Mercedes Mccambridge
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
When McCambridge was hailed as "the world's greatest living radio actress" by Orson Welles, she retorted "How can you be the world's greatest dead radio actress?" -From Daily News, January 22, 1970.
Awarded certificiate for her volunteer work for the National Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Washington (1971).
Biography
A noted radio and stage performer, Mercedes McCambridge won an Oscar for her screen debut as the political hatchet woman in "All the King's Men" (1949) but subsequently made only occasional film appearances. An intense actress with piercing dark eyes and a strong, resonant voice, she specialized in forceful or domineering roles and was not afraid to play the unsympathetic role of Joan Crawford's insanely jealous and vindictive nemesis in Nicholas Ray's flamboyantly psychological Western, "Johnny Guitar" (1954). She earned a second Academy Award nomination as Rock Hudson's headstrong older sister in "Giant" (1956) and later played Elizabeth Taylor's mother in "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959). McCambridge also provided the memorable voice-over for the demon-child in "The Exorcist" (1973). A recovered alcoholic, she has served as honorary chair of the Alcoholism Information Month and has appeared before the Senate committee on Alcoholism and Narcotics.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1936
Starred on radio series, "Big Sister"
1945
Stage debut, "Hope for the Best"
1945
Broadway debut, "A Place of Our Own"
1949
Film debut, "All the King's Men"; won Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress
1950
TV debut in "The Voice of the Cricket" on NBC's "Tele-Theatre"
1952
Hosted own radio program
1952
Traveled for Adlai Stevenson's presidential election campaign
1954
Sparred onscreen and off with Joan Crawford in "Johnny Guitar"
1956
Again campaigned for Stevenson
1956
Garnered second Oscar nomination for her performance as Rock Hudson's older sister in "Giant"
1959
Played Mrs. Holly, the mother of Catherine (Elizabeth Taylor) in "Suddenly, Last Summer"
1960
Led the crowd that stormed the Los Angeles Democratic convention to draft Adlai Stevenson
1962
Returned to Broadway as replacement in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
1972
TV-movie debut, "Killer by Night" (CBS)
1972
Earned a Tony nomination for her performance in "The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks"
1973
Provided vocals used for the possessed Regan in "The Exorcist"
1979
Portrayed the family matriarch in the NBC miniseries "The Sacketts"
1980
Final film (to date) "Echoes"
1991
Replaced Irene Worth as the grandmother in the Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers"; later toured in the role
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
When McCambridge was hailed as "the world's greatest living radio actress" by Orson Welles, she retorted "How can you be the world's greatest dead radio actress?" -From Daily News, January 22, 1970.
Awarded certificiate for her volunteer work for the National Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Washington (1971).
She received a special citiation from United Jewish Welfare and two awards from the "City of Hope" and the Gold Key Award (Kansas City in 1972).
She has been awarded seven honorary doctorate degrees.
