One actor I’ve always loved is Clifton Webb. The first movie I ever saw him in is probably the movie he’s best known for: Otto Preminger’s Laura (1944). I wanted to see it because of Vincent Price, but afterwards, it was Clifton Webb that intrigued me. His Waldo Lydecker was the most interesting character in the film: typing in the bathtub, obsessed with the beautiful Gene Tierney and cold and calculating enough to commit murder. What else could you want?
The problem with Clifton Webb’s movie career is that he didn’t make that many and when he did make them, it was only for 20th Century Fox. His movies will rarely (if never) show up on TCM, which means you’ll have to rely on either HBO/Cinemax or the Fox Movie Channel to see his work. The closest he came to being loaned out was for the 1953 MGM musical, The Band Wagon. He was offered the role of Broadway’s jack-of-all-trades, Jeffery Cordova, but turned it down because he didn’t take secondary parts (he was however, gracious in recommending England’s answer to Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, for the role). Webb was strictly an above-the-title, first billed actor and with good reason: in 1950 he was listed seventh on the annual Motion Picture list of Box Office Stars.
What interests me the most about Webb is that he’s not your typical star. Looks-wise, he’s not Cary Grant. He’s small in stature (his bathtub scene in Laura proves he was one of the skinniest men to ever grace the silver screen) and while he is handsome, he’s certainly not a teenybopper heartthob. Another factor is age: by the time he took on the persona of Waldo Lydecker, Webb was about 55 years old. For most actors in Hollywood, you could forget about having a career at the age, let alone start a successful one.
It was the film Sitting Pretty (1948) that changed Clifton Webb’s career. Instead of being an uptight, know-it-all murderer that the audienced booed at, he became the uptight, know-it-all babysitter that audiences laughed along with. Watch him take control of Robert Young and Maureen O’Hara’s children (and dog!) and you’ll find yourself rooting for him as he dumps a bowl of oatmeal on a child’s head. From this movie he went from being a third-billed supporting player to a first-billed leading man (he was Oscar nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Laurence Olivier). There would be no more murderers in his future. Seeing they had a hit on their hands, 20th Century Fox turned out two more Belvedere sequels, Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949) and Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951). He became the actor that the whole family could enjoy and that was fine with him. In Jeanine Basinger’s book, The Star Machine, Webb is quoted as saying: “I love Hollywood and the chance to make more and more money. I love money.” Well said.
In the 50’s, the majority of Webb’s filmography consists of light comedies where he was cast as a family man. In Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), he cuts a mean rug with the oldest of his twelve children, Jeanne Crain, while in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959) he’s a bigamist with two families and 17 kids. There’s a twist of irony, since Webb was gay in real life. It was known by most of Hollywood and throughout his life, his mother was his constant companion and business manager. When she died in 1960, Webb went through a deep depression, causing Noel Coward to make his famous quip that Webb was the world’s oldest living orphan.
But 20th Century Fox continued to place Webb in romantic leading man roles and the audience–even if they knew about his sexuality–didn’t seem to care. Even with a weak script, Webb’s unique personality manages to trancend lousy material. He did get the chance to star in a few dramas–one standout is 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, where Webb is cast against type as an Admiral who concocts a plan to trick the Nazis from attacking Sicily. There are no love interests for Webb, just a good old fashioned game of cat-and-mouse between Webb and Nazi sympathizer, Stephen Boyd. It also features a great supporting performance by Gloria Grahame who is inadvertently brought into the plot via her boyfriend.
However, my favorite role of his by far is in 1953’s Titanic. I know it’s an odd choice, especially with all the movies Webb did. A lot of people are down on this version since the script plays fast and loose with the facts of the real Titanic. But to me, it doesn’t matter. I can watch the excellent A Night to Remember (1957) if I want facts. No, the reason I love the 1953 version of Titanic is because of all the different stories that are weaved together, making their way towards the disastrous climax. Besides Webb, you have Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Wagner, Thelma Ritter, Brian Aherne and Richard Basehart (who’s performance as a disgraced priest is my second favorite storyline in the film). It’s hard not to like this version, even with all the factual inaccuracies.
Webb plays opposite the tough-as-nails Barbara Stanwyck and at first, they first seem like a mismatched couple. Stanwyck’s Julia Sturges is described by her husband, Richard (Webb) as someone who bought her hats out of a Sears and Roebuck Catalog (while it made me laugh when I first heard it, that was probably one of the ultimate put-downs of the rich). Her husband’s behavior and high standards of living is exactly why Julia packs up her belongings and takes the kids to America via the Titanic.
