Back Street (1961 film)
Encyclopedia
Back Street is a 1961 film made by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...

, directed by David Miller
David Miller (director)
David Miller was an American movie director who directed such varied films as Billy the Kid with Robert Taylor and Brian Donlevy, Flying Tigers with John Wayne, and Love Happy with the Marx Brothers.-Filmography:* Bittersweet Love * Executive Action * Hail, Hero! * Hammerhead...

, and produced by Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter was a Hollywood film producer.-Biography:Hunter was born in Cleveland, Ohio as Martin Fuss. After serving in Army intelligence during World War II, he signed a movie contract with Columbia Pictures and acted in a number of B-movie musicals...

. The screenplay was written by William Ludwig
William Ludwig
William Ludwig was a screenwriter. He won, with Sonya Levien, an Oscar for "Best Writing, Story and Screenplay" in 1956 for Interrupted Melody. Other notable works include the screenplay for the 1955 production of Oklahoma!.-External links:...

 and Eleanore Griffin based on the novel by Fannie Hurst
Fannie Hurst
Fannie Hurst was an American novelist. Although her books are not well remembered today, during her lifetime some of her more famous novels were Stardust , Lummox , A President is Born , Back Street , and Imitation of Life...

. The music score is by Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner (composer)
Frank Skinner was an American composer and arranger.Skinner was born in Meredosia, Illinois. A graduate of the Chicago Musical College , 16-year-old Frank found employment in vaudeville and began playing in local areas with his brother Carl on drums...

. The film stars Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...

, John Gavin
John Gavin
John Gavin is an American film actor and a former United States Ambassador to Mexico. Gavin is half Mexican and fluent in Spanish....

 and Vera Miles
Vera Miles
Vera Miles is an American film actress who gained popularity for starring in films such as The Searchers, The Wrong Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Psycho and Psycho II.-Early life:...

.

The story follows two lovers who have limited opportunities to get together because one of them is married.

It was nominated for Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Color (Jean Louis
Jean Louis
Jean Louis was a French-born, Hollywood costume designer and an Academy Award winner for Costume Design. Louis worked as head designer for Columbia Pictures from 1944 to 1960...

). Unlike the previous film versions, this one gives Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...

 plenty of opportunity to appear in Jean Louis's spectacular gowns. This was a trademark of Ross Hunter's remakes of older "weepies"; he emploied the same method in Lana Turner
Lana Turner
Lana Turner was an American actress.Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget . She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy...

's versions of Imitation of Life
Imitation of Life (1959 film)
Imitation of Life is a 1959 American film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter and released by Universal Pictures, starring Lana Turner and John Gavin and features Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda and Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson. Gospel music star Mahalia Jackson...

and Madame X
Madame X
Madame X may refer to:* "Portrait of Madame X", a portrait of Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau by John Singer SargentIn film:* Madame X * Madame X starring Dorothy Donnelly* Madame X starring Pauline Frederick...

.

Of all three screen versions of Back Street, this 1961 production took the most dramatic license with the novel. It is different from both the 1932 and 1941 screen versions in many ways - changing the names of several characters and updating the story to what was then the present day. Good examples of how the plotline was sensationalized in this third version are the attempted suicide and the fatal car crash.

Cast

  • Susan Hayward
    Susan Hayward
    Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...

     as Rae Smith
  • John Gavin
    John Gavin
    John Gavin is an American film actor and a former United States Ambassador to Mexico. Gavin is half Mexican and fluent in Spanish....

     as Paul Saxon
  • Vera Miles
    Vera Miles
    Vera Miles is an American film actress who gained popularity for starring in films such as The Searchers, The Wrong Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Psycho and Psycho II.-Early life:...

     as Liz Saxon
  • Charles Drake
    Charles Drake
    Charles Drake was an American actor.-Biography:Drake was born as Charles Ruppert in New York City. He graduated from Nichols College and became a salesman. In 1939, he turned to acting and signed a contract with Warner Brothers. He wasn't immediately successful...

     as Curt Stanton
  • Virginia Grey
    Virginia Grey
    Virginia Grey was an American actress.She was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of director Ray Grey. One of her early babysitters was movie star Gloria Swanson. Grey debuted at the age of ten in the silent film Uncle Tom's Cabin as Little Eva...

     as Janey nee Smith
  • Reginald Gardiner
    Reginald Gardiner
    Reginald Gardiner was an English-born actor in film and television and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in Britain. His parents wanted him to be an architect and he studied at it but he wanted to be an actor and eventually got his way.He started as a super on stage and eventually...

     as Dalian
  • Tammy Marihugh as Caroline
  • Robert Eyer
    Robert Eyer
    Robert Thomas Eyer is an American actor.Robert the younger brother of actor Richard EyerFilms in which he worked:*Back Street - 1961;*The Dark at the Top of the Stairs - 1960;*The Man from Blackhawk - 1959;...

     as Paul Saxon Jr.
  • Natalie Schafer
    Natalie Schafer
    Natalie Schafer was an American actress, best known as Eunice "Lovey" Wentworth Howell on CBS's sitcom Gilligan's Island .-Early life and career:...

     as Mrs. Evans
  • Doreen McLean as Miss Hatfield
  • Alex Gerry as Mr. Venner
  • Karen Norris as Mrs. Penworth
  • Hayden Rorke
    Hayden Rorke
    William Henry Rorke was an American actor best known for playing Col. Dr. Alfred E. Bellows on the hit 1960s American sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Career:...

     as Charley Claypole
  • Mary Lawrence
    Mary Lawrence (actor)
    Mary Lawrence was an American actress, who had a lengthy career in film and television.She had a recurring role in the TV series Casey Jones , where she played Casey's wife Alice Jones...

     as Marge Claypole
  • Joseph Cronin as Airport Clerk
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