The Country Girl

Frank Elgin, once a star, has been beaten by drink and his career is over. A director gives him one last chance in a new musical. His wife Georgie is not the woman everyone assumes is crushing him; she is the one keeping him upright, and he keeps unloading his failure onto her. George Seaton directed and wrote the screenplay, from Clifford Odets's play. Bing Crosby plays Frank, Grace Kelly plays Georgie, William Holden the director. Crosby dropping his singer's image to play an alcoholic was the most discussed thing about the film. Grace Kelly won the Best Actress Oscar for it, one of the most argued-over results in Academy history: Judy Garland had been nominated the same year for A Star Is Born and most people considered the award hers. Seaton also won for adapted screenplay. The film happens almost entirely in rehearsal rooms and hotel rooms. Who it is for: viewers who like performance-driven classic drama. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a musical; there are songs, but this is a story about addiction.