Clifton Webb
Active - 1920 - 1962 | Born - Nov 19, 1891 in Indianapolis, IN | Died - Oct 13, 1966 in Beverly Hills, CA | Genres - Comedy, Drama, Romance | Height: 5’ 10½”
Clifton Webb was the most improbable of movie stars that one could imagine -- in an era in which leading men were supposed to be virile and bold, he was prissy and, well, downright fussy.
In 1943, 20th Century Fox set out to adapt a novel by Vera Caspary entitled Laura to the screen. The book, a murder mystery set in New York, had in it a character named Waldo Lydecker, who was modeled on Alexander Woollcott; a waspish, stylish, and witty author and raconteur, Woollcott was a well-known and popular media figure, who’d even done a little acting onscreen and on-stage. When it came time to cast the role, producer Otto Preminger and director Rouben Mamoulian decided to give Webb a screen test. Preminger was totally convinced of Webb’s rightness for the role, and the screen test bore him out, but studio production chief Darryl F. Zanuck couldn’t abide Webb’s fey, effete mannerisms and obviously gay persona, and did his best to keep him from the role. Luckily, Preminger prevailed, and Webb -- in what is usually regarded as his real film debut -- proved to be one of the most popular elements of what turned out to be a massively popular movie. It was the beginning of a very profitable two-decade relationship between the actor and the studio.
The great unspoken irony in all of this was that Webb was not only unmarried and childless, but was as close to being openly gay as any leading actor in Hollywood could be -- he lived with his mother, and the two attended parties together, and was on record as being a “bachelor,” which was code in those days (where certain kinds of actors were concerned) for being gay. And in an era in which this wasn’t acceptable as a choice or a condition, audiences didn’t care -- in a testimony to the sheer power of his acting, they devoured Webb’s work in whatever role he took on. Webb was always stylishly dressed in public, and owned dozens of expensive suits -- he was, in many ways, the America’s first pop-culture “metrosexual,” and he made it work for two decades. The death of Webb’s mother in 1960, reportedly at age 90, was an event from which the actor never fully recovered. Though he did a few more screen appearances, his health was obviously in decline, and he passed away in 1966.
Available Films:
Active - 1920 - 1962 | Born - Nov 19, 1891 in Indianapolis, IN | Died - Oct 13, 1966 in Beverly Hills, CA | Genres - Comedy, Drama, Romance | Height: 5’ 10½”
Clifton Webb was the most improbable of movie stars that one could imagine -- in an era in which leading men were supposed to be virile and bold, he was prissy and, well, downright fussy.
In 1943, 20th Century Fox set out to adapt a novel by Vera Caspary entitled Laura to the screen. The book, a murder mystery set in New York, had in it a character named Waldo Lydecker, who was modeled on Alexander Woollcott; a waspish, stylish, and witty author and raconteur, Woollcott was a well-known and popular media figure, who’d even done a little acting onscreen and on-stage. When it came time to cast the role, producer Otto Preminger and director Rouben Mamoulian decided to give Webb a screen test. Preminger was totally convinced of Webb’s rightness for the role, and the screen test bore him out, but studio production chief Darryl F. Zanuck couldn’t abide Webb’s fey, effete mannerisms and obviously gay persona, and did his best to keep him from the role. Luckily, Preminger prevailed, and Webb -- in what is usually regarded as his real film debut -- proved to be one of the most popular elements of what turned out to be a massively popular movie. It was the beginning of a very profitable two-decade relationship between the actor and the studio.
The great unspoken irony in all of this was that Webb was not only unmarried and childless, but was as close to being openly gay as any leading actor in Hollywood could be -- he lived with his mother, and the two attended parties together, and was on record as being a “bachelor,” which was code in those days (where certain kinds of actors were concerned) for being gay. And in an era in which this wasn’t acceptable as a choice or a condition, audiences didn’t care -- in a testimony to the sheer power of his acting, they devoured Webb’s work in whatever role he took on. Webb was always stylishly dressed in public, and owned dozens of expensive suits -- he was, in many ways, the America’s first pop-culture “metrosexual,” and he made it work for two decades. The death of Webb’s mother in 1960, reportedly at age 90, was an event from which the actor never fully recovered. Though he did a few more screen appearances, his health was obviously in decline, and he passed away in 1966.
Available Films:
Trivia:
Otto Preminger (age 38), seeing Clifton Webb perform the role of ‘Charles’ in Los Angeles’ Biltmore Theatre with the New York National touring stage production “Blithe Spirit” recast Clifton Webb as ‘Waldo Lydecker’, already cast with Laird Cregar in the 20th Century Fox 1944 film “Laura”. Darryl F. Zanuck (age 41), the head of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, was opposed to casting Clifton Webb because he thought Webb was a poofter, but producer/director Otto Preminger prevailed after taking over directing the film.
Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck wanted Jennifer Jones (age 24) for the role of ‘Laura’, Laird Cregar (age 30) for the role of ‘Waldo Lydecker’, and John Hodiak (age 29) for the role of ‘Mark McPherson’. But Otto Preminger insisted on casting Gene Tierney (age 23) for the role of ‘Laura’, Clifton Webb (age 54) for the role of ‘Waldo Lydecker’, and Dana Andrews (age 34) for the role of ‘Mark McPherson’. Vincent Price (age 32) and Judith Anderson (age 46) had already been cast. Laird Cregar, coincidentally died 09 December 1944 at age 31. Making his first screen appearance since 1925, Clifton Webb was nominated for an Oscar for his ‘Waldo Lydecker’ role in the film “Laura”.
Otto Preminger (age 38), seeing Clifton Webb perform the role of ‘Charles’ in Los Angeles’ Biltmore Theatre with the New York National touring stage production “Blithe Spirit” recast Clifton Webb as ‘Waldo Lydecker’, already cast with Laird Cregar in the 20th Century Fox 1944 film “Laura”. Darryl F. Zanuck (age 41), the head of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, was opposed to casting Clifton Webb because he thought Webb was a poofter, but producer/director Otto Preminger prevailed after taking over directing the film.
Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck wanted Jennifer Jones (age 24) for the role of ‘Laura’, Laird Cregar (age 30) for the role of ‘Waldo Lydecker’, and John Hodiak (age 29) for the role of ‘Mark McPherson’. But Otto Preminger insisted on casting Gene Tierney (age 23) for the role of ‘Laura’, Clifton Webb (age 54) for the role of ‘Waldo Lydecker’, and Dana Andrews (age 34) for the role of ‘Mark McPherson’. Vincent Price (age 32) and Judith Anderson (age 46) had already been cast. Laird Cregar, coincidentally died 09 December 1944 at age 31. Making his first screen appearance since 1925, Clifton Webb was nominated for an Oscar for his ‘Waldo Lydecker’ role in the film “Laura”.