While Stanwyck is good (she’s always good), Webb is even better. Titanic is an excellent showcase for his range–one second he loves and adores his son, Norman and the next, he’s treating him like absolute dirt once a devastating secret comes out. It’s amazing how much hatred Webb can convey with a simple icy stare. And while he breaks the hearts of Julia and Norman, he broke mine as well. It’s one thing to watch actors going through their lines on screen, but it’s another to feel it. Even 50 some years later, Webb’s actions still manage to hurt. And it’s terrible to watch Norman visit his father at the card game, only to be cruelly rebuffed. Knowing the terrible tragedy that lies ahead only makes it hurt more.
But my favorite scene in Titanic has to be when Julia and Richard are saying their final goodbyes, right before she and the children board a lifeboat. Webb gives a monologue, that in the wrong hands, could be viewed as sappy and melodramatic. However, he elevates it to something deeper and much more emotional:
“We have no time to catalog our regrets. All we can do is pretend 20 years didn’t happen. It’s June again. You were walking under some Elm trees in a white muslin dress, the loveliest creature I ever laid eyes on. That summer, when I asked you to marry me, I pledged my eternal devotion. I would take it as a very great favor Julia, if you would accept a restatement of that pledge.”
It’s an amazing, heartwrenching scene. Words can’t even do it justice. It’s one thing to read the dialogue, but it’s another to watch Webb deliver the words with tears brimming in his eyes, right before passionately embracing Stanwyck for the final time. There’s none of Webb’s trademark mannerisms. No sarcasm, no witty quips. It’s a heartfelt, emotional speech. Yes, the Webb/Stanwyck pairing seemed completely mismatched at the beginning to me, but by the end, it’s absolutely believable. The look in Webb’s eyes conveys all his love for a woman that he will never see again. And hearing him go through the memory of first seeing her, you know exactly why he fell for her. You can close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun, as Julia strolls down the street in her white dress and you know that it was love at first sight for him. It’s a simple line, but you can imagine all the happiness they shared upon first meeting and why Richard wanted to marry her–all this from one simple monologue. It takes a talented actor to summon that kind of emotion by reciting someone else’s writing and Webb does it splendidly. For days after, I just couldn’t get this scene out of my mind. For anyone who’s prejudiced against this version, I’d recommend that you give it another chance. And if you haven’t seen it, do so immediately.
There are other movies of Webb’s I would love to see–the 1952 John Philip Sousa biography, Stars and Stripes Forever and the all-star, 1954 drama Woman’s World just to name two. But I am thankful for what movies of Clifton Webb’s that I have seen. Like most classic movie actors, he’s shamefully forgotten today and each time I watch one of his movies, I marvel at what a terrific actor he really was. Any actor could take on Webb’s prissy, acid-tongued act, but he took it and made it his own. It’s a treat to watch him whether he’s plotting Laura’s murder, taking on an angelic cowboy persona in For Heaven’s Sake (1950) or as the object of Dorothy McGuire’s affection in Three Coins in the Fountain (1954). There are no actors like Clifton Webb in today’s Hollywood–studios would never take a chance on someone like him now. But in a way that’s good, because no one could ever replace him. Clifton Webb was a one of a kind actor and for that, us classic movie fans are that much richer.
Links:
• For information on his pre-Hollywood life, Wikipedia (how did I ever live without it?) has a very detailed page on him here.
• Also, there’s also a Hollenback Genealogy page on Clifton Webb here (His real name was Webb Parmalee Hollenbeck. In the 1957 drama, Boy on a Dolphin, Webb’s character is named Victor Parmalee as a tribute to his original name.)
I’ve only seen Webb in Laura and Three Coins in a fountain. I love his character in Laura. He’s so deliciously nefarious. Three Coins in a Fountain was the most ridiculous movie (and not in a good way) but I did like him. I’ll have to check out Titanic.
Kelsy, I get a kick out of TCIAF because of how desperate the women are for men. Dorothy McGuire in particular, the 38 y.o. spinster destined to die alone with her cats. Heavens NO!
A lot of the movies revolving around marriage from the 40’s/50’s haven’t aged that well, but they’re fun to watch if you’re in the right mood.
Great appreciation of Clifton Webb! I hope that you’ll soon have a chance to see Clifton Webb in “The Razor’s Edge” (1946) and “The Dark Corner” (1946) two films that solidified his dramatic screen persona after “Laura”–though always with a touch of humor as well. He’s very touching in the first film, and an amusingly corrupt sort in the second, (which owes much to “Laura” for Webb’s waspish character).
My favorite comedies that Webb appeared were “Dream Boat” (1951) about a middle aged family man who was a silent star & “Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell” (1951), set in an old people’s home populated by some of Hollywood’s greatest unknown character actors, including Doro Merande, Frances Brandt and Harry Hindes.
