Barbara Bel Geddes (1964)

In the summer of 1964, Barbara Bel Geddes took the stage at the Historic Elitch Theatre in W. Somerset Maugham’s sophisticated comedy The Constant Wife. Her visit added her name to the long list of Broadway and Hollywood stars who played Denver’s famed summer-stock house. It came at the height of her stage career. She had created the role of Maggie in Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway in 1955, and in 1964 the Broadway comedy hit Mary, Mary, in which she had originated the title role, was still in the final months of its record-setting run. Maugham’s play, with its poised, clever heroine and its light touch, suited an actress known for wit and warmth, and Elitch audiences saw a leading lady at the top of her form.

Bel Geddes was born in New York City on October 31, 1922, the daughter of the celebrated stage and industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes. She came to prominence on Broadway in 1946 in Deep Are the Roots, a performance that won her the Clarence Derwent Award, the Theatre World Award and the Donaldson Award. She then played the lead in The Moon Is Blue for 924 performances, created Maggie “the Cat” in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and starred in Mary, Mary. The last two roles each earned her a Tony Award nomination. On screen, she earned an Academy Award nomination for I Remember Mama (1948) and played the loyal, long-suffering Midge in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). She also appeared in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, including the unforgettable “Lamb to the Slaughter.”

In 1978, Bel Geddes became the first actor signed to the new television series Dallas, and as the Ewing family matriarch, Miss Ellie, she became familiar to audiences around the world. The role brought her an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe, and she remained with the series until 1990. After retiring from acting, she settled in Maine, where she worked as a fine artist. She had also written two children’s books and designed a line of greeting cards. She died in 2005 at the age of 82. In 1993 she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame, an honor she shares with her father. Her single season at Elitch is a small but proud part of a remarkable career.

Seasons at the Theatre

1964

Productions/Roles:

1964 – The Constant Wife

Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:

Deep Are the Roots (Broadway, 1945–46): Her breakout role as Genevra Langdon won the Clarence Derwent Award, the Theatre World Award and the Donaldson Award, the forerunner of the Tony Awards.
Academy Award nomination for I Remember Mama (1948): She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for playing Katrin, the eldest daughter and narrator, in George Stevens’s film.
The Moon Is Blue (Broadway, 1951–53): She played Patty O’Neill in all 924 performances of F. Hugh Herbert’s hit comedy.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Broadway, 1955): She originated the role of Maggie “the Cat” in Elia Kazan’s production of the Tennessee Williams drama, earning a Tony Award nomination.
Vertigo (1958): She played Midge in Alfred Hitchcock’s film opposite James Stewart. She also appeared in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, including “Lamb to the Slaughter.”
Mary, Mary (Broadway, 1961): She created the title role in Jean Kerr’s comedy, earning a second Tony Award nomination. The play ran for more than 1,500 performances.
Dallas (1978–1990): She played matriarch Miss Ellie Ewing and was the only cast member to win both the Emmy Award (1980) and the Golden Globe (1981). She also received Germany’s Golden Camera Award in 1985.
American Theater Hall of Fame (1993): She was inducted after appearing in 15 Broadway productions.

Elitch Theatre Connections:

The Long Night (film, 1947): Vincent Price (HET 1979) was her co-star, and the film is billed Fonda, Bel Geddes, Price, Dvorak.
Burning Bright (Broadway, 1950): Kent Smith (HET 1938) played Joe Saul in the cast of four, opposite her Mordeen.
The Moon Is Blue (Broadway, 1951–53): Donald Cook (HET 1930) and Barry Nelson (HET 1968) were the other two leads in the original three-person cast.
Fourteen Hours (film, 1951): Grace Kelly (HET 1951, debut role) and Joyce Van Patten (HET 1944, uncredited debut) were in the same film.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Broadway, 1955–56): Pat Hingle (HET 1981) played Gooper in the original company.
Riverboat, “Payment in Full” (TV, Sept. 13, 1959): Darren McGavin (HET 1964) was the series lead (Capt. Grey Holden) in the premiere, where she guest-starred.
By Love Possessed (film, 1961): Lana Turner (HET 1977) was the film’s star.
Mary, Mary (Broadway, 1961–62): Barry Nelson (HET 1968) played the original Bob McKellaway opposite her Mary.
Mary, Mary (Broadway, Nov.–Dec. 1962): Tom Poston (HET 1969) replaced Nelson as Bob on Nov. 5, 1962, and she stayed until Dec. 22, 1962, so they overlapped for about seven weeks.
Everything in the Garden (Broadway, 1967–68): Barry Nelson (HET 1968) was in the cast again, as Richard.
Our Town (NBC TV movie, 1977): Sada Thompson (HET 1980) played Mrs. Gibbs to her Mrs. Webb.
Dallas (TV, 1978): Joan Van Ark (HET 1960) played Valene Ewing in season 2, where Bel Geddes was in all 24 episodes, so they appeared in the same episodes.