april june american actor noted natural style versatility major stars hollywood golden age tracy nominated won sharing record nominations category tracy discovered talent acting attending later received scholarship spent seven years theatre working succession stock companies intermittently broadway tracy breakthrough came lead performance mile caught attention hollywood successful film debut river tracy signed contract years fox remained largely unknown audiences films tracy joined metro mayer time hollywood prestigious studio career flourished series hit films won consecutive captains courageous boys town 1940s tracy studio stars appeared woman year beginning popular partnership produced movies years tracy left mgm continued work regularly freelance star despite increasing aged personal life troubled lifelong struggle alcoholism guilt son tracy estranged wife 1930s divorced conducting long term relationship private end life tracy worked exclusively director film guess coming dinner completed days tracy death career tracy appeared films developed reputation peers screen greatest actors american_film_institute ranked tracy 9th greatest male star classic hollywood cinema early life tracy born april milwaukee wisconsin second son truck salesman mother presbyterian wealthy family father background brother years older difficult child poor school attendance raised catholic years old placed care dominican hope transforming behavior later life remarked gone school way learning read subtitles movies fascinated motion pictures watching ones repeatedly scenes friends neighbors tracy attended jesuit teenage years claimed took helped improve grades met future actor pair began attending plays awakening tracy interest theatre little care studies chance excitement tracy enlisted united_states_navy turned sent naval training station student world war came end achieved rank second class went sea discharged february desire sons gain college degree drove tracy high school finish diploma studies institutions plus additional war credits won tracy place entered february declaring intention major medicine tracy popular student served president hall involved number college activities stage debut june playing male lead truth tracy received role quickly developed passion stage formed acting company friends called campus players took tour member college debate team tracy excelled arguing public speaking tour debate team tracy auditioned new_york_city offered scholarship attend school performing scene earlier roles tracy left began classes april deemed fit progress senior class allowing join academy stock company tracy new_york debut october play called wedding guests broadway debut months later playing robot graduated march career stock theatre broadway immediately following graduation tracy joined new stock company based new_york given periphery roles unhappy moved company cincinnati failed impact november landed small broadway comedy starring reviews poor closed performances tracy later said failure ego took awful beating took position struggling company new_jersey tracy living cents day january played leading role company organization soon closed tracy finally achieved success joining forces notable stock manager spring stage partnership formed young actress broadway proved popular draw productions favorably received shows brought tracy attention broadway producer offered lead new play previewed october received poor reviews closed trial run connecticut tracy forced wright stock circuit fall tracy offered shot broadway role new play called yellow tracy swore play failed hit leave stock work regular business instead tracy nervous working important figures american theatre rehearsals announced tracy best actor seen yellow opened september reviews mixed ran performances beginning important collaboration tracy quit stage completely later commented hadn wrote specifically tracy play baby cyclone opened broadway september proved hit tracy followed success play took conflict broadway drama variety roles followed lead written winning gave tracy high hopes success story man descent madness previewed brooklyn excellent reception day october new_york stock market crashed unable attain funding open broadway following disappointment tracy considered leaving theatre returning milwaukee stable life january tracy approached new play called mile looking cast lead role murderer death row producer met tracy later recounted beneath surface man passion violence sensitivity desperation ordinary man man mile opened broadway february tracy performance met standing ovation lasted curtain calls described best versatile young actors play hit critics ran performances fox broadway heavily scouted actors work new medium sound film tracy cast short movies hard guy considered film actor ambition direction perfectly happy stage later explained interview scouts saw tracy mile director ford wanted tracy lead role picture prison movie production company unsure tracy saying photograph ford convinced right role river marked film debut tracy seeing rushes fox immediately offered tracy long term contract knowing needed money family young son deaf recovering tracy signed fox moved california appeared stage life head fox committed making tracy studio went efforts promote actor releasing second film headline new star shines films quick succession unsuccessful box office tracy found comedies usually playing con man mold broken seventh picture films river profit pictures tracy remained virtually unknown public considered leaving fox contract renewal rise weekly rate convinced stay continued appear unpopular films gal setting time low attendance record new_york_city loaned years prison drama starring tracy hopeful break role despite good reviews failed critics began notice tracy power glory story man rise prosperity written tracy performance railroad received uniformly strong reviews hollywood reporter wrote sterling performer finally given opportunity ability boxed gangster roles film introduced tracy screen best performers new_york_times stated convincing performance