Anne Bancroft

Anne Bancroft
Blank-and-white studio publicity headshot of Bancroft (late 1960s).
Bancroft in a studio publicity shot (late 1960s).
Born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano
September 17, 1931(1931-09-17)
, United States
Died June 6, 2005(2005-06-06) (aged 73)
, United States
Other names  • Anna Marno[1]
 • Anne Marno [1]
Occupation Actress
Years active 1951–2004
Spouse Martin May (m. 1953–1957) «start: (1953)–end+1: (1958)»"Marriage: Martin May to Anne Bancroft" Location: (linkback:http://localhost../../../../articles/a/n/n/Anne_Bancroft_50c9.html), divorced
Mel Brooks (m. 1964–2005) «start: (1964)–end+1: (2006)»"Marriage: Mel Brooks to Anne Bancroft" Location: (linkback:http://localhost../../../../articles/a/n/n/Anne_Bancroft_50c9.html) (her death)

Anne Bancroft (September 17, 1931 — June 6, 2005) was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, after studying it under Lee Strasberg.[2]

She made her film debut in Don't Bother to Knock (1952) with Marilyn Monroe and worked as a contract player in several films before returning to her native New York and appearing in several Broadway plays. She later won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Miracle Worker (1962), and received subsequent nominations for her roles in The Pumpkin Eater (1964), The Graduate (1967), The Turning Point (1977), and Agnes of God (1985). Later in her career, she played character roles in many theatrical films such as Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), G.I. Jane (1997), Great Expectations (1998), Antz (1998), and Heartbreakers (2001). She also starred in several television productions, including The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003) for which she received Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Bancroft died of uterine cancer, age 73, in 2005. Among her survivors was her husband of 40 years, Mel Brooks, and their son Maximillian Brooks.

Contents

Early life

Bancroft was born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano in The Bronx, New York, the daughter of Mildred (née DiNapoli; 1908–2010), a telephone operator, and Michael Italiano (1905–2001), a dress pattern maker.[3] Her parents were both children of Italian immigrants.

Bancroft graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx in 1948, and attended HB Studio, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 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 under the name Anne Marno, she was told to change her surname for her film debut in Don't Bother to Knock.

Career

Bancroft was a contract player in the early days of her career just as the studio contract system was ending. She left Hollywood because of the poor quality of roles she was being offered and returned to New York.

In 1958, Bancroft made her Broadway debut as lovelorn, Bronx-talkin' 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. For Gittel, she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. (Though her role was quite equal to Fonda's, he, an established film actor, was the star, and so she was eligible in the featured category).

She subsequently won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play in 1960, again with playwright Gibson and director Penn, when she played Annie Sullivan, the sight-impaired, heroically indefatigable Irish girl who teaches the child Helen Keller to communicate in The Miracle Worker (1962). She took the latter role back to Hollywood, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress, with Patty Duke repeating her success as Helen alongside her. Bancroft had returned to Broadway to star in Mother Courage and Her Children. Joan Crawford accepted Bancroft's Oscar on her behalf, and later presented the award to her in New York. She is one of the very distinct few to have won an Academy Award and Tony Award for the same role. Bancroft also co-starred as a medieval nun obsessed with a priest opposite Jason Robards in the 1965 Broadway production of John Whiting's play The Devils. Produced by Alexander H. Cohen and directed by Michael Cacoyannis, it ran for a total of 31 performances.[4]

Bancroft received a second Academy Award nomination in 1965 for her performance in The Pumpkin Eater. Her best-known role during this period was as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967), for which she received a third Academy Award nomination. In the film, she played an unhappily married woman who seduces the much-younger recent college graduate played by Dustin Hoffman. Bancroft was ambivalent about her appearance in The Graduate; she stated in several interviews that the role overshadowed all of her other work. Although her status as the "older woman" in the film is iconic, Bancroft was actually only 36 years old to Dustin Hoffman's 30 when the film was released.

