Editing Cornel Wilde (section)

==Career==
===Theatre===
After studying at Theodora Irvine's Studio of the Theatre, Wilde began appearing in plays in stock and in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 1935 in ''Moon Over Mulberry Street''. He also appeared in ''Love Is Not So Simple'', ''Daughters of Etreus'', and ''[[Having Wonderful Time]]''.

He did the illustrations for ''Fencing'', a 1936 textbook on fencing<ref>{{cite news |date=October 1, 1947 |title=Cornel Wilde adds new skill |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |id={{ProQuest|151896525}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> and wrote a fencing play, ''Touché'', under the pseudonym of Clark Wales in 1937.<ref name="ReferenceA">Ingram, Frances ''Cornel Wilde: Gentle Swashbuckler'', Classic Images, February 5, 2009</ref> He toured with [[Tallulah Bankhead]] in a production of ''Antony and Cleopatra''; during the run he married his co-star Patricia Knight.

Acting jobs were sporadic over the next few years. Wilde supplemented his income with exhibition fencing matches; his wife also did modelling work. Wilde wrote plays, some of which were performed by the New York Drama Guild.<ref>{{cite news |last=Masters, M. |date=December 23, 1945 |title=Cornel Wilde strong on psychological drama |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Wilde was hired as a fencing teacher by [[Laurence Olivier]] for his 1940 Broadway production of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' and was given the role of Tybalt in the production. Although the show had only a small run, his performance in this role netted him a Hollywood film contract with [[Warner Bros]].<ref name="ReferenceA" />

===Films===

Wilde had an uncredited bit part in ''[[Lady with Red Hair]]'' (1940), then got a small part in ''[[High Sierra (film)|High Sierra]]'' (1941), which included a scene with [[Humphrey Bogart]]. He also had small roles in ''[[Knockout (1941 film)|Knockout]]'' (1941) and ''[[Kisses for Breakfast (film)|Kisses for Breakfast]]'' (1941).<ref>{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |date=September 19, 1954 |title=That Wilde Man |page=V30 |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune}}</ref>

Signed by [[20th Century Fox]], he got above-title billing in ''[[The Perfect Snob]]'' (1941); studio publicity falsely claimed it was his first film.<ref name="latobit" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/26862|title=The Perfect Snob|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> It was followed by a war movie ''[[Manila Calling]]'' (1942).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/27339|title=Manila Calling|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> He was the romantic male lead in ''[[Life Begins at Eight-Thirty]]'' (1942), supporting [[Monty Woolley]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/27312|title=Life Begins at Eight-Thirty|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> and supported [[Sonja Henie]] in ''[[Wintertime (film)|Wintertime]]'' (1943).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/765|title=Wintertime|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>

In 1945, [[Columbia Pictures]] began a search for someone to play the role of [[Frédéric Chopin]] in ''[[A Song to Remember]]''. They eventually tested Wilde, and agreed to cast him in the role after some negotiation with Fox, who agreed to lend him to Columbia and one film a year for several years. Part of the deal involved Fox borrowing [[Alexander Knox]] from Columbia to appear in ''Wilson'' (1944).<ref>{{cite news |last=Challert |first=Edwin |date=December 3, 1943 |title=Drama And Film |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |id={{ProQuest|165466539}}}}{{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> ''A Song to Remember'' was a big hit, made Wilde a star and earned him a nomination for an [[Academy Award for Best Actor]].<ref name="nytobit" />

Columbia promptly used him in two more films, both swashbucklers: as [[Aladdin]] in ''[[A Thousand and One Nights (1945 film)|A Thousand and One Nights]]'' with [[Evelyn Keyes]]<ref>{{cite news |date=July 13, 1945 |title=Cornel Wilde, Evelyn Keyes In New Technicolor Arabia |page=4 |newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]}}</ref> and as the son of [[Robin Hood]] in ''[[The Bandit of Sherwood Forest]]'' (made 1945, released 1946).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/24685|title=The Bandit of Sherwood Forest|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref>

Back at Fox, he played the male lead in ''[[Leave Her to Heaven]]'' (1945), with [[Gene Tierney]] and [[Jeanne Crain]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/24478|title=Leave Her to Heaven|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref> an enormous hit at the box office.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Geoff |date=25 September 2012 |title=DVD: Leave Her to Heaven |work=[[The Arts Desk]] |url=https://theartsdesk.com/film/dvd-leave-her-heaven |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> ''Bandit'' was also a big hit when it was released.

In 1946, Wilde was voted the 18th-most popular star in the United States, and in 1947 the 25th-.<ref>{{cite news |last=Richard L. Coe |date=January 3, 1948 |title=Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Crown |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Fox announced him for ''Enchanted Voyage''.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 27, 1945 |title=News of the Screen |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107254401}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> It ended up not being made; instead he was reunited with Crain in Fox's musical ''[[Centennial Summer]]'' (1946).