given screen gave tracy previously unseen sex appeal served advance standing despite attention tracy movies went largely unnoticed man castle anticipated hit small profit lent metro mayer proved popular subsequent continued unsuccessful tracy drank heavily years fox gained reputation alcoholic failed report filming june found hotel room virtually unconscious week tracy removed fox payroll recovered hospital sued delaying production completed pictures studio details tracy relationship fox ended unclear later life tracy maintained fired drunken behavior fox records support account contract studio mgm expressed interest actor need new male star contacted tracy april offering seven year deal afternoon contract tracy fox terminated mutual consent tracy total pictures years lost money box office metro mayer growing reputation 1930s metro mayer respected movie production studio hollywood tracy arrived reputation strong biographer writes tracy scarcely box office critics little known producer enthusiastic working actor telling journalist mgm valuable stars curtis notes studio managed tracy care welcome change known fox like shot adrenaline actor film new contract quickly produced murder man included feature film debut began strategy pairing tracy studio actresses starred commercial success tracy opposite films designed promoted showcase leading ladies continuing tracy reputation secondary star fury film prove tracy success merit directed tracy played man revenge narrowly escaping death lynch mob film performance received excellent reviews popular public going million worldwide curtis writes audiences year earlier clear handle suddenly turning transition short showed willingness public embrace leading man textbook handsome bigger life fury followed month later release big budget disaster movie san_francisco tracy played supporting role alongside film allowing audiences male star hollywood taking role priest tracy reportedly felt heavy responsibility representing church despite having minutes screen time tracy highly praised performance received oscar nomination san_francisco highest grossing picture book tracy credits fury san_francisco films changed career gave status major star point tracy entered period self imposed mgm expressed pleasure tracy public reputation continued grow lady comedy cast according curtis biggest draws industry equal billing powerhouse company serve advance tracy standing lady hit picture space months oscar wins tracy appeared movies gave gun went largely unnoticed captains courageous major film events year tracy played portuguese fisherman adventure movie based novel uncomfortable foreign accent resented having hair role hit audiences tracy won academy award best actor captains courageous followed took good box office years hit movies industry recognition tracy star united_states poll million people find king queen hollywood ranked tracy sixth males tracy reunited film commercial critical success permanently notion tracy team based positive response received san_francisco mgm cast tracy priest boys town portraying catholic priest founder boys town role tracy took seriously anxious good job father worries keeps awake night tracy received strong reviews performance movie grossed million worldwide second year running tracy received academy award best actor humble recognition saying acceptance speech honestly feel accept award accept meant great man father immediately sent academy award tracy listed fifth biggest money making star tracy absent screens year returning loan appearing stanley film curtis maintains tracy non visibility little affect standing public october year fortune magazine survey find nation favorite movie actor listed tracy place established star mgm capitalized tracy popularity casting movies woman critical commercial failure historical drama tracy film proved popular portrayed man story wrote tracy sheer acting film worthy boom town final picture featuring making anticipated films year film opened biggest crowd gone wind tracy signed new contract mgm april paid week limited pictures year tracy previously expressed need reduce workload contract stated time billing star contrary popular belief contract include clause receive billing point onward film tracy appeared featured pole position tracy returned role father men boys town followed later year tracy venture horror genre adaptation starring tracy unhappy film heavy needed portray critical response film mixed new_york_times wrote tracy portrait evil rampant film popular audiences taking million box office tracy set star film version set difficulties bad weather forced production close end project available new movie hepburn greatly admired tracy calling best movie actor wanted comeback vehicle hepburn delighted tracy available saying damned grateful willing work romantic comedy performed box office received strong reviews wrote begin leading roles film memorable tracy hepburn turning brilliant performances boot got cheer woman year followed adaptation met response mgm repeat teaming tracy hepburn cast dark mystery despite weak critical reception film popular success predecessor confirming strength partnership tracy appearances war based guy named joe surpassed san_francisco highest grossing film date escape nazi concentration camp met critical acclaim followed aviation film tokyo strength releases annual poll revealed tracy mgm biggest money making star film following year love film hepburn performed box office despite muted enthusiasm critics stage screen tracy returned stage time years dark patch personally culminating stay hospital hepburn felt play help restore focus tracy told journalist april coming broadway act play rugged path previewed providence september sold crowd response difficult production director later wrote days prior new_york opening important relationships deteriorated tense direction tracy considered leaving opened broadway lasted weeks announcing intention close closed january performances tracy later explained friend couldn lines night day new day films thing day day tracy absent screens year