Kathryn Grayson(1922-2010)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kathryn Grayson was born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick in
Winston-Salem, NC, on February 9, 1922. This pretty, petite brunette
with a heart-shaped face was discovered by MGM talent scouts while
singing on the radio. The studio quickly signed her to a contract, and
she was given acting lessons along and had to pose for countless
publicity photos. Kathryn, a coloratura soprano, made her first film in
1941, a "B" picture called
Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941).
She soon was cast opposite some of MGM's top musical stars of the
1940s, such as Gene Kelly and
Mario Lanza. She was paired with
Lanza a few times, but the two never got along due mostly to Lanza's
hot temper and alcohol abuse. The pairing of Lanza and Grayson would
never match the success of lyrical soprano
Jeanette MacDonald and baritone
Nelson Eddy, although Kathryn and MacDonald
did become great friends. Jeanette became a mentor and an older sister
figure for Kathryn.
Grayson's most memorable roles came in the early 1950s. They were Show Boat (1951), where she played "Magnolia", opposite Ava Gardner and Howard Keel; Kiss Me Kate (1953), playing actress "Lilli Vanessi", who portrayed "Katherine" in the movie's "show within a show", a musical version of "The Taming of the Shrew". In 1953 she exited MGM, then made only one more film, The Vagabond King (1956), at Paramount. She later worked in nightclubs and on stage.
Grayson's most memorable roles came in the early 1950s. They were Show Boat (1951), where she played "Magnolia", opposite Ava Gardner and Howard Keel; Kiss Me Kate (1953), playing actress "Lilli Vanessi", who portrayed "Katherine" in the movie's "show within a show", a musical version of "The Taming of the Shrew". In 1953 she exited MGM, then made only one more film, The Vagabond King (1956), at Paramount. She later worked in nightclubs and on stage.
