Coleen Gray: Looking Back
Coleen Gray (1922-2015) brought a rare, grounding humanity to the cynical world of mid-century cinema, anchoring some of Hollywood’s most enduring masterpiece productions with her earnest screen presence. This comprehensive career interview explores her captivating trajectory through the golden age, highlighting her legendary work in classics like Henry Hathaway’s gritty noir KISS OF DEATH (1947), Edmund Goulding’s dark psychological thriller NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947), and Howard Hawks’ epic Western RED RIVER (1948). The retrospective also charts her versatile mid-career performances in Frank Capra’s msuical comedy RIDING HIGH (1950), Phil Karlson’s hard-boiled crime drama KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952), and Stanley Kubrick’s seminal heist classic THE KILLING (1956). German filmmaker Eckhart Schmidt talked to Coleen Gray in July 2004 at the latter’s home in Beverly Hills.