Anne bancroft biography book

Anne Bancroft

American actress (–)

For the author, see Ann Bancroft.

Anne Bancroft

Studio publicity photograph, c.&#;

Born

Anna Maria Louisa Italiano


()September 17,

New York City, U.S.

DiedJune 6, () (aged&#;73)

New York City, U.S.

Resting placeKensico Cemetery
Other&#;namesAnne Marno
Education
OccupationActress
Years&#;active–
Spouses

  • Martin May

    &#;

    &#;

    (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#;

  • Mel Brooks

    &#;

    (m.&#;)&#;
ChildrenMax Brooks

Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, – June 6, )[1] was an American actress.

Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Cannes Film Festival Award.[2][3] She is one of 24 thespians to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.

Associated with the method acting technique, having studied under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Bancroft made her film debut in the noir thriller Don't Bother to Knock in , and appeared in 14 other films over the following five years.

In , she made her Broadway debut with the play Two for the Seesaw, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. The next year she portrayed Anne Sullivan in the original Broadway production of The Miracle Worker, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. After her continued success on stage, Bancroft's film career was revived when she was cast in the acclaimed film adaptation of The Miracle Worker () for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Her film career progressed with Oscar nominated performances in The Pumpkin Eater (), The Graduate (), The Turning Point (), and Agnes of God ().

Bancroft continued to act in the later half of her life, with prominent roles including Mary Magdalene in Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth (), The Elephant Man (), To Be or Not to Be (), Garbo Talks (), 84 Charing Cross Road (), Torch Song Trilogy (), Home for the Holidays (), G.I.

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    • Jane (), Great Expectations (), and Up at the Villa (). She received multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for the television films Broadway Bound (), Deep in My Heart (), for which she won, and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (). She died in , at the age of 73, as a result of uterine cancer.

    She was married to director, actor, and writer Mel Brooks, with whom she had a son, author Max Brooks.

    Early life

    Bancroft was born Anna Maria Luisa Italiano on September 17, in the Bronx, New York the middle of three daughters of Mildred (née Di Napoli), a telephone operator, and Michael G. Italiano, a dress pattern maker.

    Both of her parents' surnames were toponymic.[4] Her parents were Italian immigrants from Southern Italy.

    Anne Bancroft: A Life - Daniel, Douglass K. - Amazon.com.au: She went on to appear in dozens of film, theater, and television productions, including several movies directed or produced by her husband, Mel Brooks. In the same interview, he said of their first meeting in , "From that day, until her death on June 6, , we were glued together. She was also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame , having been inducted in Mel Brooks.

    In an interview, she said that her family was originally from Muro Lucano, in the province of Potenza, Basilicata in the Kingdom of Italy.[5] She grew up Roman Catholic.[6]

    Bancroft was raised in Little Italy, in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, attended P.S. 12, later moving to Zerega Ave.

    and graduating from Christopher Columbus High School in [7][8] She then attended HB Studio,[9] the American Academy of Dramatic Arts,[8] the Actors Studio and the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women at the University of California, Los Angeles.

    After appearing in a number of live television dramas, including Studio One[8] and The Goldbergs[8] under the name Anne Marno, later, at Darryl Zanuck's insistence,[8] she chose the less Mediterranean surname of Bancroft "because it sounded dignified".[10]

    Career

    – Initial work and breakthrough

    Bancroft made her screen debut with a major role in the Marilyn Monroe-led psychological thriller Don't Bother to Knock.

    She appeared in 14 films over the next five years, including Treasure of the Golden Condor (), Gorilla at Large (), Demetrius and the Gladiators (), New York Confidential () and Walk the Proud Land (). In , Bancroft was directed by Jacques Tourneur in a David Goodis adaptation, Nightfall. In , she made her Broadway debut as lovelorn, Bronx-accented Gittel Mosca opposite Henry Fonda (as the married man Gittel loves) in William Gibson's two-character play Two for the Seesaw, directed by Arthur Penn.[10][11] For the role, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.[11]

    Bancroft won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in , again with playwright Gibson and director Penn, when she played Annie Sullivan, the young woman who teaches the child Helen Keller to communicate in The Miracle Worker.[12] She reprised her role in the film and won the Academy Award for Best Actress, with Patty Duke repeating her own success as Keller alongside Bancroft.[13] As Bancroft had returned to Broadway to star in Mother Courage and Her Children, Joan Crawford accepted the Oscar on her behalf and later presented the award to her in New York.[14]

    – Success, decline and comeback

    Bancroft co-starred as a medieval nun obsessed with a priest (Jason Robards) in the Broadway production of John Whiting's play The Devils.

