Miriam Hopkins
Miriam Hopkins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930, working with Ernst Lubitsch and Joel McCrea, among many others. Her long-running feud with Bette Davis was publicized for effect. Later she became a pioneer of TV drama. Hopkins was a distinguished Hollywood hostess, who moved in intellectual and creative circles. At age 20, Hopkins became a chorus girl in New York City. In 1930, she signed with Paramount Pictures, and made her official film debut in Fast and Loose. Her first great success was in the 1931 horror drama film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in which she portrayed the character Ivy Pearson, a prostitute who becomes entangled with Jekyll and Hyde. Hopkins received rave reviews, but because of the potential controversy of the film and her character, many of her scenes were cut before the official release, reducing her screen time to approximately five minutes. Nevertheless, her career ascended swiftly thereafter and in 1932 she scored her breakthrough in Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise, where she proved her charm and wit as a beautiful and jealous pickpocket. During the pre-code Hollywood of the early 1930s, she appeared in The Smiling Lieutenant, The Story of Temple Drake and Design for Living, all of which were box office successes and critically acclaimed. Her pre-Code films were considered risqué at the time, with The Story of Temple Drake depicting a rape scene and Design for Living featuring a ménage à trois with Fredric March and Gary Cooper. She also had success during the remainder of the decade with the romantic comedy The Richest Girl in the World (1934), the historical drama Becky Sharp (1935), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, Barbary Coast (1935), These Three (1936) (the first of four films with director William Wyler) and The Old Maid (1939). Hopkins was one of the first actresses approached to play the role of Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night (1934). However, she rejected the part, and Claudette Colbert was cast instead. She did audition for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, having one advantage none of the other candidates had: she was a native Georgian. But the part went to Vivien Leigh. Both Colbert and Leigh won Oscars for their performances. Hopkins had well-publicized fights with her arch-enemy Bette Davis (Hopkins believed Davis was having an affair with Hopkins' husband at the time), when they co-starred in their two films The Old Maid (1939) and Old Acquaintance (1943). Davis admitted to enjoying very much a scene in Old Acquaintance in which she shakes Hopkins forcefully during a scene where Hopkins' character makes unfounded allegations against Davis's. There were even press photos taken with both divas in a boxing ring with gloves up and director Vincent Sherman between the two. Hopkins was a television pioneer, performing in teleplays in three decades, spanning the late 1940s through the late 1960s, in such programs as The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1949), Lux Video Theatre (1951-1955) and even an episode of The Flying Nun in 1969. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for motion pictures at 1701 Vine Street, and one for television at 1708 Vine Street.
Known For Acting
Popularity 1.155
Birthday 1902-10-18
Place of Birth Savannah, Georgia, USA
Also Known As Ellen Miriam Hopkins, ミリアム・ホプキンス,
Trouble in Paradise
1932

Trouble in Paradise

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1931

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Children's Hour
1961

The Children's Hour

Fanny Hill
1964

Fanny Hill

The Smiling Lieutenant
1931

The Smiling Lieutenant

The Chase
1966

The Chase

The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1952

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The Story of Temple Drake
1933

The Story of Temple Drake

The Heiress
1949

The Heiress

Hollywood Horror House
1970

Hollywood Horror House

Carrie
1952

Carrie

Becky Sharp
1935

Becky Sharp

The Old Maid
1939

The Old Maid

Virginia City
1940

Virginia City

These Three
1936

These Three

Old Acquaintance
1943

Old Acquaintance

Barbary Coast
1935

Barbary Coast

Design for Living
1933

Design for Living

A Gentleman After Dark
1942

A Gentleman After Dark

Lady with Red Hair
1940

Lady with Red Hair

Woman Chases Man
1937

Woman Chases Man

The Mating Season
1951

The Mating Season

The Stranger's Return
1933

The Stranger's Return

Men Are Not Gods
1936

Men Are Not Gods

Splendor
1935

Splendor

She Loves Me Not
1934

She Loves Me Not

The Richest Girl in the World
1934

The Richest Girl in the World

Wise Girl
1937

Wise Girl

All of Me
1934

All of Me

24 Hours
1931

24 Hours

Dancers in the Dark
1932

Dancers in the Dark

The Woman I Love
1937

The Woman I Love

Fast and Loose
1930

Fast and Loose

Two Kinds of Women
1932

Two Kinds of Women

The House That Shadows Built
1931

The House That Shadows Built

The World and the Flesh
1932

The World and the Flesh

Breakdowns of 1940
1940

Breakdowns of 1940

Complicated Women
2003

Complicated Women

Hollywood on Parade No. B-1
1934

Hollywood on Parade No. B-1

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
2008

Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood

Summer Pavilion
1955

Summer Pavilion

The Home Girl
1928

The Home Girl

Route 66
1960

Route 66

Studio One
1948

Studio One

General Electric Theater
1953

General Electric Theater

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Lux Video Theatre

Climax!
1954

Climax!

Matinee Theater
1955

Matinee Theater

The Whistler
1954

The Whistler

The Outer Limits
1963

The Outer Limits

General Electric Theater
1953

General Electric Theater

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Lux Video Theatre