Fighting for The Country Girl
Getting cast in 1954’s The Country Girl (a Paramount Pictures film) was one of the biggest moves in her career, but she had to fight for it. Kelly threatened to quit acting if MGM Studios didn’t lend her to Paramount. It’s a good thing they did because the film won her an Oscar.
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Kelly played Bing Crosby’s wife, and there may have been a few moviegoers who knew about the actress’ childhood and cringed when William Holden’s director character yelled at her, “With all your fine background and breeding you were a failure.” But Kelly didn’t so much as flinch; she slapped him in the face instead.