    Produced by Alexander H. Cohen and directed by Michael Cacoyannis, it ran for 63 performances.[15]

    Annie's a very gutsy girl. I swear I wouldn't hesitate to put her in at shortstop for the New York Yankees.

    Arthur Penn
    director of The Miracle Worker[16]

    Bancroft received a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Pumpkin Eater ().[17] Bancroft achieved stardom when she played the starring role as Mrs.

    Robinson in the romantic comedy-drama The Graduate ().[18] In the film, she played an unhappily married woman who seduces the son of her husband's business partner, the much younger recent college graduate played by Dustin Hoffman.[17] In the film, Hoffman's character later dates and falls in love with her daughter.[18] Bancroft was ambivalent about her appearance in The Graduate; she said in several interviews that the role overshadowed her other work.

    Despite her character becoming an archetype of the "older woman" role, Bancroft was only 36 years old at the time—just eight years older than her onscreen daughter Katharine Ross and six years older than Hoffman. The film, and her performance, received widespread critical acclaim, earning her a third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

    A CBS television special, Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man (), won Bancroft an Emmy Award for her singing and acting.[19]

    Bancroft is one of ten actors to have won both an Academy Award and a Tony Award for the same role (as Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker),[20] and one of very few entertainers to win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award.

    Anne Bancroft - The University Press of Kentucky Emmy Awards FID. Old Ladies and Liberation. Author Douglass K. In , shortly before her death, Bancroft became a grandmother when her daughter-in-law Michelle had a boy, Henry Michael Brooks.

    This rare achievement is also known as the Triple Crown of Acting. She followed that success with a second television special, Annie and the Hoods (), which was telecast on ABC and featured her husband Mel Brooks as a guest star.[21] She made an uncredited cameo in the film Blazing Saddles (), directed by Brooks.

    She made a career comeback with the ballet drama The Turning Point (), followed by the neo-noir mystery film Agnes of God (), which earned her two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress.[22][23]

    Bancroft made her debut as a screenwriter and director in Fatso (), in which she starred with Dom DeLuise.[24]

    Bancroft was the original choice to play Joan Crawford in the film Mommie Dearest (), but backed out and was replaced by Faye Dunaway.[25][26] She was also a front-runner for the role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (), but declined so that she could act in the remake of To Be or Not to Be () with Brooks.[27] In , she played Harvey Fierstein's mother in the film version of his play Torch Song Trilogy.

    – Final film and television roles

    During the s and early s, Bancroft took supporting roles in a number of films in which she co-starred with major film stars, including Honeymoon in Vegas (), Love Potion No. 9 (), Malice (), Point of No Return (), Home for the Holidays (), How to Make an American Quilt (), G.I.

    Jane (), Great Expectations (), Keeping the Faith (), Up at the Villa () and Heartbreakers (). She lent her voice to the animated film Antz ().[28][29]

    Bancroft also starred in several television movies and miniseries, receiving six Emmy Award nominations (winning once for herself and shared for Annie, The Women in the Life of a Man),[30][31] eight Golden Globe nominations (winning twice)[32] and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

    Her last appearance was as herself in a episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.[33] She was cast in Spanglish () later in the year, but had to bow out due to a medical emergency.[34] Her last project was the animated feature film Delgo, released posthumously in [35] The film was dedicated to her.

    Bancroft received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard for her work in television.[36] At the time of her star's installation in ,[37] she had recently appeared in several TV series. She was also a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame, having been inducted in [38]

    Personal life

    Bancroft's first husband was lawyer Martin May, of Lubbock, Texas.

