Eve Arden: A Chronicle of All Film, Television, Radio and Stage Performances

206 Pages·2011·4.87 MB·English

by  David C. Tucker

Eve Arden
ALSOBYDAVIDC. TUCKER
ANDFROMMCFARLAND
Lost Laughs of ’50s and ’60s Television:
Thirty Sitcoms That Faded Off Screen (2010)
Shirley Booth: A Biography and Career Record (2008)
The Women Who Made Television Funny:
Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms (2007)
Eve Arden
A Chronicle of All Film,
Television, Radio and
Stage Performances
D C. T
AVID UCKER
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Tucker, David C., 1962–
Eve Arden : a chronicle of all film, television,
radio and stage performances /David C. Tucker.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-6131-8
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
1. Arden, Eve, 1912–1990.
2. Actors—United States—Biography.
I. Title.
PN2287.A684T83 2012 792.02'8092—dc23 [B] 2011037851
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2012 David C. Tucker. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
On the cover: Eve Arden, © 2012 Photofest/National Broadcasting
Company (NBC); background image © 2012 Shutterstock
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To my friend Lynn Kear,
exactly the sort of smart, accomplished,
and witty woman that Eve so often played.
Acknowledgments
I’m indebted to several people who made valuable contributions to this
project. Film historian Richard Barrios generously provided information on
Eve’s film debut, The Song of Love. Fredrick Tucker shared several photos from
his own collection, and assisted with compiling credits for guest players on
Our Miss Brooks.As always, Ken McCullers was a top-flight proofreader. The
staff and collections at the University of Georgia Libraries were invaluable, as
they have been on my previous books.
Special thanks to my mother, Louise Tucker, and to many good friends
and family members whose support and encouragement I appreciate. I’m grate-
ful for my friends and colleagues at the DeKalb County Public Library as
well, who have been so supportive of my goals as a writer.
vi
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
I. Biography 3
II. Filmography 39
III. Television Performances 139
Our Miss Brooks 139
The Eve Arden Show 156
The Mothers-in-Law 158
Guest Appearances 167
IV. Broadway Performances 185
Bibliography 187
Index 191
vii
This page intentionally left blank
Preface
Eve Arden had a face, and certainly a voice, that was completely distinctive and instantly
recognizable to audiences. Some know her best as Connie Brooks, the warm-hearted but
wisecracking schoolteacher on the long-running radio and TV comedy Our Miss Brooks. Oth-
ers remember her as the Oscar-nominated character actress who appeared in more than 60
motion pictures from 1929 to 1982, notably as the loyal but plain-spoken best friend to Joan
Crawford in Mildred Pierce. And a later generation may think of her first and foremost as
the hapless school principal Miss McGee in Grease. Eve herself was particularly fond of
working in the theater, and took pride in her stage work on Broadway, in summer stock, and
wherever else interesting roles presented themselves.
For many, her most distinctive trait was her ability to snap out a witty, sardonic line with
impeccable timing. Even today, when a movie or television show features a smart, slightly
caustic, stylish woman, reviewers are likely to call that character an Eve Arden type. Said
Leonard Maltin, profiling her in Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia, “If this tall, attractive
blonde didn’t exactly invent the character of the leading lady’s sardonic, wisecracking, and
usually dateless best friend, she certainly set the standard for all the others.”
I first wrote about the marvelous Eve Arden, one of my favorite actresses, in The Women
Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms (McFarland, 2007). Her chapter in
that book focused primarily on her starring role in Our Miss Brooks, placing her context
alongside her fellow female sitcom stars of early television, such as Lucille Ball, Joan Davis,
and Donna Reed. Now, with the luxury of devoting a full-length book to her work, I have
been able to delve more deeply into a career that is truly impressive not only in its length
but its variety.
This book begins with an overview of her career, which lasted for some 60 years and
was noteworthy for her mastery of virtually every entertainment medium. Part one provides
information about her radio career, as well as her many stage performances. Part two provides
a detailed filmography of 62 feature films, covering a period from 1929 to 1982. Each entry
provides a brief synopsis of the film, and of Eve’s role within it, as well as critical commentary.
Excerpts from published reviews are provided as well.
Part three covers the actress’s extensive career in television. Included are episode guides
not only for Our Miss Brooks but also her two later sitcoms, The Eve Arden Show (1957–1958)
and The Mothers-in-Law (1967–1969). In addition, the book documents more than 70 one-
time appearances in television dramatic, variety, and talk shows, as well as the unsold series
pilots that aired as TV specials.
1