Editing Luise Rainer (section)

==Hollywood career==
===Early roles===
Rainer moved to Hollywood in 1935 as a hopeful new star.<ref name="Monush">Monush, Barry. ''Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors'', Hal Leonard Corp. (2003) p. 618</ref> Biographer [[Charles Higham (biographer)|Charles Higham]] notes that MGM studio head [[Louis B. Mayer]] and story editor [[Samuel Marx]] had seen footage of Rainer before she came to Hollywood, and both felt she had the looks, charm, and especially a "certain tender vulnerability" that Mayer admired in female stars.<ref name="Higham">[[Charles Higham (biographer)|Higham, Charles]]. ''Merchant of Dreams: Louis B. Mayer, M.G.M., and the Secret Hollywood'', Donald I. Fine, Inc. (1993)</ref> Because of her poor command of English, Mayer assigned actress [[Constance Collier]] to train her in correct speech and dramatic modulation, and Rainer's English improved rapidly.<ref name="Higham" />

Her first film role in Hollywood was in ''[[Escapade (1935 film)|Escapade]]'' (1935), a remake of one of her Austrian films, co-starring [[William Powell]].<ref name="Worsley">Worsley, Sue Dwiggins, and Ziarko, Charles. ''From Oz to E.T.: Wally Worsley's Half-century in Hollywood'', Scarecrow Press (1997) p. 16</ref> She received the part after [[Myrna Loy]] gave up her role halfway through filming.<ref name="Thomson" /> After seeing the preview, Rainer ran out of the cinema displeased with how she appeared: "On the screen, I looked so big and full of face, it was awful."<ref name="dietz">"Lady Puck Stirs a Tempest in Filmland" by Edith Dietz, ''[[The Oakland Tribune]]'', 25 August 1935, p. 32</ref> The film generated immense publicity for Rainer, who was hailed as "Hollywood's next sensation."<ref name="lacrosse">"Luise Rainer, Quick on English, Doesn't Talk Hollywood Language", ''[[La Crosse Tribune]]'', 12 July 1935, p. 2</ref> However, she did not like giving interviews, explaining:

<blockquote>Stars are not important, only what they do as a part of their work is important. Artists need quiet in which to grow. It seems Hollywood does not like to give them this quiet. Stardom is bad because Hollywood makes too much of it, there is too much 'bowing down' before stars. Stardom is weight pressing down over the head&nbsp;— and one must grow upward or not at all.<ref name="lacrosse" /></blockquote>

===''The Great Ziegfeld'' (1936)===
{{multiple image
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  |image1    = Rainer Ziegfeld.jpg
  |caption1  = Rainer as Anna Held in ''[[The Great Ziegfeld]]'' (1936)
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  |caption2  = Anna Held (Rainer) exhibits her jewels to the envious Audrey Dane ([[Virginia Bruce]], seated) in ''The Great Ziegfeld''
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Rainer's next performance was as the real-life character [[Anna Held]] in the musical biography ''[[The Great Ziegfeld]]'', again co-starring William Powell.<ref>"Luise Rainer Will Portray Anna Held", ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'', 30 August 1935, p. 4</ref> Powell, impressed by Rainer's acting skill, had given her equal billing in ''Escapade''.<ref name="lacrosse" />

According to Higham, [[Irving Thalberg]] felt that only Rainer, of all the studio's stars, could play the part as he saw it. But Rainer recalled that studio head Mayer did not want her playing the part, seeing it as too small: "You are a star now and can't do it," he insisted.<ref name="Osborne" />{{rp|13}} Shortly after shooting began in late 1935, doubts of Rainer's ability to pull off the role emerged in the press.<ref name="eyes">"Tantalizing Eyes Chief Appeal of Beautiful Luise Rainer" by Dan Thomas, ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'', 28 October 1935, p. 14</ref> She was criticized for not resembling the Polish-born stage performer.<ref name="eyes" /> The director admitted that the main reason Rainer was cast was her eyes, claiming that they "are just as large, just as lustrous, and contain the same tantalizing quality of pseudo naughtiness" the part required.<ref name="eyes" />

As Thalberg expected, she successfully expressed the "coquettishness, wide-eyed charm, and vulnerability" required.<ref name="Higham" /> Rainer "so impressed audiences with one highly emotional scene," wrote biographer Charles Affron, that she received the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]].<ref name="Affron" /> In one scene, for example, her character is speaking to her ex-husband [[Florenz Ziegfeld]] over the telephone, attempting to congratulate him on his new marriage: "The camera records her agitation; Ziegfeld hears a voice that hovers between false gaiety and despair; when she hangs up she dissolves into tears."<ref name="Affron" /><ref>video clip: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJEpszcDyqQ ''The Great Ziegfeld'' telephone scene]</ref>

Powell, having worked with her in two films, gave his impressions of her acting style and quality:

<blockquote>She is one of the most natural persons I have ever known. Moreover, she is generous, patient and possesses a magnificent sense of humor. She is an extremely sensitive organism and has a great comprehension of human nature. She has judgment and an abiding understanding which make it possible for her to portray human emotion poignantly and truly. Definitely a creative artist, she comprehends life and its significance. Everything she does has been subjected to painstaking analysis. She thinks over every shade of emotion to make it ring true. In Europe she is a great stage star. She deserves to be a star. Unmistakably she has all the qualities.<ref name="dietz" /></blockquote>

On the evening of the [[Academy Award]] ceremonies, Rainer remained at home, not expecting to win. When Mayer learned she had won, he sent MGM publicity head [[Howard Strickling]] racing to her home to get her. When she finally arrived, master of ceremonies [[George Jessel (actor)|George Jessel]], during the commotion, made the mistake of introducing Rainer, which [[Bette Davis]] had been scheduled to do.<ref name="Higham" /> She was also awarded the [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|New York Film Critics' Award]] for the role.

