Interview with Eleanor Parker

[Alejandra]

I found part of an interview with Eleanor Parker yesterday. Dick Dinman, of "DVD Classics of the Air" radio program had an interview with Eleanor Parker in september:

"ELEANOR PARKER'S FAVORITE (AND LEAST FAVORITE!) LEADING MAN : Three time Best Actress Oscar nominee Eleanor Parker's scores of leading men included Gable, Flynn (twice), Bogart, Sinatra (twice), Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Heston, MacMurray, and many others of equal prominence and she returns to the show to reveal to Dick Dinman her choice for favorite leading man (and to address rumors that they were intimately involved) and in blistering no-holds-barred terms reveals the identity of a leading male co-star she despised and why. In a surprise conclusion the subject of her ire tells Dick Dinman his side of the story."

You can find the show here:
http://laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/2009/09/eleanor-parker-radio-...

Regrettably I can't understand too much when she speaks about her favorite leading man... Could anyone please post the transcript of what Eleanor talked about him? Any help would be very appreciated!!!

[Linda Alexander]

Hi, all. You guys are sometimes SO far ahead of me ... these days, I'm working to catch up! I thought I'd posted this link back when I heard from Dick about it but obviously I didn't. My apologies--glad you found it.

First, Ms. Parker's favorite WAS Robert Taylor. She made no bones about that. She did say there was no intimate relationship between the two of them but as Dianne has so well indicated, that is more than likely to protect people. I do address this in my book & in fact, give Bob's own words about their relationship. If they weren't REAL close ... he was hallucinating. There is, you know, that ol' saying that a lady never tells.... ; >

As for her least favorite--Stewart Granger. I know little about him so will preface this w/that fact. I have been told by many, however, that he was a difficult individual & Bob Taylor was able to get along w/him simply because Taylor got along w/most everyone. Dick Dinman does, fairly, give Granger's POV of the issues between him & Eleanor Parker, so it's really up to listeners to decide for themselves.

I am a firm believer in that adage that, "There's your side, there's my side, & there's the truth," & that really fits the situations between Ms. Parker & Bob Taylor, & w/Stewart Granger.

[Alejandra]

I also found hard to believe that Bob wanted to date her when she was engaged to her next husband Paul Clemens. That was in 1954!

[Dianne]

Thanks for calling attention to this interview. I had to listen to it twice, as Ms. Parker at age 87 was somewhat difficult to understand. Her comments about Bob Taylor's excellent performance in "Above & Beyond" were very accurate, & she must have also liked him as a person to make 2 more movies with him (both very enjoyable, I thought). However, I doubt that there was no "intimate relationship" between them at some point. When they made their first 2 films together, both were single & "unengaged," as far as I know. By the time they started filming "Many Rivers to Cross," Bob had just married Ursula, who was on the set much of the time. I think Eleanor said what she did, about no romantic involvement between them, in order to protect the feelings of her family, and his.

[Alejandra]

Hi Bryan, check out "Robert Taylor on DVD":
http://roberttaylormoviestar.ning.com/forum/topics/873629:Topic:301?id=873629%3ATopic%3A301&page=2#comments

[Alejandra]

I hope it works this time...
EleanorParkerInterview.mp3

[Bryan Aherne]

Hi Alejandra, do you know which DVD's are being released as the RT box set?

[Alejandra]

I was not able to upload the audio file. It didn't work. Try again clicking on "Eleanor Parker: A Radio Interview" link from Laura's site.

In Dick Dinman words "She talks about her favorite leading man, Robert Taylor and the extraodinary chemistry they had in their three co-starring films. She discusses Above and Beyond, Robert Taylor and reveals, for the very first time, the truth about the rumours that she and Taylor were intimate friends, and she also tells us the identity of her very least favorite male co-star and the incredibly tension between them." Stewart Granger!
Besides the interview with Eleanor, Dick Dinman talks about the new Taylor 6-DVD Box Set released by Warner Bros sharing excerpts from the films.

I will try to upload the file again tomorrow.

[Alana]

I can't seem to get this interview. Would love to know who her favorite and least favorite are, though.