Eva Marie Saint | |
|---|---|
 Saint in an early 1950s studio portrait | |
| Born | (1924-07-04)July 4, 1924 (age 101) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Bowling Green State University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1944–2022 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) is an American retired actress. In a career spanning more than seven decades,[1] she received anAcademy Award[2] and aPrimetime Emmy Award[3] and was nominated for aGolden Globe Award.[4] As of July 2024[update], Saint is the oldest living and earliest surviving Academy Award winner.[5][6] She is one of the last living stars from theGolden Age of Hollywood.[7]
Saint graduated fromBowling Green State University and began her career as a television and radio actress in the late 1940s. She played the role of Thelma inHorton Foote'sThe Trip to Bountiful (1953). She made her film debut inElia Kazan'sOn the Waterfront (1954), oppositeMarlon Brando. The film won eight Academy Awards, includingBest Picture, and earned her theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress along with aBAFTA nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.
From then on, Saint appeared in a variety of films, includingRaintree County (1957), oppositeMontgomery Clift andElizabeth Taylor; andFred Zinnemann'sA Hatful of Rain (1957), oppositeDon Murray andAnthony Franciosa, for which she was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama; and Eve Kendall inAlfred Hitchcock'sNorth by Northwest (1959), oppositeCary Grant. In the 1960s, Saint appeared inExodus (1960), alongsidePaul Newman;The Sandpiper (1965), which reunited her with Elizabeth Taylor and featuredRichard Burton;36 Hours (1965) withJames Garner;The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966), alongsideCarl Reiner andAlan Arkin; andJohn Frankenheimer'sGrand Prix (1966), oppositeYves Montand and in her second film with James Garner.
Saint was born on July 4, 1924[8] inNewark, New Jersey to John Merle Saint and Eva Marie (née Rice) Saint.[9] Her parents wereQuakers.[10] She attendedBethlehem Central High School inDelmar, New York, graduating in 1942.[11] Saint studied acting atBowling Green State University, where she joined theDelta Gamma sorority. During this time, she played the lead role in a production ofPersonal Appearance.[12] She was an active member in the theater honorary fraternity,Theta Alpha Phi,[13] and served as record keeper of the student council in 1944.[12] Saint graduated from Bowling Green in 1946, and a theater on its campus is named after her.[14]
Saint's introduction to television began as anNBC page.[15] She appeared in the live NBC-TV showCampus Hoopla in 1946–47.[16] Her performances on this program are recorded on rarekinescope, and audio recordings of these telecasts are preserved in theLibrary of Congress. She also appeared inBonnie Maid's Versa-Tile Varieties on NBC in 1949 as one of the original singing "Bonnie Maids" used in the live commercials.[10]
Saint appeared in a 1947Life special about television,[17] and also in a 1949 featureLife article about her as a struggling actress earning minimum amounts from early TV while trying to make ends meet in New York City.[18]
In 1954, Saint won theOuter Critics Circle Special Award for her Broadway stage role in theHorton Foote playThe Trip to Bountiful (1953), in which she co-starred with actresses such asLillian Gish andJo Van Fleet.[19][20]
In 1955, Saint was nominated for her firstEmmy for "Best Actress In A Single Performance" onThe Philco Television Playhouse, playing the young mistress of middle-agedE. G. Marshall inMiddle of the Night byPaddy Chayefsky. She won another Emmy nomination for the 1955 television musical version ofOur Town, adapted from theThornton Wilder play of the same name. Co-stars werePaul Newman andFrank Sinatra. Her success and acclaim in TV productions were of such a high level that "one slightly hyperbolic primordial TV critic dubbed her 'the Helen Hayes of television.'"[10]
