Saturday, June 12, 2010

Happy Birthday Priscilla Lane

(1912-1995) Happy Birthday Priscilla

Priscilla Lane attended the Eagin School of Dramatic Arts in New York before she began touring with her sisters in the Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians Dance Band. She was a popular singer with her sisters and, after 5 years, she was signed to a Hollywood contract with Warner Brothers in 1937. Her first film was Varsity Show (1937) where she had the hard task of portraying a singer with the Fred Waring Band. Priscilla was to play the nice girl against the temperamental star played by her sister Rosemary Lane. Over the years, Priscilla would play an assortment of girlfriends, daughters and fiancees. She would team with her two sisters, Rosemary Lane and Lola Lane, to make a series of drama's beginning with the film Four Daughters (1938). That film would be the one that made John Garfield a star. In most of her films, all Priscilla had to do was to look attractive and give a good supporting performance. Priscilla would also co-star with Wayne Morris in three 1938 releases. In The Roaring Twenties (1939), she would play the girlfriend of James Cagney. In Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), which was release 3 years after it was filmed, she would play the fiancee of Cary Grant. When Alfred Hitchcock was unable to get Barbara Stanwyck, he cast Priscilla in Saboteur (1942) where she was on the run with the hero. By that time, her movie career was almost finished and she would appear in just a couple of films over the next five years before retiring in 1948. She was married twice and had 4 children.

Side note: Sorry Dawn I haven't been posting much this week, been so busy. But glad you were still making some wonderful blogs. Next week should be a little better for me. Hope you have a great weekend. And Hey to you Paul.

5 comments:

  1. Monty, I really enjoyed your article about Priscilla Lane. I always thought she had the sweetest face in movies, pretty and innocent. The Roaring Twenties is a great movie, and she was cute as a bug and just wonderful in it. Who could blame Cagney for falling head over heels for this darling girl?

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  2. Thank you Monty, Have a wonderful weekend!!

    Bec, I agree...The Roaring Twenties, is a great movie!!

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  3. Hey back, Monty. BTW I really like Prisclla in Arsenic & Old Lace.

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  4. Good to see another article for Priscilla Lane's birthday. I think she's really over looked these days. I love The Roaring Twenties but sadly I think she doesn't have much to do in the film due to the star power on display. She still lights up the screen whenever given the chance.Dust Be My Destiny has always been a favourite.

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  5. Paul, One of my favorite scenes in, Arsenic & Old Lace, is when Mortimer takes a breather to explain to his new wife: "Insanity runs in my family"....

    Russell, welcome :) I will add the film, Dust Be My Destiny, to my wish list of movies to see.

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