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person_profile-Miriam Hopkins

Miriam Hopkins Died at age: 69

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Miriam Hopkins

Date of Birth:

Oct 18, 1902

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Oct 09, 1972

Biography of

Miriam Hopkins

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930, working with Ernst Lubitsch and Joel McCrea, among many others. Her long-running feud with Bette Davis was publicized for effect. Later she became a pioneer of TV drama. Hopkins was a distinguished Hollywood hostess, who moved in intellectual and creative circles. At age 20, Hopkins became a chorus girl in New York City. In 1930, she signed with Paramount Pictures, and made her official film debut in Fast and Loose. Her first great success was in the 1931 horror drama film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in which she portrayed the character Ivy Pearson, a prostitute who becomes entangled with Jekyll and Hyde. Hopkins received rave reviews, but because of the potential controversy of the film and her character, many of her scenes were cut before the official release, reducing her screen time to approximately five minutes.

    Nevertheless, her career ascended swiftly thereafter and in 1932 she scored her breakthrough in Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise, where she proved her charm and wit as a beautiful and jealous pickpocket. During the pre-code Hollywood of the early 1930s, she appeared in The Smiling Lieutenant, The Story of Temple Drake and Design for Living, all of which were box office successes and critically acclaimed. Her pre-Code films were considered risqué at the time, with The Story of Temple Drake depicting a rape scene and Design for Living featuring a ménage à trois with Fredric March and Gary Cooper. She also had success during the remainder of the decade with the romantic comedy The Richest Girl in the World (1934), the historical drama Becky Sharp (1935), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, Barbary Coast (1935), These Three (1936) (the first of four films with director William Wyler) and The Old Maid (1939).

    Hopkins was one of the first actresses approached to play the role of Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night (1934). However, she rejected the part, and Claudette Colbert was cast instead. She did audition for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, having one advantage none of the other candidates had: she was a native Georgian. But the part went to Vivien Leigh. Both Colbert and Leigh won Oscars for their performances.

    Hopkins had well-publicized fights with her arch-enemy Bette Davis (Hopkins believed Davis was having an affair with Hopkins' husband at the time), when they co-starred in their two films The Old Maid (1939) and Old Acquaintance (1943). Davis admitted to enjoying very much a scene in Old Acquaintance in which she shakes Hopkins forcefully during a scene where Hopkins' character makes unfounded allegations against Davis's. There were even press photos taken with both divas in a boxing ring with gloves up and director Vincent Sherman between the two.

    Hopkins was a television pioneer, performing in teleplays in three decades, spanning the late 1940s through the late 1960s, in such programs as The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1949), Lux Video Theatre (1951-1955) and even an episode of The Flying Nun in 1969.

    She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for motion pictures at 1701 Vine Street, and one for television at 1708 Vine Street.

Photos of

Miriam Hopkins

Photos ( 7 Photos

Filmography of

Miriam Hopkins

Found 40 Movies in total

... 2008

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

Self as Millie Drake (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2006

Complicated Women

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2003

Savage Intruder

Katherine Parker ( Actor )

... 1970

The Chase

Mrs. Reeves ( Actor )

... 1966

Fanny Hill

Maude Brown ( Actor )

... 1964

The Children's Hour

Lily Mortar ( Actor )

... 1961

Summer Pavilion

Theresa Durand ( Actor )

... 1955

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

Mrs. Shipton aka 'The Duchess' ( Actor )

... 1952

Carrie

Julie Hurstwood ( Actor )

... 1952

The Mating Season

Fran Carleton ( Actor )

... 1951

The Heiress

Lavinia Penniman ( Actor )

... 1949

Old Acquaintance

Millie Drake ( Actor )

... 1943

A Gentleman After Dark

Flo Melton ( Actor )

... 1942

Lady with Red Hair

Mrs. Leslie Carter ( Actor )

... 1940

Virginia City

Julia Hayne ( Actor )

... 1940

The Old Maid

Delia Lovell Ralston ( Actor )

... 1939

Wise Girl

Susan Fletcher ( Actor )

... 1937

Woman Chases Man

Virginia Travis ( Actor )

... 1937

The Woman I Love

Mme. Helene Maury ( Actor )

... 1937

Men Are Not Gods

Ann Williams ( Actor )

... 1936

These Three

Martha Dobie ( Actor )

... 1936

Splendor

Phyllis Manning Lorrimore ( Actor )

... 1935

Barbary Coast

Mary 'Swan' Rutledge ( Actor )

... 1935

Becky Sharp

Becky Sharp ( Actor )

... 1935

The Richest Girl in the World

Dorothy Hunter ( Actor )

... 1934

She Loves Me Not

Curly Flagg ( Actor )

... 1934

All of Me

Lydia Darrow ( Actor )

... 1934

Design for Living

Gilda Farrell ( Actor )

... 1933

The Stranger's Return

Louise ( Actor )

... 1933

The Story of Temple Drake

Temple Drake ( Actor )

... 1933

Trouble in Paradise

Lily ( Actor )

... 1932

The World and the Flesh

Maria Yaskaya ( Actor )

... 1932

Dancers in the Dark

Gloria Bishop ( Actor )

... 1932

Two Kinds of Women

Emma Krull ( Actor )

... 1932

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Ivy Pearson ( Actor )

... 1931

24 Hours

Rosie Dugan ( Actor )

... 1931

The Smiling Lieutenant

Princess Anna ( Actor )

... 1931

The House That Shadows Built

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1931

Fast and Loose

Marion Lenox ( Actor )

... 1930