Winters was born Shirley Schrift in East St. Louis, Illinois, the daughter of Jewish parents - Jonas Schrift (an immigrant) and Rose Winter (who was born in the United States). She studied in the Hollywood Studio Club, sharing the same bedroom with another beginner: Marilyn Monroe. She is known to today's audiences as a large figure of comedians' scathing humor (especially for her obesity in the film The Poseidon Adventure), but when she began her career, she was known as a voluptuous beauty. She is said to have had an affair with Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., father of President John F. Kennedy, as well as with many Hollywood-based men, including the late actor William Holden, with whom she kept her yearly rendezvous, and of whom she wrote in her autobiography, and the young Burt Lancaster and Marlon Brando. She married three times, notably to the actors Anthony Franciosa and Vittorio Gassman (by whom she had one child, Vittoria, now a sucessful physician). Her film credits are notable. and now with Winters passing, hopefully will be talked about more. She was an actress of note and conesquence, always willing to take risks and always searching for something new and challenging.



Winters made her screen debut in "What A Woman" starring Rosalind Russell. Her character had a handful of lines but she was noticable and even in a bit part, refelcted an inward beauty and screen presence audiences loved.





As downtrodden, sloppy and put upon Alice Tripp, Winters received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in "A Place In The Sun". The scene in the boat toward the end of the movie as Shelly is pleading, begging for her life? It doesn't get any better.




"Montogmery Cliff was the best actor in the business. He had no equal."
-Shelly Winters





Winters co starred with a luminous Julie Harris in "I Am A Camera" (the play Cabaret the musical was based on)in a brilliant supporting role as Natalia Landaur. Critics loved it.




She received her first Oscar for her quiet, searing portrayal of Mrs. Petronella Van Daan in "The Dairy of Anne Frank". Considering her work (as well as the rest of the cast's) consisted of acting on a set the size of a closet, it's one of the all time great supporting roles.





As the mother of a blind girl who's only escape seems to be her friendship with a black man, Winters again captured an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Her mind numbing scene in the kitchen watching the two kids first get to know one another, is brilliant.





When I was about 10 years old, I saw "What's The Matter With Helen?" It scared the life out of me. It was Winters' answer to "Baby Jane". It co starred (are you ready?) Debbie Reynolds. The two played mothers of murderers who move to Hollywood to open up a dance school for little girls in the 1930's. Shelley is bewitched by a radio evangelist (played with campy glee by Agnes Morrehead) and slowly loses her marbles. Although it doesn't have near the emotional punch of Baby Jane, the two stars give wonderfully creepy performances.The ending frame still haunts me. If you haven't seen this (and I think I'm the only one on the planet who has) rent it. You won't be sorry.





Ofcourse, there's the Grandaddy of all distaster films. It may not be the greatest film ever made, but Winters' performance resonates. When you think of this film, you remember her climactic heart attack as she splashes backwards into the water, and then the emotionally wrenching monologue she has with Jack Albertson as she gives him her pendant. Leaving her body dead behind the rest of the survivors as they head toward certain doom, is a sight I'll never forget. Shelly had a gift of taking a small role and breathing life into it.





Winters starred in the Broadway production of "The Effect of Gamma Rays....." Her performance was nominated for a Tony.








Here's Sheila's beautiful, brilliant post.





SHELLY TRIVIA


Father's name - Jonas Schrift, Mother's name - Rose Schrift Sister - Blanche Schrift.

Her early acting training was under the tutelage of actor Charles Laughton.

Was roommates with Marilyn Monroe when they were both starting out in Hollywood.

Taught Marilyn Monroe how to "act" pretty by tilting her head back, keeping her eyes lowered and her mouth partly opened

Born at 12:05am-CST

Godmother of Sally Kirkland.

Made her Broadway debut as Ado Annie in "Oklahoma!" - five years into its run.

Used her mother's maiden name as her professional name

Has the distinction of currently being the highest ranked female performer on The Oracle of Bacon's list of the top 1000 performers based upon their "center of the film universe" average number. Winter's average link number is 2.696842, placing seventeenth on the list. The places her well above Kevin Bacon, who is currently ranked 1161st, despite being the original focus of the quirky game of linking actors through their co-stars.

Godmother of Laura Dern.

She donated her Oscar for The Diary of Anne Frank (1959/I) to the Anne Frank museum.

In The Poseidon Adventure (1972), she plays an award winning swimmer and in A Place in the Sun (1951), she can't swim and drowns.

Daughter with Vittorio Gassman, Vittoria-Gina.

In her most important films such as A Place in the Sun (1951), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Lolita (1962), A Double Life (1947), The Diary of Anne Frank (1959/I) and many others, her character is often murdered.

On the 6 July, 1972 episode of "Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", she grew tired of Oliver Reed's attitude towards women. They had a heated conversation and after Shelley told Reed what she thought of his opinions, left the set. The show continued with Oliver Reed still going on about women while Johnny Carson looked at him in a daze. Shortly afterwards, Winters appeared from Stage left, unannounced to Reed and to the shock of Carson. She was carrying a champagne bucket of ice and water with which she surprised Reed by dumping it over his head. Reed was furious over this and tried to attack her but set personal intervened. The show broke for commercial break. When the show resumed both actors were gone.









SHELLY QUOTES:




"The best way to find out about a man is to have lunch with his ex-wife'


"I have bursts of being a lady, but it doesn't last long."


"Anna Magnani could act anybody off the stage or screen."


"My face was always so made up, it looked as though it had the decorators in."











Usually actresses today are so filled with ego and booze they don't have the constitution to understand a great part may sometimes lay in the backround. Shelly Winters knew this. She didn't need to be in every frame. She wanted to be part of the project and part of the story. She was a graduate of the Actor's Studio and it showed. Her main concern was how to fit herself into the character she was playing, not the other way around. She passed away today, and will be missed. The great ones are going fast. Thank God they left us a lifetime of shadows to refer to. Winters was a hell of an actress. The screen will miss her. And so will I.