A CBS television special, Annie: the Women in the Life of a Man (1970), won Bancroft an Emmy Award for her singing and acting. Bancroft is one of a very select few entertainers to win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award. She followed that success with a second television special, Annie and The Hoods (1974), which was telecast on ABC and featured her husband Mel Brooks as a guest star. She made an uncredited cameo in the film Blazing Saddles (1974), directed by Brooks. She received a fourth Academy Award nomination for her performance in The Turning Point (1977) opposite Shirley Maclaine, and a fifth nomination for her performance in Agnes of God (1985) opposite Jane Fonda.

Bancroft made her debut as a screenwriter and director in Fatso (1980), in which she starred along with Dom DeLuise. Bancroft was also the original choice to play Joan Crawford in the film Mommie Dearest (1981), but backed out at the eleventh hour, and was replaced by Faye Dunaway. She was also a front-runner for the role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (1983), but declined in order to act in the remake of To Be or Not to Be (1983).

During the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s, Bancroft took supporting roles in a number of films in which she co-starred with major film stars, including Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) with Nicolas Cage; Love Potion No. 9 (1992) with Sandra Bullock; Malice (1993) with Nicole Kidman; Point of No Return (1993) with Bridget Fonda; Home for the Holidays (1995) with Robert Downey Jr. and directed by Jodie Foster; How to Make an American Quilt (1995) with Winona Ryder, G.I. Jane (1997) with Demi Moore; Great Expectations (1998) with Gwyneth Paltrow; Keeping the Faith (2000) with Ben Stiller; and Heartbreakers (2001) with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sigourney Weaver and Gene Hackman. She also lent her voice to the animated film Antz (1998) which also featured performances from Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, and Woody Allen.

Bancroft also starred in several television movies and miniseries, receiving six Emmy Award nominations (winning twice), eight Golden Globe nominations (winning twice), and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her final screen appearance was in the television film The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003) for which she received critical acclaim. Her last project was the animated feature Delgo, released posthumously in 2008.

She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6368 Hollywood Boulevard for her work in television, although she was primarily a stage and film actress.[5]

Marriage and family

Bancroft was married to Martin May from July 1, 1953, to February 13, 1957. They had no children.

In 1961, Bancroft met Mel Brooks at a rehearsal for the Perry Como variety show. Bancroft and Brooks married on August 5, 1964, at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau near New York City Hall and were together until her death. They had one son, Maximillian, born in 1972.

They were seen three times on the screen together: once dancing a tango in Brooks's Silent Movie (1976); in his remake of To Be or Not to Be (1983); and in the episode entitled "Opening Night" (2004) of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm. They were also in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), but never appeared together. Brooks produced the film The Elephant Man (1980), in which Bancroft acted. He also was executive-producer for the film 84 Charing Cross Road (1987) in which she starred. Both Brooks and Bancroft appeared in season six 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 2010, Brooks credited Bancroft as being the guiding force behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theater, citing an early meeting as "From that day, until her death on June 5, 2005, we were glued together."[6]

Death

Anne Bancroft's grave in Kensico Cemetery

Anne Bancroft died, age 73, of uterine cancer on June 6, 2005, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.[7] Her death surprised many, even some of her friends. She was intensely private and had not released details of her illness.

Bancroft was survived by Brooks; their son, Maximillian; a grandson; her mother Mildred (who died on April 18, 2010, at age 102) and two sisters, Joanne and Phyllis. She is interred at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, near her parents, Mildred and Michael Italiano. A white marble monument with a weeping angel adorns her grave.

Work

Theater

Year Title Notes
1958 Two for the Seesaw Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
1959 The Miracle Worker Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
1963 Mother Courage and Her Children
1965 The Devils
1967 The Little Foxes
1968 A Cry of Players
1977 Golda Nominated — Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
1981 Duet for One
2002 Occupant

