Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 363

 

We are down to the last three posts of the year, and once again I am digging into the Ann Dvorak vaults for some unique content.

Ann only appeared in one show on Broadway, 1948’s The Respectful Prostitute by John Paul Sartre. She did n0t originate the role, that honor goes to Meg Mundy, whom Ann replaced, but Dvorak got good notices and the run which lasted over two months was a positive experience. Unfortunately, Ann’s next engagement, People Like Us, fell apart in the road show stage and the experience was so traumatic that Ann swore off live theatre permanently.

Ann had actually had the opportunity to make her Broadway debut in Inner Silence opposite her husband, Leslie Fenton. The offer cam on the heels of Ann’s failed legal battles with Warner Bros., and the studio was not about to reward her with time off for Broadway. The play did not move forward at the time, but was reworked by author Elmer Harris and staged in 1940 under the new title Johnny Belinda. Sounds like something else to put in the Ann Dvorak missed opportunities file!

The first two photos of this post you may recognize from Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel. The top photo of Ann on stage came from her storage unit, and is one of my personal favorites. The image of the theatre is actually a 4×5″ negative from my collection, and I still cannot believe how beautifully the scan came out.

The next two photos were also from Ann’s storage unit, though this last one was an eBay purchase. Overall, I think it’s pretty amazing to have so many photos from Ann’s one and only Broadway appearance.