actress Jeanne Eagels. It's a star vehicle for Novak. The material is melodramatic and she makes a meal of it. It would be more compelling to do less over-the-top melodrama. It does show that she is capable of wilder performances but she may have gone too far. It may be a backhanded compliment but this shows that Novak can actually act. Also, the movie can do more with her drug abuse problem. She also need to change her looks more. Her older looks are fine but her early looks need work. This is a functional biopic.

Although Jeanne Eagels is a fascinating film with one of two career roles for Kim Novak, the other being Vertigo, it does do some disservice in telling the story of the legendary Jeanne Eagels, Broadway star of the Twenties. The Roaring Twenties was a hard partying era, especially on women as three of the brightest stars of that era, Marilyn Miller, Helen Morgan, and Jeanne Eagels died way to soon because they indulged too much.

That part of the story is all too true, Jeanne went like Elsie in the title song from Cabaret, from too much pills and liquor. What's not true is the fact that Jeanne was basically a raw talent who came to Broadway out of nowhere and then died. Eagels did pay her dues in a long hard road in stock companies. The character that Jeff Chandler plays is based on someone she did actually marry, one of the heads of a touring company, not a carnival barker. Her second husband played by Charles Drake was a Broadway playboy and former All American football player.

The surviving members of the Eagels family did threaten suit against Columbia Pictures for this film. From what I've researched about Eagels she got a whitewash in this picture.

Kim Novak does a great job playing Eagels, a woman who indulged too much in her life. She picked Jeff Chandler for her leading man in Jeanne Eagels. This was Chandler's first picture after finishing up his exclusive contract with Universal Studios. His new contract was non-exclusive and this was his first outside film. Jeff dusted off his Brooklyn accent for his role as the carnival man who loves Jeanne, but stands by helplessly as she self destructs.

Agnes Moorehead plays Jeanne's acting coach and Larry Gates her overwrought producer. This film was the farewell performance of Gene Lockhart who has a brief scene as the presiding member of an Actors Equity Hearing. Eagels got herself in lots of problems with Equity back in the day because she blew off performances. Lockhart was active in Equity and essentially is playing himself.

There is one other really good performance, a very touching one by Virginia Grey of a fading Broadway star who also dissipated herself. The role is great, but of course it has no basis in fact, Eagels did not 'steal' the play Rain away from this woman or anyone else.

Jeanne Eagels is a fine film capturing the essence of a self destructive star of a bygone era though factually it leaves quite a lot to be desired.

OK....so this is not a classic film depicting the life of Jeanne Eagels however it has it's moments. First of all Kim Novak was a hot property at the time and she is gorgeous and oh so camp as Miss Eagels. Also captured in the film is the flavor of the era and the costumes are dazzling especially the one Novak wears as Princess Dardanella at a carnival where she gets busted by the police. The ultimate is when she prances on stage as Sadie Thompson in "Rain" to the tune of "Wabash Blues"....its actually a treat. Miss Novak is supported by a good cast including Jeff Chandler, Agnes Moorehead, Charles Drake, Murray Hamilton and especially Virginia Grey as has-been Elsie Desmond (one of Miss Grey's personal favorite roles).