SPENSER TRACY

American actor. Acted in films: "Fury", "San Francisco", "Captains Courageous" (Oscar), "The Seventh Cross", "City Boys" (Oscar), " Woman of the Year, " Father of the Bride, " A bad day at Black Rock "," The Nuremberg Trials "," Guess Who′s Coming to Dinner ", etc.

Bonavenche Spencer Tracy (Tracy) was born April 5, 1900 in the town of Milwaukee (Wisconsin), where there were Irish Catholics. As a child, Spencer often fought with other children, was replaced fifteen schools, several times ran from the house. His father, a truck driver, drank a lot.

Tracy decides to become a priest, he is learning in marketing the Academy, led by the Jesuit fathers. Then runs away from there, enlisted in the naval forces of the United States. Returning from the army, Spencer dreams of a career as a doctor and goes to the Ripon College. Free time he devoted amateur theater. Particularly successful performance with his participation on the play by Clyde Fitch′s "The Truth".

Spencer goes to the American Academy of Dramatic Art. Parents do not approve of his choice, but his father still agrees to pay for his studies of Spencer. And then Tracy, like many other actors, it was a long and joyless roam the provincial and the New York stage with the ups and downs . . .

After living for several years on the rice and water, Spencer received a role in the Broadway production of low-budget - $ 10 a week and no one replica. But the play quickly closed. Tracy received a place in one of New York theaters, and in 1926 he married Louise Tredvell. Three years later, John came to light - it was named in honor of his grandfather.

Tracy was happy, but ten months later it turned out that Johnny was born deaf. This news is so struck Spencer that he hit the town red. Months of binges alternated with periods of incredible performance, when Tracy played like a man possessed.

Louise has devoted all of her sick child, the time for my husband to do. And although in 1932, was born a healthy daughter, Susie, the alienation between the spouses became ever deeper. Tracy began to appear everywhere from the well-known actress Loretta Young. But Louise - zealous Catholic - does not permit the thought of an official divorce. However, an affair with Loretta soon ended.

Only at the age of thirty, Tracy drew the attention of theater critics, and after them, and Hollywood producer, played on Broadway in the role of the criminal Mirza melodrama in the life of criminals, "Last Mile" J. Ueksli.

Was a resounding success, flattering press. Tracy has played 289 times in this performance, before the great John Ford invited him to a greater role in the film "Up the River". Company "XX Century - Fox signed him to a four-year contract for an incredible amount of 350 thousand dollars, hoping to use the actor′s characteristic roles. Critics dubbed the most promising newcomer Tracy Hollywood.

He starred in the movie "Millions of Light" - one of the best gangster films of 1931. It is significant that only in this picture, Tracy played a notorious villain, in the same follow-up films: "Mad Game", "A Face in the sky", "Shanghai′s obsession", "20,000 years in Sing Sing," "Power and Glory "and others - to his gang members entered on the path to reform.

Gradually, Tracy finds its roles. His new hero once gave the impression that he is one of the few strong and sensible people who are not spoiled society.

Photo — «Spenser Tracy»

Unemployment in the docks ( "His fortress"), a journalist tracking down the perpetrator ( "Reporter on homicide"), catcher tuna ( "bastards") - strong, drawn into a furious battle with the life of people who either are winning over her top, or forced to retreat . . .

In 1935, Tracy scandal broke a contract with "XX Century - Fox and immediately signed a new one - with the company" MGM ". His fee was now $ 5000 per week. He quickly became one of the leading actors of the company.

Tracy tries themselves in biographical roles ( "Stanley and Livingstone" and "Edison, the man"). But the real success came with the film by Fritz Lang′s "Fury" (1936), in which Tracy played the role of a young auto mechanics, Joe Wilson, falsely accused of abducting a young girl. Spencer was a good one for the next picture and "San Francisco" (1936) William S. Van Dyke. He was among the first candidates Oscar.