motion picture debut release film drama set american old west hepburn similarly keeper flame love lukewarm response critics stop financial success home abroad followed later year played judge commercial success curtis notes star overshadowed tracy reviews fifth film hepburn came political drama tracy played presidential candidate movie warmly received appeared edward son tracy disliked role told director find easily play heel release new_yorker wrote hopeless tracy film tracy biggest money loser mgm tracy finished 1940s malaya adventure film comedy tracy hepburn playing married lawyers oppose court tracy hepburn friends wrote parts specifically duo film received strong reviews highest grossing picture date film critic wrote tracy stellar performers perfect compatibility comic delightful final mgm years tracy received academy_award nomination years playing role father bride comedy film banks attempts handle preparations daughter played upcoming wedding second strong comedy row title role variety noted film biggest commercial success tracy career date earning million worldwide mgm wanted sequel tracy unsure accepted father little released months later performed box office strength movies tracy polled nation stars tracy portrayed lawyer year teamed hepburn sports comedy pat mike second feature written pair gordon pat mike duo popular critically acclaimed films tracy followed historical drama set abroad starring met poor response posted loss million tracy returned role concerned father actress film got acclaim critics film years didn pay theatre recalled producer performance received nomination bafta mgm lent fox western film appearance picture received tracy turned desperate hours refused second billing instead tracy appeared armed protagonist faces hostility small town bad day film directed work tracy received fifth oscar nomination awarded best actor prize cannes film festival personally unhappy picture threatened leave production behavior regular occurrence aging tracy increasingly cynical began production tribute bad man summer pulled location shooting colorado gave altitude sickness trouble caused picture fractured tracy relationship mgm june remaining star studio contract renewal tracy opted independent time movie career independent player tracy post mgm appearance mountain played younger brother wagner earlier played son location filming french alps proved difficult experience threatened leave project performance earned bafta nomination tracy hepburn paired eighth time office based comedy convinced stay film met weak response tracy appeared old man sea project development years adaptation agent previously written author hollywood people comes closest quality personality voice personal dignity ability tracy delighted offered role told lose pounds filming began failed reported tracy terrible liability picture star carefully photographed disguise weight appearing screen majority film tracy considered old man sea toughest played reviewing performance hollywood reporter said intimate revealing universal human experience acting reality tracy received oscar nominations work abandoning projects including proposed remake blue angel tracy feature reunited debut director years tracy took year commit project played irish american mayor seeking election movie favorably reviewed commercially successful end named tracy year best actor began retirement curtis writing tired unhappy ill work partnership tracy appear screen october release film based monkey trial debated right teach evolution schools director sought tracy role lawyer outset starring opposite tracy march pairing variety described stroke casting genius men sense word film garnered tracy strongest reviews career nominated academy_award golden globe award performance commercial hit volcano disaster movie devil clock tracy played priest fourth time career star ceded billing guarantee tracy picture continuing pattern tracy briefly pulled production critics film tracy successful box office outing father bride inherit wind began enduring collaboration tracy directed tracy final films judgment released end second feature film depicts judges trial trial nazi judges role holocaust wrote role judge tracy mind tracy called best script read end film tracy delivered minute speech recorded received round applause cast crew seeing film wrote tracy writer ought experience having lines world like film met positive reviews large audience tracy received eighth oscar nomination performance tracy turned roles long days journey night leopard pull mgm star west won clashed judgment able record film narration track tracy poor health time working challenge took role captain comedy mad mad mad mad world small key able complete days tracy topped list performers comedy highest grossing american film year health worsened cancel commitments offers continued come tracy work guess coming dinner tracy ninth final film hepburn guess coming dinner explored topic marriage tracy playing liberal minded newspaper publisher values challenged daughter wishes marry black man played tracy happy working told press movie commence filming tracy high premium hepburn salaries tracy completed scenes poor health tracy work hours day completed scene tracy died days later heart attack june film released december reviews mixed curtis notes tracy performance singled praise nearly instance new_yorker wrote tracy gave circumstances heartbreaking performance movie tracy highest grossing picture received posthumous nomination best actor ninth golden globe award nomination bafta win personal life marriage family tracy met actress members white plains new_york stock company tracy joined graduating couple engaged married september year evening performances son john born june john months old discovered boy deaf resisted telling tracy months tracy devastated news felt lifelong guilt son convinced john hearing punishment sins result tracy trouble connecting son distanced family friend tracy later tracy didn leave left scene guilt second child born july children raised mother faith tracy left family home openly