In January 1946, Wilde was suspended by Fox for refusing the male lead in ''[[Margie (1946 film)|Margie]]'' (1946).<ref>{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |date=January 11, 1946 |title=Studio suspends Cornel Wilde |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |id={{ProQuest|165657309}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> This suspension was soon lifted so Wilde could play the male lead in the studio's big budget version of ''[[Forever Amber (film)|Forever Amber]]'' (1947).<ref name="afiamber">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25169|title=Forever Amber|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref>{{efn|The budget was estimated as over $3,000,000.<ref name="afiamber" />}} Filming started, then was halted when the studio decided to replace [[Peggy Cummins]], the female star. In October 1946, Wilde refused to return to work unless he was paid more; his salary was $3,000 a week, with six years to run – he wanted $150,000 per film for two films per year.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 16, 1946 |title=Fox's 'Forever Amber' in trouble again as Cornel Wilde holds out for salary rise. |newspaper=The New York Times |id={{ProQuest|107755306}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref> The parties came to an agreement and filming resumed.<ref name="afiamber" /> Wilde also appeared with [[Maureen O'Hara]] in ''[[The Homestretch]]'' (1947).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25203|title=The Homestretch|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>

He was in a comedy at Columbia with [[Ginger Rogers]], ''[[It Had to Be You (1947 film)|It Had to Be You]]'' (1947).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/25215|title=It Had to Be You|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref> At Fox he turned down a role in ''[[That Lady in Ermine]]'' (1948). Not wanting to go on suspension again he agreed to make ''[[The Walls of Jericho (1948 film)|The Walls of Jericho]]'' (1948), from the same director as ''Leave Her to Heaven'' but less popular. ''[[Road House (1948 film)|Road House]]'' (1948), for Fox, was a highly regarded [[film noir]] and a decent-sized hit. He then left Fox, which he later regarded as a mistake.

===Freelance===
[[File:Cornel Wilde in The Greatest Show on Earth trailer 2.jpg|right|thumb |Wilde in ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (film)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' (1952) |alt=Frame from a film showing the torso of a bare-chested man standing on a circus trapeze; the man's arms are extended outwards from his body, and he's facing somewhat left of the camera.]]

At Columbia, Wilde was in ''[[Shockproof]]'' (1949), another noir, with his then-wife Patricia Knight. They appeared together in ''Western Wind'', a play at the Cape Playhouse.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 5, 1949 |title=Cornel Wilde from Hollywood |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |id={{ProQuest|508069729}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref>

Wilde starred opposite [[Simone Signoret]] in ''[[Swiss Tour]]'', aka ''Four Days' Leave'' (1949), a romantic comedy about American servicemen in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite book |last=David |first=Catherine |author-link=Catherine David (writer) |year=1993 |title=Simone Signoret |location=[[Woodstock, New York]] |url=https://archive.org/details/simonesignoret0000davi |url-access=registration |translator-last=Sampson|translator-first=Sally|publisher=[[Overlook Press]] |page=209 |isbn=0-87951-491-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bouchardeau |first=Huguette |author-link=Huguette Bouchardeau |year=2005 |title=Simone Signoret: Biographie |language=French |location=Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/simonesignoretbi0000bouc |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Groupe Flammarion|Flammarion]] |page=269 |isbn=2-08-068749-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Monserrat |first=Joëlle |year=1983 |title=Simone Signoret |language=French |location=Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9782853361934 |url-access=registration |publisher=PAC |pages=308-309, 349-350 |isbn=9782853361934}}</ref> He returned to Fox for ''[[Two Flags West]]'' (1950),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/26542|title=Two Flags West|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> then went to RKO for ''[[At Sword's Point]]'' (filmed in 1949, but not released until 1952), a swashbuckler with Maureen O'Hara.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50400|title=At Sword's Point|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>

Cast in a leading role, he played a trapeze artist in ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (film)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' (1952) for [[Cecil B. de Mille]], an enormous ensemble cast hit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50496|title=The Greatest Show on Earth|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref><ref name="timesobit" />

At Columbia, he was in ''[[California Conquest]]'' (1952), a Western for producer [[Sam Katzman]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/53598|title=California Conquest|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> He went over to Warner Bros. for ''[[Operation Secret]]'' (1952),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50607|title=Operation Secret|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> then was back at Fox for ''[[Treasure of the Golden Condor]]'' (1952).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/05/23/archives/article-8-no-title-treasure-of-the-golden-condor-fox-technicolor.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | page=19 | title='Treasure of the Golden Condor,' Fox Technicolor Adventure Yarn, Opens at Globe |  last=H.H.T. | author-link=Howard Thompson (film critic) | date=23 May 1953 |url-access=subscription | access-date=4 May 2025}}</ref>

He focused on adventure stories: ''[[Saadia (film)|Saadia]]'' (1953) for MGM,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51000|title=Saadia|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> ''[[Star of India (film)|Star of India]]'' (1954) for United Artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/52014|title=Star of India|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> He had a part in the all-star executive drama ''[[Woman's World (1954 film)|Woman's World]]'' (1954) for Fox,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51407|title=Woman's World|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> then went back to action and adventure with ''[[Passion (1954 film)|Passion]]'' (1954) for RKO.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/53466|title=Passion|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>