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The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.

Events[link]

• January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
• February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City).
• March 27 - The MGM musical Singin' in the Rain premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
• September 30 - The Cinerama widescreen system, invented by Fred Waller, debuts with the film This Is Cinerama.
• November 27 - Bwana Devil, the first American, feature-length, color 3-D film, is released, and begins the demand for 3-D films that lasts for the next two years.
• May Britt debuts in Jolanda la figlia del corsaro nero (Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair)

Top grossing films (U.S.)[link]

Awards[link]

Academy Awards:

Best Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth - DeMille, Paramount

Best Director: John Ford - The Quiet Man

Best Actor: Gary Cooper - High Noon

Best Actress: Shirley Booth - Come Back, Little Sheba

Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Quinn - Viva Zapata!

Best Supporting Actress: Gloria Grahame - The Bad and the Beautiful

Golden Globe Awards:

Drama:

Best Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth

Best Actor: Gary Cooper - High Noon

Best Actress: Shirley Booth - Come Back, Little Sheba

Musical or comedy:

Best Picture: With a Song in My Heart

Best Actor: Donald O'Connor - Singin' in the Rain

Best Actress: Susan Hayward - With a Song in My Heart

Supporting Role:

Best Supporting Actor: Millard Mitchell - My Six Convicts

Best Supporting Actress: Katy Jurado - High Noon

Other

Best Director: Cecil B. DeMille - The Greatest Show on Earth

Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival):

The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice, directed by Orson Welles, United States

Two Cents Worth of Hope (Due soldi di speranza), directed by Renato Castellani, Italy

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):

Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits), directed by René Clément, France

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):

Hon dansade en sommar (One Summer of Happiness), directed by Arne Mattsson, Sweden

Films released in 1952[link]

U.S.A. unless stated

• 5 Fingers, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring James Mason

A

• Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
• Above and Beyond
• Affair in Trinidad, starring Rita Hayworth
• Against All Flags
• Alraune, starring Hildegard Knef and Erich von Stroheim - (Germany)
• Androcles and the Lion
• Angel Face, starring Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons
• Angels One Five, starring Jack Hawkins - (U.K.)
• April 1, 2000 - (Austria)
• The Atomic City, a thriller starring Gene Barry and Lydia Clarke

B

• The Bad and the Beautiful, starring Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan and Gloria Grahame
• Because You're Mine
• Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla starring Bela Lugosi
• The Belle of New York, starring Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen
• Les Belles de nuit, directed by René Clair - (France)
• Bend of the River, starring James Stewart
• The Big Sky
• The Big Trees, starring Kirk Douglas
• The Black Castle starring Stephen McNally, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney, Jr.
• Blackbeard the Pirate, starring Robert Newton
• Brandy for the Parson - (U.K.)
• Brave Warrior
• Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory

C-D

• Captive Women
• The Card - (U.K.)
• Carrie, starring Laurence Olivier, Jennifer Jones and Miriam Hopkins
• Carson City, starring Randolph Scott
• Casque d'or (Golden Helmet), directed by Jacques Becker, starring Simone Signoret - (France)
• Children of Hiroshima - (Japan)
• Ciguli Miguli - (Yugoslavia)
• Clash by Night, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan and Marilyn Monroe
• Come Back, Little Sheba, starring Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth
• The Crimson Pirate, starring Burt Lancaster
• Derby Day, starring Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding - (U.K.)
• Diplomatic Courier, directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Tyrone Power
• Don't Bother to Knock, starring Richard Widmark and Marilyn Monroe
• Down Among the Z Men, starring The Goons - (U.K.)

E-F

• Europa '51, directed by Roberto Rossellini, starring Ingrid Bergman - (Italy)
• Fanfan la Tulipe - (France)
• Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice ( Ochazuke no aji), directed by Yasujiro Ozu - (Japan)
• Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits), directed by Rene Clement - winner of Oscar for best foreign language film - (France)

G-H

• The Golden Coach (Le Carrosse d'or), directed by Jean Renoir, starring Anna Magnani - (France/Italy)
• The Greatest Show on Earth, starring Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Gloria Grahame, Dorothy Lamour and James Stewart
• Hangman's Knot
• Hans Christian Andersen, starring Danny Kaye and Farley Granger
• The Happy Family, directed by Muriel Box, starring Stanley Holloway and Kathleen Harrison - (U.K.)
• The Happy Time, starring Charles Boyer and Bobby Driscoll
• Has Anybody Seen My Gal?, starring Piper Laurie, Rock Hudson and Charles Coburn
• Hiawatha
• High Noon, directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Gary Cooper (Oscar for best actor) and Grace Kelly
• Hunted, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Dirk Bogarde and Jon Whiteley - (U.K.)