discussed separation media maintaining friends taken divorce action september june tracy public affair star man castle reconciled official separation tracy wife marriage continued troubled tracy increasingly lived hotels 1940s effectively living separate lives tracy frequently engaged affairs including stars hepburn making woman year september tracy began lifelong relationship actress devoted relationship lasted death years later tracy returned live family home visited regularly mgm careful protect contract big stars controversy tracy wished conceal relationship hepburn wife hidden public couple live final years tracy life shared cottage estate beverly_hills hollywood intimate nature partnership open secret worked pair later said knew said days wasn discussed tracy express emotions friend believed utterly dependent hepburn tracy infidelity apparently continued tracy reported affair making tracy wife pursued divorce despite told divorce want wife kate like things reportedly commented day die hepburn interfere fought marriage character tracy catholic cousin said follow religion practical catholic spiritual catholic friend tracy years described true believer respected religion periods life tracy attended mass regularly tracy believe actors political views lent hollywood roosevelt committee personally identified democrat tracy struggled alcoholism adult life ran father family steady commonly thought prone periods alcohol remarked tracy awful drunk twice arrested behavior bad reaction alcohol tracy regularly embarked prolonged periods developed routine hepburn commented stop drinking months years time tracy prone bouts depression anxiety described tracy having volatile disposition seen clouds minute depths low low plagued life result tracy dependent sleep followed function hepburn adopted nursing role tracy unable understand partner wrote autobiography peace tortured sort guilt terrible misery illness death entered years drinking smoking taking pills overweight left tracy poor health july hospitalized severe attack doctors found suffering fluid lungs inability heart pump properly declared blood pressure dangerously high point tracy remained weak hepburn moved home provide constant care january diagnosed heart disease began treatment previously ignored diagnosis diabetes tracy died september stay hospital following resulted failing spent night coma recovery described doctor kind miracle tracy spent majority years home hepburn living described quiet life reading painting listening music june days completing guess coming dinner tracy awakened cup tea apartment beverly_hills california hepburn described autobiography followed kitchen door push sound cup smashing floor loud entered room find tracy dead heart attack hepburn recalled looked happy living accomplishments burden mgm publicist told media tracy died found requiem mass held tracy june heart active included consideration tracy family hepburn attend funeral tracy interred forest lawn memorial park california reputation acting style tracy high reputation peers received considerable praise film industry death head metro mayer said question best actor screen called tracy greatest actor generation tracy said greatest movie actor learned acting watching tracy way tracy particularly respected screen worked tracy seventh cross admired star screen presence method appeared simple difficult achieve appeared listened felt said words forcing likewise expressed admiration tracy seemingly performances time star said feeling acting scene truth situation actually happening spontaneously moment spoke lines noted tracy rarely target mimic reserve control imitate genius specifically tracy praised listening reacting skills said tracy brought art reacting new height declared tracy thought listened better history motion pictures noted tracy listened fiber entire body despite perception able perform acquaintances tracy said carefully prepare role lived tracy production recounted actor lock bedroom working extremely hard night workers commented strong work ethic tracy like lose effectiveness takes described player trusted moment creation tracy close friend acting style selection little needed effective reaching minimum maximum tracy disliked asked technique advice profession instance saying actors think god damn important acting important job scheme things tracy humble abilities telling journalist try tricks profile great lover act project plain trying honest known enjoyed art acting learn lines interview years tracy death suggested tracy wished held different profession assessment legacy 21st century tracy best known general audiences association continues receive praise film scholars critic calls tracy 20th century finest actors film historian describes career golden record movie achievement writing washington_post argues tracy deserves remembered master acting technique preserving tracy legacy award excellence film acting bestowed past recipients ucla include pbs documentary titled tracy legacy hosted hepburn includes clips tracy films scenes archival footage home movies tracy private life career newly filmed interviews stars daughter tracy provided inspiration character oscar winning film director explained sweet old guys film tracy relationship announced development tracy films particularly comedies regarded classics american cinema starred titles american_film_institute list years laughs adam rib mad mad mad mad world father bride woman year guess coming dinner included afi list greatest american movies captains courageous featured list america inspiring movies awards nominations tracy nominated category record holds actors win award twice actors receive tracy nominated won golden globe awards winning addition received cannes film festival award best actor named tracy recognized following performances nomination san francisco win captains courageous win boys town nomination father bride nomination bad day nomination old man sea nomination inherit wind nomination judgment nomination guess coming dinner posthumous nomination filmography selected filmography
Spencer Tracy