Curio: Warren Beatty, Young Lover
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 8:00AM 
Alexa here. When Annette Bening gave a shout-out to husband Warren Beatty's 1962 Golden Globe win in her acceptance speech, I was reminded of this 1962 Movieland magazine of mine. The issue means to cover Hollywood's "hot new crop of young lovers," and features Beatty, fresh off his Globe win and still under Elia Kazan's tutelage, on its cover. (A must-read is this recent New Yorker piece on Kazan, but I digress.) The issue also covers Troy Donahue, Dick Beymer, Gardner McKay, Horst Buchholz and George Maharis, so clearly Beatty was the right choice for the cover. The section devoted to him, excerpted below, is hilarious in its critique of his acting and its predictions for his future.
The handsomest of Today's YOUNG LOVERS and the one who's garnering most of the critical acclaim and column mentions: Warren Beatty. Many of those admirers have likened Beatty to James Dean. But apart from a few minor mannerisms (burying his hands in his pockets, peering intently through his glasses, standing stoop-shouldered) that lots of young men exhibit, the comparison is unjustified. A better parallel, for some remarkable coincidences, is Marlon Brando.
After a few roles on television and a little summer stock, Warren Beatty appeared in the short-lived New York play, "A Loss of Roses." But the experience was no loss to him: He got fine notices and the play's author, William Inge, was much impressed with him. Inge, who had written a screenplay called "Splendor in the Grass," introduced the young actor to the man who was to direct the film, Elia Kazan. And here's the first Brando link: Acting Style.
Will they still be around ten, twenty, thirty years from now?
As everyone has known, lo! these many years, Brando's first big click was in the theater, in the play, " A Streetcar Named Desire" - directed by, of course, Elia Kazan. At that time, Kazan was still very involved with the Actor's Studio as a director; so was Brando, as star student. In those days, Kazan was young Brando's mentor and the same influence is apparent in Beatty now. Which brings up my only criticism of him: A product of Northwestern's School of Speech, and Stella Adler's acting school in New York, he is closer to being that which he vehemently denies being - a "method" actor.
Warren Beatty is a good actor. But he will be finer when he re-fines some of his "methodisms." Such as the too-studied movements - just rising from a chair, he spills "soul" all over. And the too-deliberate reactions - his slow smile comes muscle by muscle by muscle. Beatty is under personal contract to Kazan for four more films so his method acting may get stronger before it gets better. Yet better it will get - anyone who comes under the remarkable power of Kazan cannot help but grow into a remarkable performer.
Finally, like Brando, the first of the method actors to light up the flicks, Beatty has that which elicits sighs from ladies in the audience: A pure, unadulterated animal magnetism. Translated, that means sex appeal. (Side comment: I asked a junior staff member on MOVIELAND and TV TIME for her reaction to W.B. Her succinct reply was, "Wow!"). Again, like Brando, Beatty's effect from all reports is just as magnetic off-screen. Which is the true test of every great on-screen lover.
Curio, Elia Kazan, Warren Beatty, magazines
Reader Comments (5)
YAY a Beatty moment. That was so adorable on Sunday when The Bening went there. She seemed so proud of herself too, like she was teasing him.
A BEATTY CONTEST COMING SOON!
Oh. My. GOODNESS.
The single-word reaction "wow" is classic. "He's a five-alarmer, and there's no water!" would also have been acceptable.
hee. that article is really funny. I feel like the internet will ruin all these great historical records of what people thought of celebrities when they first arrived. First impressions are so fun with hindsight.
Warren and Natalie Wood were a Beautiful couple... I think he was an SOB then and is NOW....