I’d love to see his silents that feature his dancing as well as his 1930 talkie short feature with Fred Allen called “The Still Alarm.”
“The Still Alarm” is a short I’ve been wanting to see as well. It’s actually a Vitaphone one (I became aware of it after using it in one of my programming challenges), so it’s now under the ownership of WB. But the fact that TCM has never played it, makes me wonder if it’s long gone.
I taped “Dreamboat” a long, long time ago when HBO was showing it at some God awful hour, and never got around to watching it. I hate when that happens!
I agree, a wonderful tribute to Clifton Webb.
I have seen the 1953 Titanic many times, however, I enjoy it every time I view it. Clifton Webb was excellent.
It is a window into the social history of the North Atlantic.
Who better to play a wealthy aristocrat than Clifton Webb.
No special effects here. It is the depth of the characters created by the wonderful cast that make this movie live so long in my memory.
what about the movie Clifton Webb in Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell?
I have always been a huge Clifton Webbfan, I remember a time in the early days of television where his movies would be shown on regular T.V.
My favorite was Titanic but he did another one which I can not remember the title. Seems like it revolved around infiltrating an old folks home.
Clifton Webb’s fans maybe happy to know that a biography has been written and soon be published. I am in touch with the author and I will give a update as soon as possible. Clifton is my cousin and had met him as he came to visit my dad and family in 1953. We had a big Hollenbeck family reunion. I was 5, don’t remember him at all. But was told I was on Clifton’s lap and he was very nice to me. Only thing left of that visit that I still have, is a hand-written note from him to my dad. We have photos of the reunion. But Clifton Webb did not stay long and left early before the picture taking.
Hi..You mentioned a book being written about Clifton Webb back in March of 09…Any updated news on it? We all would love to know when its due out!! Thank You..
For Delilah M. about the book on Clifton Webb.
The author David L. Smith gave me this update:
Title: Sitting Pretty: The Life and Times of Clifton Webb.
Publisher: The University Press of Mississippi. The book will be part of their “Legends of Hollywood” series. It will be hard
cover with a dust jacket.
Published Date: Fall of 2011 (“That is the only information the publisher has given me as of now”)
Other Information: At this point the book is 500 pages but that may be edited down. I have sent them over 50 photos, but again they may not use all of them.
The book should be available in most of the bigger book stores like…Borders, Barnes and Noble, etc. It will also be sold on amazon.com. Additionally it will be published as an “e book.” Other than that I have no further information.
More information from Dennis Hollenbeck: Smith has email me the cover of the book. It is a serious photo of Clifton Webb taken in the mid-1930s. Around the time he was under MGM. However Webb was only with MGM for a snort time and never did make a movie for them. It is not from the Fox movie: “Sitting Pretty.” It is a nice picture of Webb. But I wish the author have pick a photo during the years Webb was a movie star, 1944-1962, and all these years under 20th Century Fox. I have a feeling the photo was the publisher’s pick. Not Smith. I am not sure of this. But why use “Sitting Pretty” and not use a photo from that wonderful funny movie? But that how I feel anyway. By the way, Delilah, if interested I could send you a password to log in a site about the Hollenbeck name. within is a ton of rare photos and information about the life and films of Clifton Webb. For he was born Webb P. Hollenbeck.
Thank you so very much Mr Hollenbeck! Im such a huge fan of Clifton Webb!! I would absolutley love to see the link. Im very grateful to you for answering my reply!
Please use my email address and send me a personal reply, not posted here. So I could send you a user name and password to get in. It is for Hollenbecks and friends only. It is a free website. But you have a user name and password to log in. You are welcome as a friend of the Hollenbecks (Webb was a Hollenbeck himself!)
I dont have your email address…could you give it to me?
or i could create a temporary screen name and you could send it to me?
Delilah,
Email me at:
DennisHollenbeck@myfamily.com
Send your email address to above address, but not by here. That way only my email address is posted, not yours.
Yours, Dennis
Thank you..i hope my email hasnt gotten lost in your spam folder. Ive sent two of them 🙂 Hope you get them.
Delilah,
I have sent you a email message to your email address after you reply two times. Soon after I have sent you a Myfamily.com message with your user name and password to log in to the Hollenbeck web site. Please let me know if you have receive that message. Thank you.
Yours, Dennis Hollenbeck
TO ALL CLIFTON WEBB FANS,
I wish Fox Videos would put out more of Clifton Webb on DVD. If interested, here’s are the eight Webb movies on Fox DVD still around. You may have to order from Fox or any of the better honest online DVD stores.
