The Country Girl

Grace Kelly enjoyed something of a banner year in 1954, starring in both Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and Dial M For Murder. But it was not until she dressed down and deglamorized herself for the role of Georgie, the long-suffering wife of self-pitying alcoholic actor Frank Elgin, that she earned the Academy Award for Best Actress. Director George Seaton's Oscar-winning adaptation of Clifford Odets' backstage drama also marked a dramatic departure for Bing Crosby, who 10 years earlier took home a gold statue for Going My Way (this time, as Frank, he could only be a contender to Oscar-winner Marlon Brando). But it is ultimately William Holden, as the increasingly conflicted director who takes a chance on the washed-up Frank (and then puts the actor's sobriety and his play at risk when he falls in love with Georgie), whose performance holds up best. Though somewhat dated, The Country Girl, presented here in a solid if unremarkable full frame version with no DVD extras, is a worthy showcase for its trio of screen legends. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)