I-J

• Ikiru (To Live), directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Takashi Shimura - winner of Golden Bear - (Japan)
• The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Michael Redgrave - (U.K.)
• Indian Uprising
• Invasion U.S.A.
• Ivanhoe, starring Robert Taylor, Joan Fontaine and Elizabeth Taylor
• Jack and the Beanstalk, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
• Japanese War Bride
• The Jazz Singer, starring Danny Thomas
• Jolanda la figlia del corsaro nero - (Italy)
• Jumping Jacks, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

K-L

• Kansas City Confidential
• Kid Monk Baroni, starring Leonard Nimoy
• The Life of Oharu (Saikaku ichidai onna), directed by Kenji Mizoguchi - (Japan)
• Lightning, directed by Mikio Naruse - (Japan)
• Limelight, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin with Claire Bloom
• Lost in Alaska, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
• The Lusty Men, starring Robert Mitchum

M

• Mandy - (U.K.)
• The Marrying Kind, starring Judy Holliday
• The Member of the Wedding, starring Julie Harris
• The Merry Widow, starring Lana Turner
• Million Dollar Mermaid, starring Esther Williams and Victor Mature
• The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima
• Les Misérables
• Monkey Business, starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn and Marilyn Monroe
• Montana Belle, starring Jane Russell
• Moulin Rouge, starring José Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gabor - (U.K.)
• My Cousin Rachel, starring Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton
• My Six Convicts
• My Son John, starring Robert Walker and Van Heflin

N-O

• The Narrow Margin, directed by Richard Fleischer
• Never Look Back directed by Francis Searle and starring Rosamund John (U.K.)
• No Greater Love (Herz der Welt) - (Germany)
• O. Henry's Full House, an anthology film with an all-star cast
• On Dangerous Ground, starring Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan
• Othello (aka The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice), written, directed by and starring, Orson Welles
• Outcast of the Islands, directed by Carol Reed, starring Ralph Richardson and Trevor Howard - (U.K.)

P-Q

• Pat and Mike, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn
• Phone Call from a Stranger
• The Pickwick Papers - (U.K.)
• Le Plaisir, directed by Max Ophuls, starring Claude Dauphin - (France)
• The Pride of St. Louis, starring Dan Dailey
• The Prisoner of Zenda
• The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara

R

• Rancho Notorious, starring Marlene Dietrich
• Red Ball Express
• Red Planet Mars
• Road to Bali, starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
• Rome 11:00 - (Italy)
• Ruby Gentry

S

• Sailor Beware, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
• Sangdil, starring Dilip Kumar - (India)
• The Savage, starring Charlton Heston
• Scandal Sheet, starring Broderick Crawford and Donna Reed
• Scaramouche, starring Stewart Granger and Janet Leigh
• The Scarlet Flower - (U.S.S.R.)
• Secrets of Women, starring Eva Dahlbeck - (Sweden)
• Siempre tuya (Forever Yours) - (Mexico)
• Singin' in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor
• The Sniper
• The Snows of Kilimanjaro, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner
• Son of Paleface, starring Bob Hope, Jane Russell and Roy Rogers
• The Sound Barrier, directed by David Lean, starring Ralph Richardson - (U.K.)
• The Star, starring Bette Davis
• The Stooge, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
• The Story of Will Rogers, starring Will Rogers Jr and Jane Wyman
• Sudden Fear, starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame

T-V

• The Thief, starring Ray Milland
• This is Cinerama
• Trent's Last Case, starring Orson Welles and Michael Wilding - (U.K.)
• Two Cents Worth of Hope (Due soldi di speranza) - (Italy)
• Umberto D., directed by Vittorio De Sica - (Italy)
• La villa Santo-Sospir, short film directed by Jean Cocteau - (France)
• Viva Zapata!, starring Marlon Brando and Jean Peters