    They married on July 1, , separated in November , and divorced on February 13, [1][39] She had previously been engaged to actor John Ericson in [40]Lee Marvin's ex-wife Betty claimed in her book Tales of a Hollywood Housewife that Marvin had an affair with Bancroft when they co-starred in Gorilla at Large () and A Life in the Balance ().[41]

    In , Bancroft met Mel Brooks at a rehearsal for Perry Como's variety show Kraft Music Hall.

    Bancroft and Brooks married on August 5, , at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau near New York City Hall, and were married until her death in Their son, Max Brooks, was born in [42][43] Bancroft worked with her husband three times on the screen: dancing a tango in Brooks's Silent Movie (), in his remake of To Be or Not to Be ()[10] and in the episode titled "Opening Night" () of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm.[33] The couple also appeared in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (),[10] but never appeared together again.

    Brooks produced the film The Elephant Man (), in which Bancroft acted.

  • Anne Bancroft: A Life by Douglass K. Daniel, Paperback ...

  • He was executive producer for the film 84 Charing Cross Road () in which she starred. Both Brooks and Bancroft appeared in Season 6 of The Simpsons. According to the DVD commentary, when Bancroft came to record her lines for the episode "Fear of Flying", the Simpsons writers asked if Brooks had come with her (which he had); she joked, "I can't get rid of him!"

    In a interview, Brooks credited Bancroft as being the guiding force behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theater.

    In the same interview, he said of their first meeting in , "From that day, until her death on June 6, , we were glued together."[44] Bancroft's son, Max, said in a interview that she was "a secret, closet scientist". He said that, as a child, she read to him Paul de Kruif's Microbe Hunters () as a bedtime story.[45]

    In , shortly before her death, Bancroft became a grandmother when her daughter-in-law Michelle had a boy, Henry Michael Brooks.[46] Bancroft had a drinking problem which resulted in being absent from work often, according to Elizabeth Wilson, who was Bancroft's understudy in The Little Foxes and co-starred with her in The Graduate () and The Prisoner of Second Avenue ().[47]

    Death

    Bancroft died of uterine cancer at age 73 on June 6, , at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.[48] Her death surprised many, including some of her friends, as the intensely private Bancroft had not disclosed any details of her illness.[49] Her body was interred at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York near her father, Michael Italiano, and her mother, Mildred Italiano (who died five years after Anne in April ).[50] Her final film, Delgo, was dedicated to her memory.

    Filmography

    Film

    Television

    Theater

    Awards and nominations

    See also

    References

    1. ^ ab"Anne Bancroft". The Daily Telegraph. June 9, Archived from the original on January 11, Retrieved June 15,
    2. ^Frank Northen Magill (October 1, ).

      Magill's Cinema Annual: . Gale. ISBN&#;. Retrieved December 3,

    3. ^Willis, John A.; Barry Monush, eds. (). Screen World .

      Max brooks biography She lent her voice to the animated film Antz Deep in My Heart. An impassioned, clever, and gifted actress who has been equally brilliant in both drama and comedy, emerging as one of the most enduring and respected performers of her generation. Stone

      Vol.&#; New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p.&#;7. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;

    4. ^"Paid Notice: Deaths Italiano, Michael G."The New York Times. April 13, Retrieved September 8,
    5. ^"Anne Bancroft: God bless you, Mrs. Robinson" (in Italian). Retrieved February 16,
    6. ^"Mel Brooks – Director, Actor, Writer and Producer".

      h2g2. BBC. Retrieved September 19,

    7. ^"About Our Neighborhood: the Bronx Little Italy". Retrieved April 10,
    8. ^ abcdeShelley, Peter (July 21, ).

      Anne Bancroft: The Life and Work. McFarland.

      Mel brooks biography A Challenging Role's Only Reward 7. She went on to appear in dozens of film, theater, and television productions, including several movies directed or produced by her husband, Mel Brooks. Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. Filmography [ edit ].

      ISBN&#;.

    9. ^"HB Studio – Notable Alumni &#; One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC".
    10. ^ abcd"Anne Bancroft dies at age 73" , June 7,
    11. ^ abTwo for the Seesaw Playbill, retrieved February 20,
    12. ^" 'The Miracle Worker' Broadway" Playbill, retrieved February 20,
    13. ^" 'The Miracle Worker' Film" , retrieved February 20,
    14. ^" 'The Miracle Worker' Article" , retrieved February 20,
    15. ^"The Devils" profile, ; accessed September 29,
    16. ^Rausch, Andrew J.