LAURA (1944)
THE RAZOR’S EDGE (1946)
THE DARK CORNER (1946)
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950)
TITANIC (1953)
THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN (1954)
THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS (1955)
SATAN NEVER SLEEPS (1962)
Now there are other Webb movies on VHS video tapes you could bid for on eBay. And too, I have saw on eBay and other DVD sites of other Webb titles on DVD. However I won’t pay my money to any of the other DVD, as they may be home-made copies from old VHS tapes. As such, they may be poor viewing, not very good DVD from bad tapes. The VHS tapes are old, Why pay or bid high price for them? I just hope Fox would put out more. If you feel the same way.
Leave a reply online saying
“FOX VIDEOS PLEASE WE WANT MORE CLIFTON WEBB MOVIES ON DVD!”
If I hear most of you Webb fans out there, maybe I would pass it on to Fox Videos. Who knows we may get lucky! Thank you
Dennis Hollenbeck
Clifton Webb is like the Chuck Klesath of movies. Klesath and Webb have no family of their own.
Mr. Webb was a vastly underrated actor. In The Razors Edge he proved he could be a tough guy. He had the capacity for a great character range but was mostly the foppish wisecracker, which is a great character role in itself. Hence he mostly played a “light heavy,” so to speak. He was especially great in the Sousa film.
There is a another one like Chuck Klesath with Clifton Webb: Myrna Loy. Both Chuck and Loy have no family of their own.
please put more clifton webb dvd he is one of the best r.newett thank you
Dear Roibert,
It is slow coming but it been years since the last Clifton Webb DVD. Now there is six new DVDs out! They are:
ELOPEMENT.
FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE.
MR. BELVEDERE RINGS THE BELL.
MR. SCOUTMASTER.
The above are not in stores. But may be order online from 20th CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES. Or see below.
STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER is in stores and is a DVD-BLU-RAY DVD set with a nice booklet about the movie, and many extras on both DVD and BLU-RAY DVD.
All the above could be ordered online and by mail from:
OLDIES.COM. (www.oldies.com)
CD UNIVERSE. (www.cduniverse.com)
Clifton Webb was my cousin. I met him when I was five years old. I too am a Vincent Price fan and was very lucky to have met him many times in later years. He was so kind to let me take pictures of him, and he has signed books and photos for me. He was a very down to earth guy and cared very much about his fans and welcomes them to meet him. I have an online site of my Price photos, signed items, and my memories of him. Click in at:
http://www.angelfire.com/film/rdsquires/GuestHollenbeck.htm
Thank you for your message.
Yours, Dennis Hollenbeck
Dear Robert,
Oops! Did I say six new Clifton Webb DVDs? Yes I did! But forgot to add the sixth new DVD, and it is also from the 20th CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES. It is:
DREAM BOAT.
Sorry about that!
Yours, Dennis Hollenbeck
They disassemble the application package to its lowest form (assembly).
Of course, you might have options like Fox – Torrent for Firefox along with the Opera Browser.
RANK 3: Site: This site features a web based torrent applet.
I really enjoyed reading this. I’m a new fan of Clifton Webb after seeing Laura for the first time last year and since then I’ve been tracking down all his other films. He was such a great actor. One of my favourite films of his is the funny yet touching Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell.
I am glad you have enjoyed Clifton Webb. In case, you don’t know, two of the Webb’s Belvedere movies are now on DVD. “Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell” is one of them, the other is “Sitting Pretty”, the first of Webb’s three Belvedere movies. The last one not on DVD yet, and that is “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College”. If you read the above messages I posted, there’s a list of Webb’s movies on DVDs. There is a new Webb’s movie on DVD for the first time, “Woman’s World”. It is not in stores. It is part of the 20th CENTURY FOX CINEMA ARCHIVES. You may order them and other Webb DVDs online or by mail from below. Just write in “Clifton Webb”.
OLDIES.COM. (www.oldies.com)
CD UNIVERSE. (www.cduniverse.com)
Enjoy!
Yours, Dennis Hollenbeck
Thanks for your reply! I just love Clifton Webb I bought both Sitting Pretty and Mr Belvedere Rings the Bell a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed watching them. I hope Mr Belvedere Goes to College is released soon! I read in your previous messages that there are quite a few of his films available that I don’t have yet. I aim to have all of his films one day so I’ve just ordered Woman’s World.
By the way you were so lucky to have met Vincent Price I’m a big fan of his too.
Georgia
Reblogged this on Crawfordgold's Blog.
My favorite role was his playing “Elliott” in 1946’s “The Razor’s Edge.” His role was so obviously over-the-top “gay,” that I was driven to find out about whether or not he was gay. No matter; I have always enjoyed whatever role Webb has played, and his sexual preference never got in the way.
My new One-Person Play: CLIFTON WEBB