===''The Good Earth'' (1937)===
Rainer's next film was ''[[The Good Earth (film)|The Good Earth]]'' (1937), in which she co-starred with [[Paul Muni]]; she had been picked as the most likely choice for the female lead in September 1935.<ref>"Luise Rainer Rated Most Likely Choice for 'Good Earth' Feminine Lead", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', 17 September 1935</ref><ref>"Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Slated for 'Good Earth'" by Eileen Percy, ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'', 21 November 1935, p. 19</ref> The role, however, was completely the opposite of her Anna Held character, as she was required to portray a humble [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] peasant subservient to her husband and speaking little during the entire film. Her comparative muteness, stated historian [[Andrew Sarris]], was "an astounding tour de force after her hysterically chattering telephone scene in ''The Great Ziegfeld''", and contributed to her winning her second Best Actress Oscar.<ref>Sarris, Andrew. ''You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet: The American Talking Film History and Memory, 1927–1949'', Oxford Univ. Press (1998) p. 388</ref>

The award made her the first actress to win two consecutive Oscars, a feat not matched until [[Katharine Hepburn]]'s two wins thirty years later.<ref name="Affron" /> In later years, however, Rainer felt that winning the two Oscars so early may have been the "worst possible thing" to befall her career.<ref name=Morgan>Morgan, Kim.[http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/Oscars/OscarStory.aspx?cp-documentid=2742849 ''Curse of the Oscar''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015210856/http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/Oscars/OscarStory.aspx?cp-documentid=2742849 |date=15 October 2007 }}. Special to MSN Movies . Retrieved November 2007.</ref> She said that it made her "work all the harder now to prove the Academy was right."<ref name="hardest">"Hardest Job for Luise Rainer Is to Avoid Overacting Roles; Playing Part Comes Naturally", ''[[Evening Independent]]'', 8 April 1938, p. 9</ref>

Rainer later recalled early conflicts even before production. Studio head Louis B. Mayer, for example, did not approve of the film being produced or her part in it, wanting her to remain a glamorous film star: "He was horrified at [[Irving Thalberg]]'s insistence for me to play O-lan, the poor uncomely little Chinese peasant," she said. "I myself, with the meager dialogue given to me, feared to be a hilarious bore."<ref name="Verswijver">Verswijver, Leo. ''Movies Were Always Magical'', McFarland Publ. (2003)</ref>{{rp|142}} Rainer remembered hearing Mayer's comments to Thalberg, her producer: "She has to be a dismal-looking slave and grow old; but Luise is a young girl; we just have made her glamorous&nbsp;— what are you doing?"<ref name="Osborne" />{{rp|13}} She considered the part as one of the "greatest achievements" in her career, stating that she was allowed to express "realism," even refusing to "wear the rubber mask 'Chinese look,'" suggested by the makeup department. She was allowed to act "genuine, honest, and down-to-earth," she said.<ref name="Verswijver"/>

Other serious problems took place during production. Director [[George Hill (director)|George W. Hill]], who had spent several months in China filming backgrounds and atmospheric scenes, committed suicide soon after returning to Hollywood. The filming was postponed until [[Sidney Franklin (director)|Sidney Franklin]] could take over.<ref name="Worsley"/> A few months later, before the film was completed, Irving Thalberg died suddenly at the age of 37. Rainer commented years later, "His dying was a terrible shock to us. He was young and ever so able. Had it not been that he died, I think I may have stayed much longer in films."<ref name="Verswijver"/> The film's opening screen credit includes a dedication to Thalberg: "To the Memory of Irving Grant Thalberg&nbsp;– his last greatest achievement&nbsp;– we dedicate this picture."<ref>Thomas, Bob. ''Thalberg: Life and Legend'', New Millennium Press (1969) p. 298</ref>