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Saint made her feature film debut inOn the Waterfront (1954), starringMarlon Brando and directed byElia Kazan—a performance for which she won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the role of Edie Doyle (whose brother's death sets the film's drama in motion), with her competitors includingClaire Trevor,Nina Foch,Katy Jurado andJan Sterling. She also earned aBritish Academy of Film and Television Award nomination for "Most Promising Newcomer". In his review forThe New York Times, film criticA. H. Weiler wrote, "In casting Eva Marie Saint—a newcomer to movies from TV and Broadway—Mr. Kazan has come up with a pretty and blond artisan who does not have to depend on these attributes. Herparochial school training is no bar to love with the proper stranger. Amid scenes of carnage, she gives tenderness and sensitivity to genuine romance."[21] The film was a major success and launched Saint's film career. She received $7,500 for the role.[22]
In a 2000 interview inPremiere magazine, Saint recalled making the film, which has been highly influential, saying, "[Elia] Kazan put me in a room with Marlon Brando. He said 'Brando is the boyfriend of your sister. You're not used to being with a young man. Don't let him in the door under any circumstances.' I don't know what he told Marlon; you'll have to ask him—good luck! [Brando] came in and started teasing me. He put me off balance. And I remained off balance for the whole shoot." She repeated the anecdote in a 2010 interview.[23]
Saint appeared alongsideBob Hope inThat Certain Feeling (1956) for which she received $50,000.[22] She was then offered $100,000 to star in theCivil War dramaRaintree County (1957) withElizabeth Taylor andMontgomery Clift.[22] After that, she starred withDon Murray inA Hatful of Rain, the pioneering drug-addiction drama, which although made later thanRaintree County was released earlier in 1957. She received a nomination for the "Best Foreign Actress" award from the British Academy of Film and Television for her performance.[24]
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DirectorAlfred Hitchcock surprised many by choosing Saint over dozens of other candidates for thefemme fatale role in what was to become the suspense classicNorth by Northwest (1959) withCary Grant andJames Mason. Written byErnest Lehman, the film updated and expanded upon the director's early "wrong man" spy adventures of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, includingThe 39 Steps,Young and Innocent, andSaboteur.North by Northwest became a box-office hit and an influence on spy films for decades.[25] The film ranks number forty on theAmerican Film Institute's list of the100 Greatest American Movies of All Time.[26]
Hitchcock worked with Saint to make her voice lower and huskier, and personally chose costumes for her during a shopping trip toBergdorf Goodman in New York City.[27]
The change in Saint's screen persona, coupled with her adroit performance as a seductive woman of mystery who keeps Cary Grant (and the audience) off balance, was widely heralded. In his review of August 7, 1959,The New York Times criticAbe H. Weiler wrote, "In casting Eva Marie Saint as [Cary Grant's] romantic vis-a-vis, Mr. Hitchcock has plumbed some talents not shown by the actress heretofore. Although she is seemingly a hard, designing type, she also emerges both the sweet heroine and a glamorous charmer."[28]
In 2000, recalling her experience making the picture with Cary Grant and Hitchcock, Saint said, "[Grant] would say, 'See, Eva Marie, you don't have to cry in a movie to have a good time. Just kick up your heels and have fun.' Hitchcock said, 'I don't want you to do a sink-to-sink movie again, ever. You've done these black-and-white movies likeOn the Waterfront. It's drab in that tenement house. Women go to the movies, and they've just left the sink at home. They don't want to see you at the sink.'" In a 2010 interview she stated: "I said, 'I can't promise you that, Hitch, because I love those dramas.'"[23]
AlthoughNorth by Northwest might have propelled her to the top ranks of stardom, Saint chose to limit her film work in order to spend time with her husband since 1951, directorJeffrey Hayden, and their two children. In the 1960s, Saint continued to distinguish herself in both high-profile and offbeat pictures. She co-starred withPaul Newman inExodus (1960), a historical drama about the founding of the state of Israel adapted from the novel of the same name byLeon Uris. It was directed byOtto Preminger. She also co-starred withWarren Beatty,Karl Malden andAngela Lansbury as a tragic beauty in the dramaAll Fall Down (1962). Based upon a novel byJames Leo Herlihy and a screenplay byWilliam Inge, the film was directed byJohn Frankenheimer.[29]
