Anne Baxter

Biography

Star Biography of Anne Baxter: Anne Baxter was born into this world in Michigan City, Indiana on May 7, 1923. Anne Baxter was the daughter of a salesman and his wife, Catherine, the daughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous architect. Anne was a young girl of 11 when her parents moved to New York City, still the hub of the entertainment industry even though the film colony was moving west. The move there encouraged her to consider acting as a vocation. By the time Anne Baxterwas 13, Anne Baxterhad already appeared in a stage production which had garnered rave reviews from the tough Broadway critics. The play helped her gain entrance to an exclusive acting school. In 1937, Anne made her first foray into Hollywood to test the waters there in the film industry. As Anne Baxterwas thought to be too young for a film career, Anne Baxterpacked her bags and returned to the New York with her mother, where Anne Baxtercontinued to act in Broadway and summer stock up and down the East Coast. Not undaunted, Anne returned to California two years later to try again. This time her luck was somewhat better. Anne Baxtertook a screen test which was ultimately seen by the moguls of Twentieth Century-Fox and signed to a seven year contract. However, before Anne Baxterwould make a movie with Fox, Anne was loaned out to MGM to make a film entitled TWENTY MULE TEAM (1940). At 17, Anne Baxterwas in pictures where other starlets would slave for years as an extra before landing a meaty role. Back at Fox, that same year, Anne played Mary Maxwell in THE GREAT PROFILE. The film was a box-office dud. The following year Anne Baxterplayed Amy Spettigue in the re-make of CHARLEY'S AUNT. It still wasn't a great role, but it was better than a bit part. The only other film Anne appeared in that year was SWAMP WATER. It was the first role that was really worth anything, but the critics weren't that impressed with the role that Anne had nor with the movie. In 1942, Anne played Joseph Cotten's daughter, Lucy Morgan, in THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS. The following year Anne appeared in THE NORTH STAR, the first film where Anne Baxterreceived top billing. Anne and the film itself was highly praised. 1944's GUEST IN THE HOUSE was a dismal failure, but SUNDAY DINNER FOR A SOLDIER that same year was received much better by the public but ripped apart by the critics. Anne starred with John Hodiak who would become her first husband in 1947. (Anne was to divorce Hodiak in 1953. Her other two husbands were Randolph Galt and David Klee). In 1946, Anne portrayed Sophie MacDonald in THE RAZOR'S EDGE, a film which would land her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Anne Baxterhad come a long way in so short a time. Her next two were let downs by comparison. One was as the narrator for MOTHER WORE TIGHTS and 1947's BLAZE OF NOON. It wouldn't be until 1950 before Anne Baxterlanded another decent role. The film was as Eve Harrington in ALL ABOUT EVE. This film garnered Anne her second nomination but ultimately lost to Judy Holliday in BORN YESTERDAY. After several films through the 1950's, Anne landed a super plum role. Anne Baxterplayed Nefretiri in Cecil B. DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Never in her Hollywood career did Anne look as beautiful as Anne Baxterdid as the Egyptian queen, opposite Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner. After that epic motion picture, the films came fewer mainly because Anne Baxterwasn't tied to a studio instead opting to free-lance her talents. After no appearances in 1958, Anne Baxtermade one film in 1959 (SUMMER OF THE SEVENTEENTH DOLL) and one in 1960 (CIMARRON). After WALK ON THE WILD SIDE in 1962. Anne Baxtertook a hiatus from filming for the next four years. That was to say Anne Baxterwas idle during that time. Anne Baxterappeared in the stage and occasionally television. Anne Baxterwasn't really concerned with being a celebrity or a personality, Anne was more concerned with being just an actress and trying hard to produce the best performance Anne Baxterwas capable of making. After several notable TV appearances, Anne became a staple of two television series, EAST OF EDEN and HOTEL. Her final moment before the public eye was as Irene Adler in the TV movie, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MASKS OF DEATH (1984). On December 12, 1985, Anne died of a stroke in New York. Anne Baxterwas 62.