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Book and movie lovers |
 Photo courtesy of Doug Stickney's Silver Screen Sirens |
Carroll Baker has had a long and distinguished career on stage and screen from the mid-fifties to the present, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Baby Doll (1956), which is also the title of her autobiography (1983). This book is a wonderful read, starting with her childhood during the Depression and early struggles to establish her career, to her education during the glory days of the Actors' Studio, to her life as a Hollywood star, which was not always golden. Throughout, she paints honest and sympathetic portraits of her many celebrated costars and directors, and takes us behind the scenes to witness the joys and perils, physical and emotional, of moviemaking.
Although blessed with great talent and beauty, two wonderful children, and a seemingly happy marriage, Carroll saw her life fall apart in the mid-sixties. Too many years of grueling schedules over which she had no control, compounded by her then husband's mismanagement of her career, had taken their toll. The story of how this survivor reclaimed her life, provided for her children, and resurrected her career is truly inspirational. For more information about this lovely lady's films and books, take at look at Carroll Baker's web site. Curious to learn more, I contacted her, and she graciously agreed to the following interview. (Isn't the Internet wonderful!)
Barbara: Your book encompasses your career at the Actors' Studio in New York and Hollywood films. As you have also had a very successful career in Europe, could you elaborate on that experience, particularly the films and directors that American audiences should become familiar with?
Carroll: I had a great time in Italy in the late 60s and early 70s, working with some wonderful directors such as Umberto Lenzi and Romolo Guerrieri and actors like Jean Sorel and Dennis Hopper. The Italian film industry has changed so much since then, and not for the better, I'm afraid. They can't compete with the American studio budgets and rely more on importing our films than developing their own. Of course, they still do some wonderful things like Life Is Beautiful, but that's the exception now, I'm afraid.
Barbara: What are your current projects and interests? Do you support any political causes?
Carroll: I'm always looking for good roles, of course, and still enjoy acting immensely. I've also written three screenplays — one of which I'd like to direct — that are being considered by various producers, and a play — a whodunit serio-comic piece that I'm hoping to have produced soon. I enjoy writing and might try my hand at another book at some point. As for my political activities, I'm most active in the one area far too few Americans are these days — I learn the issues and vote!
Barbara: Who were your favorite performers when you were a child?
Carroll: Clark Gable and James Stewart (both of whom I was fortunate to do films with), Fred Astaire was another favorite, and Errol Flynn.
Barbara: What young actors and directors would you most like to work with today?
Carroll: I enjoyed working with David Fincher on The Game, and Hector Babenco on Ironweed. Young directors I'd like to work with are Steven Soderbergh (The Limey, Erin Brockovich), Sam Mendes (American Beauty), and Kimberley Peirce, who directed Boys Don't Cry, featuring two young actresses I much admire, Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny.
Barbara: What does an artist owe the audience? Could you comment on the problem of maintaining one's privacy while at the same time needing to achieve fame in order to be successful? Are things better now than they were? Even actors who carefully guard their privacy and seem to live balanced lives are hounded by the media, who say whatever they like about them whether or not it's true. What is the best way to deal with this? Does one fight, sue, ignore, or refute?
Carroll: I think this whole question of privacy has become much more complicated in the last decade, what with Internet accessibility to previously private or hard-to-get information, and our current society's penchant for wanting our fifteen minutes of fame. It seems that pulling off a daring act of trespassing or provoking a busted nose from a celebrity is now considered a legitimate way to get noticed. Formerly, an actor merely had to answer fan mail and sign autographs to keep in our audience's good graces, and I've always felt it was a necessary part of stardom; we do, after all, owe our fans something. But now, with every twelve-year-old apparently capable of hacking into the Pentagon's computers, getting unlisted phone numbers and addresses is a breeze and there are some real looneys out there who have nothing better to do, it seems, than see just how far they can go to make life miserable for some poor celebrity. It seems that we've "pushed the envelope" as far as we can in all aspects of our society, and that nothing, and I mean nothing, is private or sacred anymore. As to fighting, suing, ignoring or refuting, I guess it depends on how awful whatever's been said or done is. Writers and journalists get facts wrong all the time, but if someone deliberately sets out to harm, hurt or harass, I wouldn't hesitate to pull out the big guns.
Barbara: Thank you for your insightful comments. I wish you best of luck with all your projects.
Here's my highly subjective guide to some favorite Carroll Baker movies (not in chronological order):