      Hollywood's All-Time Greatest Stars, Citadel Press () p. 10

    17. ^ ab"Anne Bancroft Biography" , retrieved February 20,
    18. ^ abThe Graduate , retrieved February 20,
    19. ^Oliver, Myrna (June 8, ). "From the Archives: Anne Bancroft, Versatile, but Forever 'Mrs.

      Robinson'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 17,

    20. ^"Tony Facts and Trivia". . Archived from the original on July 4, Retrieved February 20,
    21. ^Annie and The Hoods , retrieved February 20,
    22. ^The Turning Point , retrieved February 20,
    23. ^Agnes of God , retrieved February 20,
    24. ^" Fatso History" , retrieved February 21,
    25. ^Fristoe, Roger.

      Mommie Dearest , retrieved February 21,

    26. ^" Mommie Dearest History" , retrieved February 21,
    27. ^Rausch, Andrew J. (). Hollywood's All-Time Greatest Stars: A Quiz Book. Citadel Press. ISBN&#;.
    28. ^ ab"Filmography". Turner Classic Movies.

      Retrieved 26 August

    29. ^"Filmography" , retrieved February 22,
    30. ^Annie, The Women in the Life of a Man , retrieved February 20,
    31. ^"Bancroft Emmy" , retrieved February 20,
    32. ^"Bancroft Golden Globes" , retrieved February 20,
    33. ^ ab" 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', Season 4, Episode 10" , retrieved February 20,
    34. ^"Spanglish".

      Entertainment Weekly.

    35. ^"Delgo marks Bancroft's last performance". UPI. November 24, Retrieved December 22,
    36. ^"Anne Bancroft – Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times.
    37. ^"Anne Bancroft". . Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
    38. ^Witchel, Alex (December 6, ).

      "On Stage, and Off".

      Anne bancroft biography book Toggle the table of contents. The Pumpkin Eater. Douglass K. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.

      The New York Times.

    39. ^Leonard, Tom (April 12, ). "Anne Bancroft: – Here's to you, Mrs Robinson". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, Retrieved June 15,
    40. ^"'Honey West' Actor John Ericson Dies at 93".
    41. ^Marvin, Betty (). Tales of a Hollywood Housewife: A Memoir by the First Mrs.

      Lee Marvin. iUniverse. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

    42. ^Silverman, Stephen M. "Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft Shared Love and Laughs"People, May 19,
    43. ^Carter, Maria. "How Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks Kept the Spark Alive for 41 Years"Country Living, August 9,
    44. ^Carucci, John (March 3, ).

      "Brooks Recalls Anne Bancroft as Wife, Collaborator – Mel Brooks Reminisces of Wife Anne Bancroft as Anniversary of Their First Meeting Draws Near". Associated Press. Retrieved August 29,

    45. ^Collis, Clark (July 10, ). "World War Z writer Max Brooks recommends the book you should read to survive a pandemic".

      Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21,

    46. ^"The Brooks Family of Writers: Michelle, Max and Mel". November 9, Retrieved June 15,
    47. ^"Q&A: Actress Elizabeth Wilson". Connecticut Magazine. March 31, Archived from the original on July 16, Retrieved July 16,
    48. ^Staff writer.

      (June 8, ). "Graduate Star Anne Bancroft Dies – Oscar-Winning Actress Anne Bancroft, Who Starred Opposite Dustin Hoffman in Film Classic The Graduate, Has Died". BBC News Online. Retrieved August 29,

    49. ^Burleigh, James (June 8, ). "Anne Bancroft dies of cancer at 73". The Daily Telegraph.

      Archived from the original on January 11, Retrieved June 15,

    50. ^Shelley, Peter (July 21, ). Anne Bancroft: The Life and Work. McFarland. ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.
    51. ^"Filmography". Allmovie, retrieved February 19,
    52. ^James, Caryn (February 9, ).

      "TV Weekend; The Story Of The Interned Jewish Refugees". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14,

    53. ^Occupant , retrieved February 19,
    54. ^"Anne Bancroft Broadway", Playbill, retrieved February 19,

    External links