Soon Tracy has won this prestigious prize. He got it for her role as a fisherman Manuel in the movie "Captains Courageous" (1937) Victor Fleming. During the ceremony the actor was in the hospital, and a statuette of the stage stood his wife, Louise: "I accept this award on behalf of Spencer, on behalf of our children and on their behalf. "

After "Brave captains" Tracy has created a truthful image of the priest Flannegana in the film "Boys Town" (1938) Norman Toroga and the first time in the history of film for the second time in a row won an Oscar. Later came the continuation of this movie - "The men of the city boys" (1941).

During the Second World War, Hollywood is increasingly anti-fascist pictures were taken. This number is the film "The Seventh Cross" (1943), staged by director Fred Zinnemann. Hero Tracy - Georg Heissler fought against the Nazis even before he seized power, for which he got in a concentration camp . . .

Irish to the bone, Tracy had a unique sense of humor. It was typical of the amazing ability to see in the world around him funny. Telling funny stories, he maintained absolute equanimity. Ironically Tracy manifested in full measure, when he took part in a comedy written specifically for him and Katharine Hepburn, who became his permanent partner.

The painting "Woman of the Year" (1942) was the first of this series. Hepburn played a journalist, active in advocating for women′s emancipation. Tracy in the role of sport browser all the time ridiculed her views. Of course, in the end opposites converge.

Catherine demanded shoot many takes to better get used to the role. Spencer objected: "At present all the actor turns on the first try. He was convinced that the long tedious rehearsals can wear out the actor, to deprive him of the original freshness of the game. Tracy usually reaches its maximum success in the first double.

After the release of "Women of the Year" Tracy was recognized as the most popular actors of America. He immediately launched a new picture with the duo - a melodrama "fire keeper". Tracy again in the role of a lover, and again, remaining in the developed nature, far from any violent expressions of passion.

Three years later, they appeared together in the comedy film adaptation of Philip Barry′s "Without Love", successfully marching to Broadway. In the theater with Katharine Hepburn was the other partner, but the movies she wanted to play only with Tracy.

Hepburn used to say later about the nature of acting duo: "We balance each other, and served as a symbol of American men and American women.

Photo — «Spenser Tracy»

Woman always egged the man, he initially takes it patiently, and then suddenly held out his paw and grabbed her. This is very much public, because the man in the end is the master of the situation. But to step it always prompts a woman. And he is not so easy to hold leadership positions. Here briefly what we did. "

Nine movies - comedies and melodramas, in which Tracy and Hepburn were together, - were probably the only ones where he played a romantic hero.

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy surprisingly fit together. Boiling and overflowing expansivity Catherine balanced wise composure Spencer, and her caustic sarcasm - his gentle humor. Very soon she realized that for his rudeness and cranky hidden self-doubt. Any failure, any critique of the new movie holds him in a state of severe melancholy. He could drink, disappear without a trace on a couple of weeks, and then declared somewhere in the Maldives. And then Catherine throwing shooting and flew to him - only she could revive him.

Tracy continues to bear responsibility for their loved ones, Spence was a loving and attentive father. He helped his wife, Louise Tredvell, founded the John Tracy Clinic, which is attended not only deaf children but also their parents.

In the late forties Tracy offered a major role in the play by Robert Sherwood′s "path, carpeted. He stayed on the scene the same way as on the screen. It will inspire theater critics, who claimed that he had to play the role of Lyra. Spencer was a stranger to any system and has been acting school, he regarded them with suspicion and did not recognize the studies, the aim of which - decompose an image into its constituent parts.

A long-enduring fame Spencer Tracy explained not only by the virtuosity of craftsmanship, but also the characteristics of his personality. According to critics, he was one of the few who embodies the true American character. It is no accident Katharine Hepburn said of him: "This is a rare piece. It looks like the old oak tree, or a summer breeze, he comes from the days when men were real men.

Looking at the heroes of Tracy, the viewer, as it were convinced of his own moral strength and spiritual health. The mere sight of his heroes - with their genuine simplicity, sober mind, a deep sense of decency and the same sense of humor - evoked friendly audience. These were old lawyer who managed to prove the innocence of a young man who was a sham murder waiting electric chair ( "All Against O′Hara"), the old John McCain Creed, navedshy order in the town, where there is anarchy and lawlessness ( "Bad Day in Black Rock ", 1955).

