The Goddess (1958)

Loosely based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, the story of a young woman destined from childhood on to be adored by millions but unhappy in her own life. Patty Duke plays Emily Ann Faulkner ... See full summary »

Director:

John Cromwell

Writer:

Paddy Chayefsky

Stars:

Kim Stanley, Lloyd Bridges, Steven Hill

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kim Stanley	...	Emily Ann Faulkner
Lloyd Bridges	...	Dutch Seymour
Steven Hill	...	John Tower (as Steve Hill)
Betty Lou Holland	...	Mrs. Laureen Faulkner
Joan Copeland	...	Alice Marie
Gerald Hiken	...	George
Patty Duke	...	Emily Ann Faulkner, age 8
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Harding
Bert Freed	...	Lester Brackman
Joanne Linville	...	Joanna
Gail Haworth	...	Emily's Daughter
Joyce Van Patten	...	Hillary
Louise Beavers	...	The Cook
Gerald Petrarca	...	The Minister
Werner Klemperer	...	Joe Wilsey

Storyline

Loosely based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, the story of a young woman destined from childhood on to be adored by millions but unhappy in her own life. Patty Duke plays Emily Ann Faulkner as a young, friendless, fatherless rural southern girl whose mother is indifferent to her. As a teenager, Emily Ann, played by Kim Stanley, remains a loner but with one small exception - boys dote on her, drawn by her beauty and her powerful aura of feminine sexuality. Emily Ann marries young but leaves her first husband when she meets young prizefighter Dutch Seymour (Lloyd Bridges). She becomes an actress and her star rises rapidly until she hits the heights of fame - and the depths of anguish.

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Plot Keywords:

fame | actress | girl | hollywood | sexuality | 

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Taglines:

Profound and astounding

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 1958 (France)

Also Known As:

La divina

Filming Locations:

Ellicott City, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Emily Ann Faulkner/Rita Shawn character (played by Kim Stanley) was based on Marilyn Monroe.

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Goofs

Emily claims that Stage Door, a play she appeared in during high school, was written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman; in reality it was written by Kaufman and Edna Ferber.

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Quotes

Emily Ann Faulkner: ...there is no God! Do you hear me? there is no God! Did you hear what I said?... there is no God! There is no God! There... There is no God!

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Connections

References The Jolson Story (1946)

User Reviews

Devastating - the most complete testament to the art of Kim Stanley

In "Broadway: The Golden Age", Rick Mckay's wonderful documentary, Kim Stanley receives tremendous praise from all the great actors of that time as being especially influential. With the publication of her biography there seems to be a renewed interest in her life and career.

Unfortunately very little is left in the way of documentation of her talents. She came to movies after a career on Broadway and a number of live television plays. But her film career was not to be, owing to the many personal problems she suffered from, which seemingly burnt her out.

"The Goddess" was her first film and it remains the most complete testament to her talents. As such, it really is a must for anyone who appreciates the art of acting. The title role allows for a huge range, from hopeful teenager to jaded Hollywood star. Although clearly too old to play a teenager and definitely no screen beauty worthy of the title "goddess", Stanley pulls it off with the sheer force of her acting. Her portrayal of the breakdown of the actress is devastating. It's particularly disturbing in the light of the similarity of what would become her very own fate.

Paddy Chayevsky paints a bleak picture of the Hollywood Star system as he would later do with network television in "Network". Although well written, it's not an especially astute script lacking in both scope and depth. There is good support form Betty Lou Holland and Lloyd Bridges, but the only reason to seek this one out remains Kim Stanley.