The Romance of Rosy Ridge 1947 Directed by Roy Rowland MGM B/W Janet with Van Johnson Janet’s first movie. Her test went well and now the day of decision had dawned. But the word was on the set was that a more experienced actress, Beverly Tyler would probably get the part of Lissy Anne McBean. Janet was in the ladies room (she had an affinity for bathrooms) having a pity party when the studio executives went looking for her. They assured her that she really did have the role! But her smile at the news soon evaporated into tears when they told her to get ready to leave for 3 months on location near Santa Cruz. Sobbing, she explained “I can’t do the picture. I can’t afford to stay in a hotel or pay train fare”. In utter amazement, they explained that MGM would be picking up the tab for all expenses…including her salary! The film told the saga of the McBean family in post-Civil War Missouri and starred Van Johnson (who gave Jeanette Morrison her new name “Janet Leigh”), Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royal and Marshall Thompson. Before she finished the film Janet’s contract was renegotiated and her salary went from $50 a week to a whopping $150. Marmie and the girls! Little Women 1949 Directed by Mervyn LeRoy MGM Color   Producer/director LeRoy himself chose Janet to play Meg in this remake of the family classic. It was a stellar cast with Mary Astor as Marmie, June Allyson as Jo, Elizabeth Taylor as Amy, Margaret O’Brien as the fragile Beth and Peter Lawford as Laurie. This was Janet’s 4 th film but she was still the newcomer on the set with the exception of Rossano Brazzi making his film debut as the Professor. The girls acted just like girls on the set, giggling and talking about their beaus (except June who was married and expecting her first child). Janet was dating Arthur Loew, Jr. and Elizabeth was in the throes of an infatuation with Glenn Davis of the Los Angeles Rams. Liz was also complaining about the blonde wig she had to wear for the role. June Allyson cried so hard in the scene where Beth dies that she had to be sent home. She just couldn’t turn it off. Sad note: Sir C. Aubrey Smith, who played Laurie’s grandfather, died soon after making this film. He was 85. That Forsyte Woman 1949 Directed by Compton Bennett MGM Color Janet and Greer Garson Janet was cast as June Forsyte before she was done shooting “Little Women”. Errol Flynn and Greer Garson were the leads with Walter Pidgeon and Robert Young in the supporting cast. Janet found Errol to be “as beautiful as I could possibly have imagined” and when she saw him she recognized the Robin Hood, Captain Blood and Essex of her teenage dreams. But the hi-jinks on this set belonged wholly to the stars. In one scene, Greer is seen pressing her gown and wearing just the undergarments of the era. She opens the closet to put the gown away and the scene ends. But when the cameras were ready for the final take, Greer opens the closet and screams! Errol was in there wearing the underwear of the period…..Flynn style! But the Irish star was not one to pass on the chance to get even. The two had a tender love scene inside a carriage. In the final take, Greer pressed a button just as their lips met and Errol almost went through the roof. Shocking! Mitchum and Leigh Holiday Affair 1949 Directed by Don Hartman RKO B/W This was Janet’s first project for RKO. She loved the script, her co-star and the cast. But she hated the closer proximity to Howard Hughes, the studio head, who had been literally stalking her and the fact that MGM had loaned her to RKO for 4 pictures. When she was “invited” to meet with the “boss man” she very wisely took her Dad along. The movie is a breezy, romantic comedy just right for family Christmas viewing. Robert Mitchum was perfect for the role that allows him to temper his tough guy image with a touch of whimsy. But it made it more difficult for the advertising honchos who were unaccustomed to the softer, gentler Mitch. Finally they came up with the tagline “When Mitchum kisses ‘em, they hear bells…wedding bells!” It was about this time Janet found out she was being followed by a private detective. Howard Hughes got a visit from a very angry young lady! Angels in the Outfield 1951 Directed by Clarence Brown MGM B/W Janet and Donna Corcoran The movie was shot on location in Pittsburgh and the real Pittsburgh Pirates played the reel Pittsburgh Pirates. Janet learned the first day that it was impossible to walk across a baseball field in high heels as they sank into the soft turf with every step and she kept stepping out of her shoes. Home-run king Ralph Kiner picked Janet up and carried her to solid footing, making her the envy of all the Pirate fans. The cast included Paul Douglas (who had been a sports announcer before he became an actor), Keenan Wynn (who played a sports announcer in the movie), Spring Byington, and little Donna Corcoran as the little orphan who could see the angels. Donna proved to be a very capable