For the role of Mac-Creed actor received a prize at the Cannes Film Festival and claimed the prize "Oscar". But then came the six-year period of relative failure.

Particularly distressing failure in the adaptation of Hemingway′s novel "The Old Man and the Sea" (1958). First, it did not work out the relationship between Hemingway and Tracy. Secondly, the shooting of the film began and Havana, and later work continued in the pavilions of Hollywood. Artificial ponds, rubber sharks, spectacular stunts - all this is contrary to Spencer on what was supposed to be a screen version of the story. He felt that his style of "The Old Man and the Sea" is closer to documentary film, and tried to stick to this version. Tracy has always believed that some films are doomed to it, to obtain, and others - no, and that the only thing you can, this is the best way to do everything you can.

In the fifties, the hero Tracy primarily changed externally - brown hair turned white, large face slashed wrinkles, the trained body slightly hunched and blurred.

Photo — «Spenser Tracy»

Because "restrained and powerful" game Tracy gained greater credibility and validity.

Tracy received great pleasure from the friendship with people like Frank Sinatra, George Cukor, Victor Fleming, Stanley Kramer, the Kennedy family, Harry Truman, Lew Douglas . . .

Spencer read the script quickly and carefully. He worked for the major producers - Ford, Lang, Vidor, it seemed, Cukor, Kramer, Borzedzha, Sturges, and many others, since starred in over seventy films. Tracy was very independent and do not put up with what seemed to him wrong and unfair, so he was considered a difficult man. Abby Mann told that he was always perfectly prepared and meticulously accurate in relation to the text. He had only to appear on the screen, and yet doing nothing, saying nothing, he had already attracted attention.

In recent years, Tracy has worked mostly with Stanley Kramer. "A lot of people around telling me how great I am, but Stanley was the man who gave me the job.

In the movie "reap the whirlwind" (1960) he had a chance to play a remarkable man - a lawyer Henry Drummond. The prototype of his character was a famous American lawyer Clarence Darrow. In the "Nuremberg" (1961), he appeared in the form of American judges, lawyers bring to justice Nazi Germany. Then there was the role of a corrupt police commissioner in the film "The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963).

July 31, 1963 in Spencer suffered a severe attack. It happened at the picnic. And only thanks to coolness and resourcefulness Katharine Hepburn (she called the fire truck), his time was taken to hospital and provide the necessary assistance.

Despite the objections of the insurance company insisted that Kramer has signed a contract with Spencer at the filming of the new film "Guess Who′s Coming to Dinner?" Tracy with Katharine Hepburn "rocked the old days: he played a major newspaper publisher in San Francisco, it - it wife, and together they experienced because of the stubborn women′s daughter, who married a black man, a candidate for the Nobel Prize.

Hero of Tracy, a man of progressive views, provides an opportunity to young to decide their own fate, saying a passionate monologue about the eternal agony of good and evil, that good always triumphs over evil. When filming this episode, Spencer Tracy conducted with extraordinary force, everyone who was in the pavilion, starting with Stanley Kramer and Katherine Hepburn and ending with the illuminator, staged an actor an ovation . . .

It was not June 10, 1967 - suddenly, of heart failure. Tracy loved severity Lewis: "You live only once, but if you live as it should, then once is enough!"

The film "Guess Who′s Coming to Dinner" with great success. He was nominated for an Oscar in ten categories, including the role of Tracy and Hepburn. This time the prize has been awarded Hepburn.

"Spencer was a wonderful actor - she wrote many years later - its Role - simpleton. He could be them. Do not overact. Truly hit the bull′s-eye. His game was devoid of complexity. Was open. He could amuse you, able to make you cry. I knew how to listen. "

In 1986, Catherine took an active part in creating the television documentary "Legacy of Spencer Tracy - a tribute to Katharine Hepburn. " There, he appeared the way was in life and on screen.