Peter Lorre and Eleanor Parker born on June 26

Big fans of both

Have just finished the McLelland Biog on Parker - I think a major factor in her career decline in 60s was her prioritising family and child raising.

At her most ravishing SCARAMOUCHE

Have seen all her movies and would recommend(chronologically) : BUSSES ROAR (enjoyable B movie about Axis spies with Eleanor as second lead); CRIME BY NIGHT (Road company THIN MAN with Jerome Cowan & Jane Wyman as the sleuths and Eleanor as mystery woman); THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (charming wartime romance); THE WOMAN IN WHITE; CAGED; DETECTIVE STORY (although she has scant footage); the delicious SCARAMOUCHE,; the splendid  adventure THE NAKED JUNGLE; THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM; THE SEVENTH SIN (underrated imho); THE SOUND OF MUSIC and the fun EYE OF THE CAT

The book was a curate's egg - great we've finally got a book on her but it is wildly uncritical and supportive of everything she did, nor does it address a tendency to ham it - esp during her downswing in the 60s when she was billed below the new girls (Carol Lynley, Elke Sommer, Ann-Margret, Gayle Hunnicutt) ,,,,,but I think that is the price paid for extensive family involvement in the project.

INTERRUPTED MELODY was her favourite role.

The book has an appendix of unrealised projects, so for those interested here are a few might have beens.....- she wanted THE FOUNTAINHEAD but lost it to Pat Neal; Neal replaced her in THE HASTY HEART because Paker did not want to film in UK. She campaigned for THE COUNTRY GIRL (as did everyone else I imagine, but Gracie got it); was originally anounced for THE OPPOSITE SEX (June Allyson did it); lost FRIENDLY PERSUASION to Dorothy McGuire (M O'Hara, J Wyman and - can you believe her as a Quaker wife? - Jane Russell!!! were also in the frame ) .She Turned down the Martha Hyer role in SOME CAME RUNNING. In the 60s vehicles with Glenn Ford and James Cagney failed to be realised, as did a Fellini project as Medea no less!); she turned down Mama Harlow in the Lynley HARLOW. She was anounced for a version of GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS but it was never made.

On a camp level (and nobody overacts more entertainingly) don't miss THE OSCAR with Eleanor as love hungry talent scout; AN AMERICAN DREAM ("a one scene role of screaming bitchery that has to be seen to believed" (Halliwell)- and her one scene at the beginning so you don't have to sit through the whole - atrocious - movie); HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (with Sally Field, Jessica Walter and Jill Haworth as screen sisters ) and the TV SHE'S DRESSED TO KILL/SOMEONE IS KILLING THE WORLDS GREATEST MODELS in which she makes Zsa Zsa Gabor look restrained.