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1952 Don't Bother to Knock Lyn Lesley
1953 Tonight We Sing Emma Hurok
Treasure of the Golden Condor Marie, Comtesse de St. Malo
The Kid from Left Field Marian Foley
1954 Gorilla at Large Laverne Miller
Demetrius and the Gladiators Paula
The Raid Katie Bishop
1955 New York Confidential Kathy Lupo
A Life in the Balance María Ibinia
The Naked Street Rosalie Regalzyk
The Last Frontier Corinna Marston
1956 Walk the Proud Land Tianay
1957 Nightfall Marie Gardner
The Restless Breed Angelita
The Girl in Black Stockings Beth Dixon
1962 The Miracle Worker Annie Sullivan Academy Award for Best Actress
BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
San Sebastián International Film Festival Prize San Sebastián
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
1964 The Pumpkin Eater Jo Armitage Oscar BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
1965 The Slender Thread Inga Dyson
1966 7 Women Dr. D.R. Cartwright
1967 The Graduate Mrs. Robinson Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actress
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1972 Young Winston Lady Jennie Churchill Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1974 Blazing Saddles Extra in Church Congregation uncredited
1975 The Prisoner of Second Avenue Edna Edison Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
The Hindenburg Ursula, The Countess
1976 Lipstick Carla Bondi
Silent Movie Herself
1977 The Turning Point Emma Jacklin Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
1980 Fatso Antoinette also director and writer
The Elephant Man Mrs. Kendal
1983 To Be or Not to Be Anna Bronski Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1984 Garbo Talks Estelle Rolfe Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1985 Agnes of God Mother Miriam Ruth Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
1986 'night, Mother Thelma Cates Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
1987 84 Charing Cross Road Helene Hanff BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1988 Torch Song Trilogy Ma Beckoff
1989 Bert Rigby, You're a Fool Meredith Perlestein
1992 Honeymoon in Vegas Bea Singer
Love Potion No. 9 Madame Ruth
1993 Point of No Return Amanda
Malice Mrs. Kennsinger
Mr. Jones Dr. Catherine Holland
1995 How to Make an American Quilt Glady Joe Cleary Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Home for the Holidays Adele Larson
Dracula: Dead and Loving It Madame Ouspenskaya (Gypsy Woman)
1996 The Sunchaser Dr. Renata Baumbauer
1997 G.I. Jane Sen. Lillian DeHaven
Critical Care Nun
1998 Great Expectations Ms. Dinsmoor
Mark Twain's America in 3D Narrator
Antz Queen voice
2000 Keeping the Faith Ruth Schram
Up at the Villa Princess San Ferdinando
2001 Heartbreakers Gloria Vogal/Barbara
In Search of Peace Golda Meir voice
2008 Delgo Sedessa voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1967 ABC Stage 67 - I'm Getting Married Virginia
1970 Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety or Musical Program - Variety and Popular Music
1974 Annie and the Hoods
1977 Jesus of Nazareth Mary Magdalene Miniseries
1982 Marco Polo Marco's mother Miniseries
1990 Freddie and Max Maxine (Max) Chandler Six episodes
1992 Broadway Bound Kate Jerome Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Mrs. Cage Lillian Cage Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
1994 Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Lucy Marsden (age 99-100) Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Great Performances - The Mother Mrs. Fanning
The Simpsons Dr. Zweig (voice) episode "Fear of Flying"
1996 Homecoming Abigail Tillerman Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
1999 Deep in My Heart Gerry Eileen Cummins Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
2001 Haven Mama Gruber Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
2003 The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone Contessa Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2004 Curb Your Enthusiasm Herself

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Database (undated). "Filmography by Type for Anne Bancroft". The Internet Movie Database. Accessed August 29, 2010.
  2. ↑ Strasberg, Lee. Strasberg at the Actors Studio: Tape-recorded Sessions, Theatre Communications Group (1965) back cover
  3. ↑ Anne Bancroft Biography (1931-)
  4. ↑ http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=3265
  5. ↑ Hollywood Walk of Fame
  6. ↑ Carucci, John (March 3, 2010). "Brooks Recalls Anne Bancroft as Wife, Collaborator — Mel Brooks Reminisces of Wife Anne Bancroft as Anniversary of Their First Meeting Draws Near". The Associated Press (via ABC News). http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9739055. Retrieved August 29, 2010. 
  7. ↑ Staff writer (June 8, 2005). "Graduate Star Anne Bancroft Dies — Oscar-Winning Actress Anne Bancroft, Who Starred Opposite Dustin Hoffman in Film Classic The Graduate, Has Died". BBC News. Accessed August 29, 2010.

External links