Reunited: Abe and Mary in "Action!"

In 1938, the Broadway stage saw the debut of what would become a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Robert E. Sherwood, Abe Lincoln in Illinois. The three-act play focused on the famous President's life from childhood up to his final speech before heading off to the White House. A resounding success, it starred (somewhat controversially) Canadian actor Raymond Massey, seen here with on-stage wife Muriel Kirkland as Mary Todd.

Massey inhabited the part, not based on any extensive research into Abraham Lincoln, but rather using the script's characteristics in order to bring the man to life. Playwright Sherwood refused to sell the film rights to the play unless Massey was contracted to revisit the role on film. (Hilariously, Massey portrayed Lincoln a few times thereafter on stage, on film and on TV - even doing occasional personal appearances in costume - till George S. Kaufman remarked that he identified with the part so much that "Massey won't be satisfied until someone assassinates him!")

The real Mr. Lincoln.

Raymond Massey made up (with bump on his cheek) for Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), in which he was able to reprise his stage success. Though there is a certain resemblance, most notably in the tall, lanky frame, Massey had very dark eyes while Lincoln's were pale.

Though his Broadway costar Kirkland had appeared in a number of early-1930s movies, the role of Mary Todd did not go to her in the film. Instead, another actress made her "talkie" cinema debut in the part.

Essaying the role of future Mary Todd Lincoln was Miss Ruth Gordon! She'd done a few silent bits in 1915, but otherwise had not been seen on screen. The prolific stage actress had come to Massey's rescue in 1936 when he was in danger of losing the role of Ethan Frome opposite her because of his British-Canadian accent. She helped convince the powers that be to allow him time to shake it. In fact, her invitation to playwright Sherwood to see this play led him to think of Massey for his upcoming piece on Lincoln!

Ruth Gordon and Raymond Massey in the 1936 Broadway production of Ethan Frome. He was a towering 6'3" to her 5' even stature, but somehow they made it work.

The two became friends and thus enjoyed being reunited on Lincoln.

Gordon, who'd gotten her start as a lighthearted Lost Boy in Maude Adams' rendition of Peter Pan, was now portraying the driven, sometimes severe Mrs. Lincoln.

Costuming helped to put the illusion across, though the real deal was a bit more, shall we say, hearty...

Despite the play's success, the movie adaptation was a considerable box office fizzle. James Wong Howe's cinematography was Oscar-nominated (losing to Rebecca) and Massey was granted a Best Actor nomination, but James Stewart won that year for The Philadelphia Story. (Stewart had been beaten the prior year for his iconic work in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.)

One reason for the movie's lackluster performance could be that the year before it was released, John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln (with Henry Fonda in the lead) was a huge hit and so much of the material had already been covered at local movie houses.

Cut now to 1943. America is at war and Hollywood is turning out morale-boosting efforts one after another. Humphrey Bogart, fresh off the staggering popularity of Casablanca (1942) is headlining Action in the North Atlantic (1943), costarring Raymond Massey.

The two portray first mate (Bogart) and captain (Massey) of a merchant marine vessel transporting fuel.

In a dazzling opening sequence, a German U-boat torpedoes Massey's ship, creating a cataclysm of water and fire throughout.

Before long, it's clear that the only option is to abandon ship.

Surviving crew members begin lowering themselves in lifeboats.

Once they believe they are the last remaining men aboard, Bogart and Massey head to the last remaining boat, which is already being lowered. The actors had been discussing whose stunt double was the bravest and before it was all said and done...

...the two performers did their own leaps across to the lifelines, with fire licking the skies behind them!

The ship is sunk, but the Germans aren't done. They proceed to ram the lifeboat, too, causing the men to have to swim through fiery ocean water to a nearby raft. Here, they drift for eleven days! (These aren't necessarily "spoilers." All this takes place within the first half-hour of the film.)

After finally having been rescued after this harrowing ordeal, a gaunt Massey returns home for the first time in a while. There to greet him is his wife...

... li'l Miss Ruth Gordon!

The happy couple is elated to be once more in each others' arms. She is wearing fairly high heeled slingbacks and still struggles to reach her hubby's face.

Gordon is one of those people who seems never to have been young, but she does have an appealing, impish quality in her smile here. Both performers (born only months apart) were about 46 at this time.

I was struck by the peculiar was Gordon's hair was parted here (in what is really just an extended cameo despite her fifth billing.

Massey enjoys a hot, soapy bath...

...and then is tucked into bed by his adoring wife for a good long sleep.

The chemistry between these two performers is palpable and they share a couple of heartfelt kisses in the scene.

As a longtime lover of dogs in the movies, I was touched also by the scene of the family canine leaping over a fence, trotting up the stairs to get into Massey's room and finally taking his place under the bed to ensure that no further harm came to his master.

Massey is definitely not one of "my" actors, meaning I haven't ever felt particularly drawn to him nor intentionally followed his career. He seemed so often to be a sour, dour coot with the only variance from his frowning expression to be whatever makeup or costuming was applied. But he really was more than that in the final analysis. And his "type" was valuable in many movies.

This younger shot of him reveals a gentle handsomeness. Two of his children were performers in their own right, Daniel and Anna. One fascinating fact is that his real life divorce from their mother Adrianne Allen served as inspiration for the movie Adam's Rib (1949.) The Massey's ended up marrying his or her own divorce lawyers, who were themselves wed at to one another at the time! That last union continued up to his death of pneumonia in 1983 at age 86.

And who penned the script for Adam's Rib? None other than Ruth Gordon and her husband Garson Kanin! They were Oscar-nominated for their script, which tweaked the real life details of the situation to fit the pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The statuette went to Sunset Boulevard that year. It was one of several such collaborations the couple worked on.

The highly unique (no, Linda Hunt, you ain't her!) Gordon wasn't seen in another movie after Atlantic for more than 20 years. When she came back, though, she came back strong. After her part in The Loved One (1965) was snipped from the release print, she played Natalie Wood's mother in Inside Daisy Clover (1965) and was nominated for an Oscar (losing to Shelley Winters in A Patch of Blue.)

Then in 1968, she won the little gold man for her remarkable role in Rosemary's Baby. Her memorable acceptance speech included the hooty remark from the then-72 year old, "I can't tell ya how encouragin' a thing like this is." But it was. She proceeded to other memorable work including Harold and Maude (1971) and Every Which Way But Loose (1978.) Adored by her costars, she became close to Natalie Wood (seen at the 1966 Golden Globes in the lower right) and was Natasha Gregson Wagner's godmother. Gordon passed away of a stroke in 1985 at age 88, two days before Massey's birthday. All the connections I've mentioned between Raymond Massey and Ruth Gordon could be enough to end this post here, but there's still one more moment left!

In 1971, Gordon was the subject of the famous show This is Your Life, in which a celebrity is unexpectedly confronted with a career retrospective and a series of important guests. Massey, then 75 as was Gordon, was on hand to show his affection for his dear friend. Grinning from ear to ear the entire time, it was clear how much he utterly adored his diminutive pal. If you wish to view this program (which I recommend! I always love it), click here. Till next time!