91成人导航

鈥淎nd the winner is鈥�Miss Jo Van Fleet in East of Eden.鈥�

Hearing her name, the oft-forgotten actress鈥攁nd College of the 91成人导航 alumna鈥攂ounded out of her seat and ran toward the stage for her appointed ceremony with Oscar. Met by actor Edmond O鈥橞rien, she gave him a peck on the cheek and accepted the statuette.

鈥淚 am so happy,鈥� Van Fleet said.

Van Fleet was named best supporting actress in 1956 for her role as the mother of actor James Dean鈥檚 character in 鈥淓ast of Eden,鈥� a film adaptation of the classic novel of the same name by author John Steinbeck.

鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� was her first screen role.

She also was a respected stage actress and won a Tony Award for best featured actress for her role as Jessie Mae Watts in "Trip to Bountiful."

With the 96th Academy Awards scheduled for March 10, this is a look back at a successful, critically acclaimed but star-crossed actress whose cinematic roots developed at 91成人导航.

She caught the eye of drama professor

After graduating from University of California, Berkeley in 1936, Van Fleet 鈥�41 studied in the drama program at 91成人导航 and also received a teaching certificate. In 1959, she received a Distinguished Alumni Award.

Watching Van Fleet鈥檚 performances in student plays including 鈥淭he Taming of the Shrew鈥� and a comedy named 鈥淥liver, Oliver鈥� convinced DeMarcus Brown, the legendary decades-long director of 91成人导航鈥檚 drama program, that she was an actress 鈥渨ith great potential.鈥�

Upon graduation from 91成人导航, she taught high school drama in San Joaquin County before Brown encouraged her to move to New York for the possibilities of Broadway and its vibrant drama scene.

Unfortunately, acting opportunities were not plentiful for Van Fleet and she had to work many odd jobs to keep her career dreams alive. That changed when legendary director Elia Kazan 鈥渄iscovered鈥� her.

She had taken part in Kazan鈥檚 actor鈥檚 studio events and he thought she was perfect for the 鈥淓ast of Eden鈥� role of Cathy Ames, the coarse mother of Dean鈥檚 character and the owner of a brothel.

In an interview years later, Van Fleet explained, 鈥淭hey decided I looked too young for the role, so the makeup department devised a new look and I got the role. It usually happens that way鈥攚hatever Kazan wants, he gets.鈥�

The Oscar award and its aftermath

After the Oscar win Bob Thomas, a highly regarded Hollywood journalist for the Associated Press, wrote a story praising Van Fleet鈥檚 acting prowess and recalling how 91成人导航鈥檚 Brown impacted her life.

鈥淎t the time, New York seemed like another world to me, but he kept at me until he convinced me to go,鈥� Van Fleet told Thomas.

The film roles started to come more frequently after Van Fleet won the Oscar, but she seemed to be typecast as an aging or harsh woman. After 鈥淓ast of Eden,鈥� she played a mother in 鈥淚鈥檒l Cry Tomorrow鈥� followed by playing Kirk Douglas鈥� mistress in 鈥淕unfight at OK Corral.鈥�

In 1967, yet another role as a mother brought Van Fleet home to Stockton and 91成人导航.

She was cast as the mother of Paul Newman鈥檚 character in the classic film 鈥淐ool Hand Luke.鈥� The movie was shot throughout the Stockton area and Van Fleet stayed with Brown during the filming.

Praised for her craft

Van Fleet expressed her disdain for being typecast and Brown said that probably cost her some roles.

鈥淪he was a very bright woman and incredibly talented and, sometimes, it became almost a hindrance to her,鈥� Brown told The Stockton Record for a story on Van Fleet following her death in 1996 at age 80.

But her impact was widely felt; the New York Times鈥檚 obituary for her read in part: 鈥淢s. Van Fleet was known as an actress's actress, a highly skilled professional who worked with equal ease onstage, in films and on television.

Jo Van Fleet filmography

Some of her more notable movies

• 鈥淓ast of Eden,鈥� 1955
• 鈥淭he Rose Tattoo,鈥� 1955
• 鈥淚鈥檒l Cry Tomorrow,鈥� 1955
• 鈥淕unfight at OK Corral,鈥� 1957
• 鈥淲ild River,鈥� 1960
• 鈥淩oute 66,鈥� 1963
• 鈥淐ool Hand Luke,鈥� 1967
• 鈥淭he Gang That Couldn鈥檛 Shoot Straight,鈥� 1971