Those viewers who are used to seeing Bing Crosby playing nonchalant, lighthearted song and dance men may be a bit surprised by his role in 1954's "The Country Girl." Here, in one of his grittiest roles--perhaps his grittiest--he plays a has-been, alcoholic song and dance man who is given the lead in a big Broadway production by director William Holden, while being propped up by his mysteriously motivated wife (a surprisingly dowdy Grace Kelly). As compared to other classic Hollywood films depicting alcoholism and its effects, "The Country Girl" is nowhere near as devastating as "The Days of Wine and Roses" ('62), as harrowing as "The Lost Weekend" ('45) or "I'll Cry Tomorrow" ('55), or as enjoyable to watch as "Smash-up, The Story of a Woman" ('47). Truth to tell, Crosby's problem in this film isn't so much dipsomania, but rather interpersonal dependence, a retreat from reality, a crushing weight of parental guilt, and uncertainty; in these respects, the film is more reminiscent of 1966's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" than any of the others just named. What "The Country Girl" really has going for it are a marvelously adult, Oscar-winning screenplay and remarkably fine acting from all three leads. This is largely a three-person film, with many superb scenes, that does betray its origins as a Clifford Odets play. Kelly DOES earn her Oscar here, in case you were wondering, although whether she was better than Judy Garland that year (herself playing the wife of an alky in "A Star Is Born") is another question. The film also features one of the most surprising kisses in screen history; you won't see THIS one coming, I promise you!
Review of The Country Girl