little actress. As for the “angels” the Pirates really needed them off screen at the time. Love was in the air onscreen and off when Tony Curtis came to town. In fact it was the day and a half he spent with Janet in Pittsburgh that brought him to his knees…with a proposal. I always believed there was something romantic about the smog in my home town! Janet and Eleanor Parker Scaramouche 1952 Directed by George Sidney MGM Color Janet was making her first swashbuckler and Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer were doing the swashing. It had been done before as a silent movie in 1923 with Rex Ingram directing. The story was set during the French Revolution with Stewart playing a man who disguises himself as an actor to seek revenge on the evil marquis responsible for his best friend’s death. Ferrer is the Marquis and Janet is Aline caught between the two of them and worldly-wise Eleanor Parker as Lenore. Janet learned to ride sidesaddle the hard way in a costume with a very long full skirt. She also found out that some very personal feminine products came in handy as cushions between your sore knees and the rough contact with a horse’s hide! But nothing cushioned her nerves when her horse ran rampant and it took a long ten minutes before the trainer could catch up and help rein him in. On the home front, the newlyweds were happily entertaining in their new furnished one-bedroom apartment. The parties must have been very small! The Naked Spur 1953 Directed by Anthony Mann MGM Color Janet and Robert Ryan A new look…Janet got her hair cropped short and wore old pants and a shirt with almost no makeup. She got a new persona to go with it, too…no more naïve ingénue but a tough, unschooled and spirited gal, the kind of role she always wanted. And it was a real Western with a small cast of great actors. James Stewart, Robert Ryan, Millard Mitchell. Ralph Meeker and Janet Leigh…four men and one very feisty gal! It was shot on location near Durango, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains with rugged terrain and breathtaking scenery. Janet considered Jimmy Stewart a giant in the industry and she found him to be just as kind and considerate as everyone said he was as well. He often stayed on the set after his scenes were done to help out the other actors and crew. Tony was between pictures and he came out to be with Janet. They celebrated their first anniversary with the cast and crew. Tony also spent time on his painting, another one of his many talents. Janet and Tony as the Houdinis Houdini 1953 Directed by George Marshall Paramount Color Janet now had 20 films to her credit but this was the first one paired with husband Tony Curtis. It was a bio-pic, the story of magician Harry Houdini and his wife and partner, Bess. The script took liberties, of course, but overall it was very entertaining. It spanned 30 years of Houdini’s life and required the stars to “age” appropriately and the costumes also had to be designed to the changing eras. Janet and Tony had to familiarize themselves with the magic and illusions used by the pair and, to have their loyalty, they were initiated into the Magicians Society , honor-bound never to divulge the secrets they had learned. But accidents happened. Besides the usual bumps and bruises and Janet’s delicate stomach, Tony was burned severely over most of his body from being submerged too long in ice. My Sister Eileen 1955 Directed by Richard Quine Columbia Color Janet dances! Janet worked for a month with choreographer Bob Fosse before anyone else in the cast came on the set. Betty Scott was her “dance-in” for the more intricate footwork and also worked as Fosse’s assistant. A marvelous cast filled out the program…Betty Garrett, Jack Lemmon, Kurt Kasznar, Dick York and Tommy Rall. The original version made in 1942 starred Rosalind Russell and Janet Blair then went to Broadway as the stage musical “Wonderful Town”. But this version retained the storyline from the original film and added music created expressly for it by Jules Styne and Leo Robin. Janet followed it up with a stint on Edward R. Murrow’s “Person to Person” television show with Janet and hubby Tony Curtis showcasing thir home on Coldwater Canyon. Duke Wayne and Janet Jet Pilot 1957 Directed by Josef von Sternberg RKO Color Great cast…..poor script. Apparently Howard Hughes felt the name John Wayne would keep anything afloat. Janet started the picture in November, 1949 but by the time it was released (September 23 rd, 1957) the dialogue and even the equipment were obsolete. Hughes wanted Cary Grant but Cary’s schedule was in conflict with the starting date ( I bet he thanked his lucky stars). John Wayne, his second choice, wasn’t so lucky. Hughes expected this film to surpass his classic ”Hell’s Angels” (1930) so no expense was spared. Josef von Sternberg was the director from Hell and Janet admits she used her first four-letter words on the set. When she asked Duke Wayne how he kept his cool, he replied “Janet, if I ever turn loose…I’d kill the S.O.B.”