Saint appeared with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the melodramaThe Sandpiper forVincente Minnelli, and withJames Garner in theWorld War II thriller36 Hours (1965), directed byGeorge Seaton. Saint joined an all-star cast in the comedic satire,The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, directed byNorman Jewison, and the international racing drama,Grand Prix (1966) directed by Frankenheimer and presented inCinerama.[30]
Saint received some of her best reviews for her performance inLoving (1970), co-starring as the wife ofGeorge Segal. The film was about a commercial artist's relationship with his wife and other women; it was critically acclaimed but did not have wide viewership.[31]
Because of the mostly second-rate film roles that came her way in the 1970s, Saint returned totelevision and the stage in the 1980s. She received anEmmy nomination for the 1977 miniseriesHow The West Was Won and a 1978 Emmy nomination forTaxi!!!.[32] She was reunited withOn the Waterfront co-starKarl Malden in the television filmFatal Vision, this time as the wife of his character, as he investigated the murder of his daughter and granddaughters.[33] She played the mother ofCybill Shepherd in the television seriesMoonlighting, a role that spanned episodes over three years.[8]
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Saint returned to the big screen for the first time in over a decade inNothing in Common (1986), in which she played the mother ofTom Hanks's character; it was directed byGarry Marshall.[34] Critics applauded her return to features. Saint was soon back on the small screen in numerous projects. After receiving five nominations, she won her firstEmmy Award for the 1990 miniseriesPeople Like Us.[35] She appeared in a number of television productions in the 1990s and was cast as the mother of radio producer, Roz Doyle, in a 1999 episode of the comedy seriesFrasier.[36]
In 2000, Saint returned to feature films inI Dreamed of Africa withKim Basinger.[37] In 2005, she co-starred withJessica Lange andSam Shepard inDon't Come Knocking.[38] Also in 2005, she appeared in the family filmBecause of Winn-Dixie, co-starringAnnaSophia Robb,Jeff Daniels, andCicely Tyson.[39]
In 2006, Saint appeared inSuperman Returns asMartha Kent, the adoptive mother ofSuperman, alongsideBrandon Routh and a computer-generated performance from herOn the Waterfront co-starMarlon Brando.[40] Saint was presented one of theGolden Boot Awards in 2007 for her contributions to western cinema.[41]
Saint lent her voice to the 2012Nickelodeon animated seriesThe Legend of Korra, a sequel to the hit TV showAvatar: The Last Airbender, playing the now-elderlyKatara, a main character from the original series.[42] In September 2012, Saint was cast as the adult version of Willa in thefilm adaptation of the novelWinter's Tale byMark Helprin.[43]
At the age of 93, Saint appeared at the2018 Academy Award ceremony to present the award for Costume Design. She received a standing ovation upon entering the stage.[44] In 2021, Saint appeared alongsideMarisa Tomei in the podcast play series "The Pack Podcast" as part of the segment "The Bus Ride".[45]
Saint has two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures at 6624Hollywood Boulevard, and one for television at 6730 Hollywood Boulevard.[46]
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Saint married producer and directorJeffrey Hayden on October 28, 1951. They had a son and daughter.[47] Their son was born two days after she won an Academy Award forOn the Waterfront. She began her acceptance speech by saying, "I may have the baby right here!"[48] Saint and Hayden also had four grandchildren and were married for 65 years until Hayden's death in 2016.[49]
On July 4, 2024, Saintturned 100. She spent her 100th birthday celebrating with four generations of family members in Los Angeles.[5][50]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | On the Waterfront | Edie Doyle | |
| 1956 | That Certain Feeling | Dunreath Henry | |
| 1957 | A Hatful of Rain | Celia Pope | |
| Raintree County | Nell Gaither | ||
| 1959 | North by Northwest | Eve Kendall | |
