The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey From Hollywood to Holy Vows by Dolores Hart, Richard DeNeut Page B
Authors: Dolores Hart, Richard DeNeut
Tags: Personal Memoirs, Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Biography, Spirituality, Non-Fiction, Religious, Spiritual & Religion
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Wind the film got a major premiere in Los Angeles, which was everything Dolores had dreamed of on Mulholland Drive.
My whole family was there—my mother and stepfather and Granny and Grandpa, who was puffed out to here with pride because this was better than being prom queen. Mom had made a beautiful dress for me, and I remember thinking when I looked at myself in the mirror, “The Father has put me in the limelight as the lady I dreamed of becoming. God has been good in letting me have these things for now.” And then I wondered why “for now”. I was being given the life I always wanted, wasn’t I ?
By the end of 1957, Dolores had two movies in release: Loving You , which introduced her to Presley’s massive teenage audience, and Wild Is the Wind , which would be an Academy Award contender with nominations for Magnani and Quinn as well as Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington for their song.
Dolores had struck a note with reviewers, getting positive notices for both minor roles, and when lists of the most promising new female personalities of the year began appearing, her name was there alongside Joanne Woodward, Sophia Loren and Lee Remick.
When the annual Photoplay magazine awards were handed out to the most promising newcomers of 1957, Dolores was in the company of Woodward, Franciosa, Pat Boone and Tony Randall. Hollywood columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons each published end-of-the-year lists of future stars. Both included Dolores. She was one of the 1957 Deb Stars, debuting movie actresses for whom stardom was predicted by the Motion Picture Hairstylists and Makeup Artists. Essentially a publicity event, the Deb Star Ball always got a great deal of domestic and foreign press coverage.
Dolores Hart was just about the most envied teenager in Hollywood, and she had been a professional actress for less than one year.
It looked as if Hal Wallis just might have gotten himself a star.
Seven
Dolores was again cast opposite Elvis Presley in the musical drama King Creole , loosely based on Harold Robbins’ A Stone for Danny Fisher . The property had been announced numerous times for production with various young actors slated for the lead role, James Dean and Tony Curtis among them.
Before filming started, I caught up a little on Elvis. I listened to his recordings and went to my first and only Presley concert. The next day I was surprised and not a little outraged when I read a review that called him “vulgar”. I found nothing vulgar in his performance. I thought that his rather innocent sexual energy moved to the soul of the new youth culture and that he gave that culture a voice .
Her casting interested several of the bigger agencies in Hollywood, all of which came calling. The advice from Wallis, Nathan and others at the studio was unanimous: she should change agents. The most recommended name among them was Phil Gersh at Famous Artists. Dolores liked Gersh and agreed that a stronger agency could certainly do more for her. Alvarado immediately sued Gersh for stealing his client and damaging his reputation. Ultimately an arrangement was worked out, though Alvarado privately felt Dolores was an ingrate. At this point, she was hardly a moneymaker for any agency, but everyone at Famous Artists, especially Harry Bernsen, was convinced she was going to make it big. Bernsen began canvassing the town for TV roles for their new client before King Creole started shooting.
I trusted Harry’s counsel because he was obviously more interested in building my career than he was in the money. I mean, there was no money. He wanted to put me into big pictures eventually but felt exposure on television could only help make me better known. Remembering what Tony Quinn told me about the theater, I asked Harry if he could also check out summer-stock possibilities for me .
Dolores first TV job was on the popular anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents . In the mystery “Silent Witness”, she played a babysitter who
My whole family was there—my mother and stepfather and Granny and Grandpa, who was puffed out to here with pride because this was better than being prom queen. Mom had made a beautiful dress for me, and I remember thinking when I looked at myself in the mirror, “The Father has put me in the limelight as the lady I dreamed of becoming. God has been good in letting me have these things for now.” And then I wondered why “for now”. I was being given the life I always wanted, wasn’t I ?
By the end of 1957, Dolores had two movies in release: Loving You , which introduced her to Presley’s massive teenage audience, and Wild Is the Wind , which would be an Academy Award contender with nominations for Magnani and Quinn as well as Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington for their song.
Dolores had struck a note with reviewers, getting positive notices for both minor roles, and when lists of the most promising new female personalities of the year began appearing, her name was there alongside Joanne Woodward, Sophia Loren and Lee Remick.
When the annual Photoplay magazine awards were handed out to the most promising newcomers of 1957, Dolores was in the company of Woodward, Franciosa, Pat Boone and Tony Randall. Hollywood columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons each published end-of-the-year lists of future stars. Both included Dolores. She was one of the 1957 Deb Stars, debuting movie actresses for whom stardom was predicted by the Motion Picture Hairstylists and Makeup Artists. Essentially a publicity event, the Deb Star Ball always got a great deal of domestic and foreign press coverage.
Dolores Hart was just about the most envied teenager in Hollywood, and she had been a professional actress for less than one year.
It looked as if Hal Wallis just might have gotten himself a star.
Seven
Dolores was again cast opposite Elvis Presley in the musical drama King Creole , loosely based on Harold Robbins’ A Stone for Danny Fisher . The property had been announced numerous times for production with various young actors slated for the lead role, James Dean and Tony Curtis among them.
Before filming started, I caught up a little on Elvis. I listened to his recordings and went to my first and only Presley concert. The next day I was surprised and not a little outraged when I read a review that called him “vulgar”. I found nothing vulgar in his performance. I thought that his rather innocent sexual energy moved to the soul of the new youth culture and that he gave that culture a voice .
Her casting interested several of the bigger agencies in Hollywood, all of which came calling. The advice from Wallis, Nathan and others at the studio was unanimous: she should change agents. The most recommended name among them was Phil Gersh at Famous Artists. Dolores liked Gersh and agreed that a stronger agency could certainly do more for her. Alvarado immediately sued Gersh for stealing his client and damaging his reputation. Ultimately an arrangement was worked out, though Alvarado privately felt Dolores was an ingrate. At this point, she was hardly a moneymaker for any agency, but everyone at Famous Artists, especially Harry Bernsen, was convinced she was going to make it big. Bernsen began canvassing the town for TV roles for their new client before King Creole started shooting.
I trusted Harry’s counsel because he was obviously more interested in building my career than he was in the money. I mean, there was no money. He wanted to put me into big pictures eventually but felt exposure on television could only help make me better known. Remembering what Tony Quinn told me about the theater, I asked Harry if he could also check out summer-stock possibilities for me .
Dolores first TV job was on the popular anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents . In the mystery “Silent Witness”, she played a babysitter who
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