W-Z

• We're Not Married!, starring Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Eve Arden, Paul Douglas, Eddie Bracken, Mitzi Gaynor, Louis Calhern and Zsa Zsa Gabor
• The White Reindeer (Valkoinen peura) - (Finland)
• The White Sheik (Lo sceicco bianco), directed by Federico Fellini - (Italy)
• Who Goes There! - (U.K.)
• Wings of Danger, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Zachary Scott (U.K.)
• With a Song in My Heart, starring Susan Hayward
• A Woman Without Love (Una mujer sin amor), directed by Luis Buñuel - (Mexico)
• The World in His Arms

Serials[link]

• Blackhawk, starring Kirk Alyn
• King of the Congo, starring Buster Crabbe
• Radar Men from the Moon, starring George D. Wallace and Aline Towne
• Son of Geronimo starring Clayton Moore
• Zombies of the Stratosphere, starring Judd Holdren

Short film series[link]

• Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
• Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
• Terrytoons (1930–1964)
• Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
• Popeye (1933–1957)
• The Three Stooges (1934–1959)
• Donald Duck (1936)-(1956)
• Goofy (1939–1953)
• Tom and Jerry (1940–1958)
• Bugs Bunny (1940–1962)
• Mighty Mouse (1942–1955)
• Chip and Dale (1943–1956)
• Droopy (1943–1958)
• Yosemite Sam (1945–1963)

Births[link]

• February 12 - Simon MacCorkindale, English actor (died 2010)
• March 19 - Harvey Weinstein, American producer
• April 1 - Annette O'Toole, American actress
• April 6 - Marilu Henner, American actress
• April 15 - Glenn Shadix, American actor (died 2010)
• April 28 - Mary McDonnell, American actress
• May 6 - Gregg Henry, American actor & musician
• May 11 - Frances Fisher, British-born American actress
• May 14 - Robert Zemeckis, American director
• June 7 - Liam Neeson, Northern Irish actor
• June 18 - Isabella Rossellini, Italian actress
• June 20 - John Goodman, American actor
• July 1 - Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor & comedian
• July 15 - Terry O'Quinn, American actor
• July 24 - Gus Van Sant, American director
• August 10 - Daniel Hugh Kelly, American actor
• August 18 - Patrick Swayze, American actor & dancer (died 2009)
• August 26 - Michael Jeter, American actor (died 2003)
• September 16 - Mickey Rourke, American actor
• September 24 - Christopher Reeve, American actor (died 2004)
• October 22 - Jeff Goldblum, American actor
• October 28 - Annie Potts, American actress
• November 8 - Alfre Woodard, American actress
• December 12 - Sarah Douglas, English actress
• December 20 - Jenny Agutter, English actress

Deaths[link]

• January 18 - Curly Howard, comedian, The Three Stooges (born 1903)
• April 21 - Leslie Banks, actor (born 1890)
• May 21 - John Garfield, actor (born 1913)
• July 6 - Gertrud Wolle, actress (born 1891)
• October 17 - Julia Dean, stage and screen actress (born 1878)
• October 23 - Susan Peters, actress (born 1921)
• October 26 - Hattie McDaniel, African American actress best known as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (born 1895)

Film Debuts[link]

• Anne Bancroft
• Brigitte Bardot
• Julie Harris
• Leonard Nimoy

See also[link]

• Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson

Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar,^[1] commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan (1 October 1927 – 21 July 2001),^[1][2][3] was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century^[4] and was one of the most respected film actors in India.^[5] He was well known for his versatility and acting skills with numerous roles depicted on screen.^[6] He progressed from a stage actor since his childhood to the filmdom with such an authority that the Tamil cinema considered as the golden era. In a career spanning close to five decades he has acted in nearly 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.^[7]

Ganesan was the first Indian film actor to win a "Best Actor" award in an International film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt in 1960. Many leading South Indian film actors have stated that their acting was influenced by Ganesan.^[8][9][10] He was also the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.^[11]

Ganesan is remembered as the iconic figure of Tamil cinema.^[12][13] He is referred to as "The Marlon Brando of Indian Cinema".^[14][15] From Parasakthi onwards, he has won the President's Award for more than 12 times.^[16] During end of his career, Ganesan was conferred the highest and the most prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema in 1997.^[17][18] In spite of his celebrated film career, his short stint in politics became a futile attempt.^[19]

Early life[link]

Ganesan was born on October 1, 1928^[1][2][3] to Chinnaiya Manrayar and Rajamani in a Tamil middle-class Kallar family in Villupuram. His ancestors were from a village called Surakottai in the Thanjavur District.^[20] His father was arrested on the day Ganesan was born for taking part in an anti-British campaign in Viluppuram.^[1][21]

Ganesan's inspiration for acting was inborn; when he got a chance to act on stage for a touring drama company he took it without his father's consent at the age of seven.^[7] At the age of 10, he moved to Tiruchirappalli and joined a drama troupe in Sangiliyandapuram and began to perform in stage plays.^[22] From the drama troupe trainers he was very lucky enough to learn acting and dancing skills. He was trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Manipuri.

