McGuire was born in Omaha, Nebraska,[2] the only child of Isabelle Flaherty McGuire and Thomas Johnson McGuire.[3] She made her stage debut at age 13 at the local community playhouse in Barrie's A Kiss for Cinderella. Her co-star was Henry Fonda, who was also born in Nebraska and was making a return visit to his home town after becoming a success on Broadway.[1]
McGuire was one of the most sought after models under Walter Thornton's management.[4] She appeared in summer stock at Deertrees, Maine, in 1937 before going to New York.
McGuire acted on radio, playing Sue in the serial Big Sister (1937) and took part in an experimental television broadcast, The Mysterious Mummy Case (1938). She was hired by producer Jed Harris to understudy the ingenue in a Broadway play, Stop Over (1938), which ran only 23 performances. McGuire was an understudy to Martha Scott in Our Town in 1938, eventually taking over Scott's role.
McGuire toured in My Dear Children opposite John Barrymore, and in 1939, was in a revue with Benny Goodman, Swingin' the Dream. She had a role in the short-lived Medicine Show (1940), and a part in the longer-running revival of Kind Lady (1940).
McGuire gained attention on Broadway when cast in the title role of the domestic comedy Claudia. It ran for 722 performances from 1941 to 1943. Brooks Atkinson wrote: "She gives a splendid performance of a part that would be irritating if it were played by a dull actress. She is personally genuine; the charm she radiates across the play is not merely theatrical mannerism."
Film
Brought to Hollywood by producer David O. Selznick (who called her "a born actress")[5] on the strength of her stage performance, McGuire starred in her first film, Claudia (1943), a movie adaptation of her Broadway success.[2] She portrayed a child bride who almost destroys her marriage through her selfishness. Selznick developed the project, which co-starred Robert Young, then sold it to 20th Century Fox; under this deal, Selznick would share McGuire's contract with Fox.[6]
At age 28, she played the mother in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), replacing Gene Tierney, who had become pregnant. Under the direction of Elia Kazan at 20th Century Fox, the film was a big success. So, too, was The Spiral Staircase (1946) in which McGuire played the lead role, a mute. It was originally prepared by Selznick, who envisioned Ingrid Bergman in the lead; Selznick sold the project to RKO along with the services for his producer Dore Schary.[8]
McGuire and Young made a third film together, Claudia and David (1946), a sequel to Claudia, which was less well received. Schary and RKO put her in Till the End of Time (also 1946), a hit with audiences.[7] She later said: "I fought the hardest for this role and it was my least successful. I went right back to playing nice girls and faithful wives. "[9]
She was offered the lead in Anna and the King of Siam (1946), but turned it down to go travelling with her family.[10]
McGuire was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Gentleman's Agreement (1947) directed by Kazan for Fox. The film was a surprise hit.[11]
Selznick announced a variety of films to star McGuire that were not made, including Dark Medallion,[12]A Doll's House[13]Wings of the Dove and Sands of Time.[14]
McGuire spent some time away from screens before returning in two movies for Fox, Mother Didn't Tell Me (1950) and Mister 880 (1950). Neither was particularly popular.
She made her TV debut in Robert Montgomery Presents, an adaptation of Dark Victory, with McGuire playing the Bette Davis role. Schary had become head of production at MGM, where McGuire appeared in Callaway Went Thataway (1951), which lost money. She did I Want You (1951) for Sam Goldwyn, then returned to Broadway for Legend of Lovers (1951–52), but it only had a short run.
McGuire returned to Broadway in Winesburg, Ohio (1958), which had a short run, then she played a wife and mother in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959) at Fox.
She returned to Disney with Swiss Family Robinson (1960), one of the most popular films of the year. She made a second film with Daves and Donahue, Susan Slade (1961), playing a mother who passed off her daughter's illegitimate child as her own. She was a mother in Disney's Summer Magic (1963).[1]
In 1982, she said, "I love my career, but I never felt much about it – about how to nurture it...It's been very erratic, after all ... To this day, I don't know what shapes a Hollywood career ... I was never a classic beauty. I had no image, so I found myself in a lot of things accidentally."[22]
Personal life and death
McGuire was married to Life magazine photographer John Swope for more than 35 years, with whom she had a son, photographer Mark Swope (1953–2016), and a daughter, actress Topo Swope (b. 1949).[3][23]
For her contribution to the motion-picture industry, Dorothy McGuire has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.[24]
^ abcdeDorothy McGuire Actress who was often cast as a mother and had the talent, but not the will, for stardom
The Daily Telegraph 18 Sep 2001: 29.
^ abKatz, Ephraim (1979). The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume. Perigee Books. ISBN0-399-50601-2. pp. 755–756.
^SELZNICK ASSETS ACQUIRED BY FOX: Latter Buys Rights to 'Keys of the Kingdom,' 'Claudia' and Script of 'Jane Eyre' PLAYERS' SERVICES IN DEAL Joan Fontaine and Dorothy McGuire Included -- Many Contracts Involved
New York Times 16 Nov 1942: 15.
^ abRichard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016
^'DARK MEDALLION' SOLD TO SELZNICK: Ethel Barrymore and Dorothy McGuire Expected to Star in Film of Langley Novel Plans Arthurian Picture Of Local Origin
Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES 11 Nov 1946: 50.
^SELZNICK TO FILM A STORY BY IBSEN: Planning to Do 'Doll's House,' With Dorothy McGuire – Clears Foreign Rights
By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES 22 Apr 1947: 34.
^SELZNICK TO FILM VICKI BAUM STORY: ' Sands of Time' to Have Cary Grant and Dorothy McGuire in the Leading Roles
By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES 28 Jan 1947: 27.
