GRACE KELLY
US, 1983, 100 minutes, Colour.
Cheryl Ladd, Lloyd Bridges, Diane Ladd, Alejandro Rey, Ian Mc Shane, Salome Jens.
Directed by Anthony Page.
Grace Kelly is a pleasant romantic memoir of the star. Designed for a television audience, it stars Cheryl Ladd who made her name with Charlie's Angels. She does a pleasing interpretation of Grace Kelly. There is a good supporting cast in significant roles including Lloyd Bridges as Jack Kelly, Diane Ladd as Grace's mother, Ian Mc Shane as Prince Rainier. The film sketches her background in Philadelphia, her early modelling career and stage success, re-stages a number of sequences from her films, shows her romantic entanglement with fashion designer Oleg Cassini and the courtship of Prince Rainier.
The film culminates with the wedding and includes intercut sequences from filmed coverage of the actual event. The film does not give a great amount of insight into the character of Grace Kelly or her background but sketches in the Philadelphia origins, the working-class-made-millionaire ethos of her family and her meteoric rise to cinema stardom and an Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl. If it seems like a fairy tale, in fact it was. Grace Kelly was apprehensive about the film being made but gave permission shortly before she died in the car accident.
1. An enjoyable memoir? Memory, nostalgia? A fairy tale? Audiences knowing the climax and waiting for the build-up?
2. A telemovie for the home audience, the light touch, a sketch of a life and career, a build-up to the romantic climax? Criticisms that the film was too bland?
3. Aspects of image and reality? Re-creating a period? Philadelphia, New York in the '50s, Hollywood, Europe? Monaco? A re-creating of a '50s world? Fashion, styles, the musical score?
4. The background of the Kellys and bricks, Jack Kelly at Oxford and his rowing and disqualification, his hard attitude towards life, the American dream, work, earnt wealth? The Catholic background of the Kellys - especially in relationship to Cassini and his divorces? The expectations on Grace, the picture of family life, toughness, lack of expressions of affection, the bonds between the members of the family? Grace growing up within this family? Her visits, the Christmas celebrations, the engagement?
5. Jack Kelly and his strength, unemotional, his scorn for acting and modelling, criticisms of Grace, expectations on her, comparisons, sceptical about her career, his criticism of her trip to Africa, the final acceptance of her success, the Oscar, meeting Prince Rainier, supporting Grace and his presence at the wedding? Her mother and her support, quality of relationship with her? The dinner with Cassini and the talk about Catholicism? Her presence at the marriage? A picture of Irish American Catholics?
6. Grace's stage training, nervousness, criticisms that she was cold and aloof? Modelling and advertising - and the family watching the commercials? Her performance in the play and support from Mady Christians, Raymond Massey? Her agent and the chances? The possibility of films? Making High Noon and the re-creation of the scene with Gary Cooper? (And the irony that Lloyd Bridges had appeared in that film?) The trip to Africa, the romantic gossip about Gable? The scene from Mogambo? Her relationship to Gable, the press covering her return from Africa? Hitchcock and the scene from Rear Window, from To Catch a Thief? Her visit to Cannes? Her plea to perform in The Country Girl, Bing Crosby's antagonism, her re-creating the part? Crosby's acceptance? Her winning the Oscar? Her speech? The voice-over work for Green Fire? The photos in the palace at Monaco? The re-creation of the sequence from The Swan? The press conference? Rainier's attitude towards her career? Grace Kelly's success as glamour, star, actress? Short time, 11 films? Her type?
7. Rita Gam as friend, sharing, talking, the life of starlets, train, etc.?
8. The world of Oleg Cassini and its fascination, dates, his courting her. re-meeting her in Cannes, enjoyment of his company? The dinner and Mrs. Kelly's talk about Catholicism and the breaking off of the romance?
9. Prince Rainier and his background, protocol, his being late for meting Grace and the photography crew, his charm, the visit, talking? Coming to America and proposing? The issues and consequences? The blend of America and Europe? Rainier and his English, English education? The press conference and his comments about her career? Protocol? The preparation for the marriage, the sequence with the two in the church -and the stress on the religious background? (As lived through their married life for a quarter of a century?)
10. The voyage, the wedding: the newsreel material and the acted material? The climax to the film?
11. Audience knowledge of her subsequent life. being Princess, her international status, her children. her untarnished reputation. the tragedy of her death? The film as a glimpse and a tribute?