. Janet played a Russian flyer/spy to Duke’s flyer/counterspy. He convinces her that his way is the only way. But, in my opinion, the best way was out of the theater! However, the movie did make money probably due to the faithfulness of die-hard Duke Wayne fans and Janet’s friends. Touch of Evil 1958 Directed by Orson Welles Universal B/W Orson Welles and Janet In the beginning Orson Welles was given a free hand with the script, the casting and last, but not least, the editing. Janet, Charlton Heston, Akim Tamiroff and Joseph Calleia were all involved in the pre-rehearsals with Orson and she was utterly fascinated with the way he worked. But later the studio took Welles off the editing, rejected his memos on changes and produced a cut version of the film (!08 minutes were cut to 93 minutes). It became just a routine thriller with none of the flashes of genius expected in a film by Orson Welles. Janet’s performance got critical acclaim and the cameos Orson persuaded his friends to do (Joseph Cotten, Marlene Dietrich, Mercedes McCambridge) were bright spots in the otherwise mundane film. But today, thanks to independent producer Rick Schmidlin who found the original 108 minute version in 1970 and implemented all of Orson’s editing suggestions, the revised copy is now out on DVD. Note: just before the end of the film, Janet broke her arm. During a tussle with “robber” Jess White, he stumbled and fell on her. It required some odd positioning and camera angles to disguise it. Janet with John Gavin Psycho 1960 Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Paramount B/W Hitchcock sent Janet the novel “Psycho” by Robert Bloch and an invitation to tea! But it wasn’t all tea and crumpets. He wanted her for the role of marion Crane, a small but very integral part in the unforgettable thriller he was planning based on the book. (Robert Bloch received a paltry $750 advance for the story and only $9, 000 for the movie rights). The book itself was based on a true life case of heinous murders committed in Plainfield, Wisconsin by a handyman Ed Gein in 1957. Hitchcock completed the cast with Anthony Perkins as the “peculiar” young man who ran the motel (12 cabins…12 vacancies …and 12 showers!), John Gavin, Vera Miles and Martin Balsam with a fine complement of supporting actors. To get the proper responses from Janet, Hitchcock would try to scare her suddenly just to hear her scream….like putting the mother’s corpse” in her dressing room when she wasn’t looking. The tenor of her scream would let Hitchcock know how the props were working! Janet spent 7 drenching days in the shower for a scene that lasted only 25 seconds. While she appeared nude, she was really wearing a flesh colored moleskin bodysuit. However, after about 6 days it was beginning to melt. Janet won a Golden Globe for her performance but narrowly missed getting the Oscar. The Manchurian Candidate 1962 Directed by John Frankenheimer United Artists B/W James Gregory and Angela Lansbury Janet considered her role as Rosie Chaney in this film to be one of her most difficult, not in length but in content. The storyline took the audience into the world of political intrigue and mental manipulation. The cast included such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury in one of her most powerful roles. The supporting players included James Gregory, Henry Silva and John McGiver. But the movie wasn’t the only difficult role for Janet. Things at home between her and Tony seemed to be coming apart. As Janet said in her autobiography: “Our sun together was setting on the horizon.” Janet as Rosie De Leon Bye Bye Birdie 1963 Directed by George Sidney Columbia Color Dick Van Dyke was signed to recreate his sensational role on Broadway but Janet was to take Chita Rivera’s part….another Rosie. She would have to transpose her Danish heritage into a Latin firecracker in a black wig! Again she had to work with a choreographer before the scheduled start of filming …long days on an almost empty stage. But soon the “gypsies” arrived…those wonderful dancers who did the big production numbers. And then the cast…Maureen Stapleton, Paul Lynde, Ann-Margret, Bobby Rydell and, of course the multi-talented Dick Van Dyke. It was a very happy set. But at home, things had come to a head. Tony asked for a divorce and Janet was dreading the task of telling the girls. More Notes: Janet Leigh was “watered down” many times. Count “em! . In “Living It Up” (1954) she ended up in a river with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. . “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (1955) had her pushed into a fountain by Jack Webb. . The Russian spy she played in “Jet Pilot” (1957) needed a shower before she faced big John Wayne. . It was wine, not water, that the gal fell into when she made “Perfect Furlough” (1959) with the bath to come later. . In “Pepe” (1960) she luxuriated in a sunken tub full of bubbles.