Beatrice Pearson (July 27, 1920 – February 1, 1986) was an American actress, probably best known for her role as co-star in the 1948 film noir ''

Force of Evil ''Force of Evil'' is a 1948 American film noir starring John Garfield and Beatrice Pearson and directed by Abraham Polonsky. It was adapted by Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from Wolfert's novel ''Tucker's People''. Polonsky had been a screenwrit ...

''. She won a

Theatre World ''Theatre World'' is an annual United States, American theatre pictorial and statistical print publication. It includes Broadway theatre, Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre, nation ...

Award in 1946 for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance in ''The Mermaids Singing'' by

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observations ...

.Theatre World
accessed 11/11/2016

Biography

Beatrice Pearson was born on July 27, 1920, in Denison, Texas. In 1948, ''The New York Times'' published a lengthy profile of Pearson's early life and career. The "daughter of an itinerant construction engineer," she grew up on the west coast and departed for New York City at age 18 with $80 in savings. She reported living frugally: "Once I was down to eating snow off the windowsill, with a little chocolate sauce I found left in the cupboard, and I got so I could regularly stretch a ten-cent package of spaghetti and a bottle of ketchup out for a month." ''The Times'' reported a walk-on role in ''

Liliom ''Liliom'' is a 1909 play by the Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár. It was well known in its own right during the early to mid-20th century, but is best known today as the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 musical ''Carousel''. P ...

'' in 1940, and then small parts in the first '' Life with Father'' road company, doing eighteen months in Boston and Detroit. Following other smaller roles, she played a lead in ''Free and Equal'' with James Barton, leading to a contract from

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

---"ostensibly for the lead in '' Song of Bernadette'', although the role "had been cast even before it was offered to her." Publicity at MGM suggested appearances in ''

Thirty Seconds over Tokyo ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' is a 1944 American war film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Captain Ted W. Lawson. Lawson was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, Ame ...

'', ''

Song of Russia ''Song of Russia'' is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff became ill near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by L� ...

'', and '' Kismet'', though none actually came to pass, and she returned to Broadway, gaining the Jenny Lupton role in ''

Over 21 ''Over 21'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Irene Dunne, Alexander Knox and Charles Coburn. Plot At the New York Bulletin newspaper, its owner, Robert Drexel Gow (Charles Coburn), receives a teletype story ...

'' (January–July 1944). A contract from

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (; born Szmuel Gelbfisz; ; July 1879 (most likely; claimed to be August 27, 1882) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer and pioneer in the American film industry, who produce ...

followed for a planned

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

film, but when production was delayed she again departed for New York, taking the lead role in ''

Voice of the Turtle Voice of the Turtle is a musical group specializing in Sephardic music. Voice of the Turtle is unique in its emphasis on doing original historical research before making recordings. The band members travel the world looking for documents of Sephard ...

''.

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

, upon viewing her performance, wooed her back to Hollywood, but she "spent a year doing no more than play in the Selznick-sponsored summer theatre at La Jolla." She obtained release from her Selznick contract and began her association with

Abraham Polonsky Abraham Lincoln Polonsky (December 5, 1910 – October 26, 1999) was an American film director, screenwriter, essayist and novelist. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for '' Body and Soul'' (1947). The following ...

on ''Force of Evil''. She appeared in only one other film, playing the female lead in ''

Lost Boundaries ''Lost Boundaries'' is a 1949 American film starring Beatrice Pearson, Mel Ferrer (in his first leading role), and Susan Douglas Rubeš. Directed by Alfred L. Werker, it is based on William Lindsay White's story of the same title, a nonficti ...

'' in 1949, and died in February 1986.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1948) * ''

'' (1949)

Selected awards

Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance, 1946

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, Beatrice 1920 births 1986 deaths American film actresses 20th-century American actresses People from Denison, Texas