Ganesan was an intellectual boy who could remember lengthy lines easily and could present them to the audience brilliantly with perfection. This made him hero of the troupe in the long run. His outstanding portrayal of the character of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the stage play Shivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam earned him the title "Sivaji"^[7] which was conferred on him at a public function presided over by E. V. Ramasamy, a social reformer. Since then, he was referred by the name "Sivaji".^[23]

Film career[link]

Early career: 1952–1959[link]

Ganesan and C. N. Annadurai in the play Sivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam in Chennai in 1945

Two factors can be attributed the entry of Ganesan into films: The principal artists in Tamil films during the 1940s and 1950s were Telugus, whose acting was not matched by their dialogue delivery in Tamil. (In fact, Sivaji Ganesan lent his voice to Mukkamala Krishna Murthy, a Telugu actor, for a Tamil film, Niraparathi. The film was well-received by the Tamil audience.) Secondly, the 1950s saw the growth of the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu, under the leadership of C. N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi. Their transformation of language skills to films through script writing, ensured their instant acceptance.^[19] Gansesan's entry in to films at this stage of popularity was easy and inevitable, and he could establish himself in a better position.

Ganesan made his acting debut in the 1952 Tamil film Parasakthi, co-starring actress Pandari Bai.^[24] The script was written by the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi.^[23][24][25] Since actors who are well-trained in classical dance can effectively showcase expressions called Nava Rasa on their faces, Ganesan went on to become one of the popular actors in Tamil cinema in the 1950s. His unique voice had a greater appeal. His style of dialogue delivery with a long spell of dialogues — like a poetry recitation with much clarity — earned him critical recognition.

Andha Naal (1954) was a trendsetter in Tamil cinema because it had no songs^[26] and Ganesan played an anti-hero. The film won the president's silver medal the following year. The same year he co-starred with his rival M. G. Ramachandran in Koondukkili where he played the antagonist.^[27]

Donning versatile roles: 1959–1964[link]

His role in the film Veerapaandiya Kattabomman won him the Best Actor Award at the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in March 1960 at Cairo.^[23][28] Incidentally, Ganesan was also the first Indian actor to get an award for Best Actor abroad.^[29] He has worked with many actresses, including Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, Pandaribai, Vyjayanthimala, Savithri, Padmini, Devika, B. Sarojadevi, K. R. Vijaya, Vanisri and J. Jayalalitha of his time. He also co-starred with other actors such as Gemini Ganesan, S.S.Rajendran, Muthuraman, M. R. Radha and S. V. Ranga Rao in numerous films in which he played the main lead.

1965–1969[link]

His portrayal of Lord Shiva in the movie Thiruvilayadal won him lot of accolades.^[30][31] In the film Navarathiri (1964), Ganesan played nine different roles that represented the nine emotional states of a person.^[32] Sanjeev Kumar and Akkineni Nageswara Rao were inspired by this film and reprised the nine roles in Naya Din Nayi Raat in 1974 and Navarathri in 1966 respectively.^[23] Ganesan could strike a balance between commercial cinema, Mythological cinema and experimental cinema. His epical portrayals in films like Thiruvilayaadal, Thiruvarutselvar, Saraswati Sabatham, Harichandran, Thirumal Perumai, Karnan and Thillana Mohanambal won him critical acclaim.^[33] He played a variety of roles such as freedom fighters like Kappalottiya Thamizhan,^[30] Vanchinathan, Tiruppur Kumaran, Bhagat Singh^[23] and epic characters like Harichandra, Karna, Bharatha, Narada, Appar, Nayanmars and Alwars.^[23] Spanning genres like epics to Crime thrillers; from romantic escapades to comic flicks and action flicks, Ganesan has spanned it all.