| 1960 | Exodus | Kitty Fremont | |
| 1962 | All Fall Down | Echo O'Brien | |
| 1965 | 36 Hours | Anna Hedler | |
| The Sandpiper | Claire Hewitt | ||
| 1966 | The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming | Elspeth Whittaker | |
| Grand Prix | Louise Frederickson | ||
| 1968 | The Stalking Moon | Sarah Carver | |
| 1970 | Loving | Selma Wilson | |
| 1972 | Cancel My Reservation | Sheila Bartlett | |
| 1986 | Nothing in Common | Lorraine Basner | |
| 1996 | Mariette in Ecstasy | Mother Saint-Raphael | First shown 2019 |
| 2000 | I Dreamed of Africa | Franca | |
| 2005 | Don't Come Knocking | Howard's mother | |
| Because of Winn-Dixie | Miss Franny | ||
| 2006 | Superman Returns | Martha Kent | |
| 2014 | Winter's Tale | Adult Willa |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Campus Hoopla | Commercial spokeswoman | TV series |
| 1947 | A Christmas Carol | N/A | Television film |
| 1949 | Suspense | Francie | Episode: "The Comic Strip Murder" |
| Studio One | Edna Baker | Episode: "June Moon" | |
| 1950–1952 | One Man's Family | Claudia Barbour Roberts | TV series |
| 1950 | Prudential Family Playhouse | Edith Cortwright, Mabel | 2 episodes |
| 1953 | The Trip to Bountiful | Thelma | Television film |
| Plymouth Playhouse | Cousin Lizz | Episode: "Jamie" | |
| Martin Kane, Private Eye | Sheila Dixon | Episode: "Trip to Bermuda" | |
| Goodyear Television Playhouse | Frances Barclay | Episode: "Wish on the Moon" | |
| 1954 | Pond's Theater | Tina | Episode: "The Old Maid" |
| The Philco Television Playhouse | Dorie Wilson, Betty | 2 episodes | |
| GE True Theater | Maudle Applegate | Episode: "The Rider on the Pale Horse" | |
| 1955 | Producers' Showcase | Miss Blake, Emily Webb | 2 episodes |
| 1964 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Diane Wescott | Episode: "Her School for Bachelors" |
| Carol for Another Christmas | WAVE Lt. Gibson | Television film | |
| 1976 | The Macahans | Kate Macahan | |
| 1977 | How the West Was Won | Kate Macahan | 4 episodes |
| 1978 | Taxi!!! | The Passenger | Television film |
| A Christmas to Remember | Emma Larson | ||
| 1979 | When Hell Was in Session | Jane Denton | |
| 1980 | The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Sarah Morrissey | |
| 1981 | The Best Little Girl in the World | Joanne Powell | |
| Splendor in the Grass | Mrs. Loomis | ||
| 1983 | Malibu | Mary Wharton | |
| Jane Doe | Dr. Addie Coleman | ||
| The Love Boat | Aunt Helena Georgelos | 2 episodes | |
| 1984 | Fatal Vision | Mildred Kassab | Television miniseries |
| Love Leads the Way: A True Story | Mrs. Eustes | Television film | |
| 1986 | The Last Days of Patton | Beatrice Ayer Patton | |
| A Year in the Life | Ruth Gardner | Television miniseries | |
| 1987 | Breaking Home Ties | Emma | Television film |
| 1986–1988 | Moonlighting | Virginia Hayes | 6 episodes |
| 1988 | I'll Be Home for Christmas | Martha Bundy | Television film |
| 1990 | Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair | Marilyn Klinghoffer | |
| People Like Us | Lil Van Degan Altemus | ||
| 1991 | Danielle Steel's 'Palomino' | Caroline Lord | |
| 1993 | Kiss of a Killer | Mrs. Wilson | |
| 1995 | My Antonia | Emmaline Burden | |
| 1996 | After Jimmy | Liz | |
| Titanic | Hazel Foley | Television miniseries | |
| 1997 | Time to Say Goodbye? | Ruth Klooster | Television film |
| 1999 | Frasier | Joanna Doyle | Episode: "Our Parents, Ourselves" |
| 2000 | Papa's Angels | Dori "Grammy" Jenkins | Television film |
| 2003 | Open House | Veronica Reynolds | |
| 2012–2014 | The Legend of Korra | Katara | Voice, 6 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | The Trip to Bountiful | Thelma | 1954 Outer Circle Critics Special Award,Theatre World Award |
| 1955 | The Rainmaker | Lizzie Curry | |
| 1971 | Winesburg, Ohio | Mrs Willard | |
| 1972 | The Lincoln Mask | Mary Todd | |
| 1973 | Summer and Smoke | Alma Winemiller | |
| 1974 | Desire Under the Elms | Abbie Putnam | |
| 1976–77 | The Fatal Weakness | Mrs. Espenshade | |
| 1977 | Candida | Candida Morell | |
| 1978–79 | First Monday in October | Judge Ruth Loomis | |
| 1982–83 | Duet for One | Stephanie Abrahams | |
| 1986 | The Country Girl | Georgie Elgin | |
| 1994 | Death of a Salesman | Linda Loman | |
| 2001 | Love Letters | Melissa Gardner | |
| 2005 | Touch The Names |