[[File:Rainer - Dramatic School.jpg|thumb|With [[Paulette Goddard]] in ''Dramatic School'' (1938)]]
In late 1936, MGM conceived a script called ''Maiden Voyage'' especially for Rainer.<ref>"Luise Rainer Resuming Gay Mood In 'Maiden Voyage'", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', 5 October 1936</ref> The project was shelved and eventually released as ''Bridal Suite'' in 1939, starring [[Annabella (actress)|Annabella]] as 'Luise'. Another 1936 unrealized film project that involved Rainer was ''Adventure for Three'', which would have co-starred William Powell. In 1938, she played [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]]'s long-suffering wife Poldi in the successful Oscar-winning MGM musical biopic ''[[The Great Waltz (1938 film)|The Great Waltz]]'', her last big hit.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Her four other films for MGM, ''[[The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937 film)|The Emperor's Candlesticks]]'' (1937), ''[[Big City (1937 film)|Big City]]'' (1937) with [[Spencer Tracy]], ''[[The Toy Wife]]'' (1938) and ''[[Dramatic School (film)|Dramatic School]]'' (1938), were ill-advised and not well received, though Rainer continued to receive praise. ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'', in which Rainer was cast in November 1936, reunited Rainer with Powell for the final time. For the film, she wore a red wig and wore costumes designed by [[Adrian (costume designer)|Adrian]], who claimed that Rainer, by the end of 1937, would become one of Hollywood's most influential people in fashion.<ref name="adrian">"Luise Rainer Next Will Appear As Attractive Red-Haired Woman in Picture Now Before Cameras", ''[[Evening Independent]]'', 27 April 1937, p. 11</ref> On set, she received star treatment, having her own dressing room, diction teacher, secretary, wardrobe woman, hairdresser, and makeup artist.<ref name="adrian" /> ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' was Rainer's first film for which she received criticism, it being claimed that she did not improve in her acting technique.<ref>"Penn's 'Candlesticks' Lively Screen Yarn" by Florence Fisher Parry, 3 July 1937</ref>

[[File:Luise Rainer - Paramount.jpg|thumb|right|1930s publicity photo]]
Even though reviews of Rainer's performance in ''Big City'' were favorable, reviewers agreed that she was miscast in a 'modern role' and looked "too exotic" as Tracy's wife.<ref>"Luise Rainer Teamed With Spencer Tracy in Her First Modern Role", ''[[Sun Journal (Lewiston)|The Lewiston Daily Sun]]'', 24 September 1937, p. 21</ref> Despite the criticism and announcements of leaving Hollywood, Rainer renewed her contract for seven years shortly after the film's release.<ref>"Best Actress of the Year ... So she'll stick around after all" by Paul Harrison, ''[[The Palm Beach Post]]'', 11 October 1937, p. 15</ref>

Most critics agreed Rainer was "at her most appealing" in ''The Toy Wife''.<ref name="hardest" /> The final MGM film Rainer made was ''Dramatic School''. At the time she was cast in the film, her box office popularity had declined considerably, and she was one of the many well-known stars—along with MGM colleagues [[Greta Garbo]], [[Joan Crawford]], and [[Norma Shearer]], and [[Katharine Hepburn]], [[Mae West]], [[Fred Astaire]], [[Kay Francis]] and others—dubbed "[[Box Office Poison (magazine article)|Box Office Poison]]" by the Independent Theatre Owners of America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/05/20/archives/screen-news-here-and-in-hollywood-luise-rainer-will-be-star-of-mcms.html|title=Luise Rainer Will Be Star of MCM's Dramatic School'|date=20 May 1938|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref>

Rainer refused to be stereotyped or to knuckle under to the studio system, and studio head Mayer was unsympathetic to her demands for serious roles. Furthermore, she began to fight for a higher salary, and was reported as being difficult and temperamental.<ref name="shipman" /> As a result, she missed out on several roles, including the female lead in the [[Edward G. Robinson]] [[gangster film]] ''[[The Last Gangster]]'' (1937), losing out to another Viennese actress, [[Rose Stradner]].<ref>"For Your Amusement by Eddie Cohen", ''[[The Miami News]]'', 26 September 1937, p. 6</ref> Speaking of Mayer decades later, Rainer recalled, "He said, 'We made you and we are going to destroy you.' Well, he tried his best."<ref name="glamour">{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Brown|author-link=Mick Brown (journalist)|title=Actress Luise Rainer on the glamour and grit of Hollywood's golden era|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/6398728/Actress-Luise-Rainer-on-the-glamour-and-grit-of-Hollywoods-golden-era.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=22 October 2009|access-date=22 October 2009}}</ref>

===Departure from Hollywood===
[[File:Rainer-Odets-1937-cropped.jpg|thumb|Luise Rainer and [[Clifford Odets]] in January 1937, shortly before their marriage]]
Rainer made her final film appearance for MGM in 1938 and abandoned the film industry. In a 1983 interview, the actress told how she went to Louis B. Mayer's office and said to him: "Mr Mayer, I must stop making films. My source has dried up. I work from the inside out, and there is nothing inside to give."<ref name="spunky">"Actress Luise Rainer stilt spunky at 73" by Bob Thomas, ''Daily Herald'', 13 November 1983, p. 40</ref> Following this altercation, she traveled to Europe, where she helped get aid to children who were victims of the [[Spanish Civil War]].<ref name="spunky" /> Nevertheless, she was not released from her contract and, by 1940, she was still bound to make one more film for the studio.<ref>"Hollywood Gossip" by Jimmy Fidler, ''[[The Capital Times]]'', 5 January 1940, p. 2</ref>

Disenchanted with Hollywood, where she later said it was impossible to have an intellectual conversation,<ref name="glamour" /> she moved to New York City in 1940 to live with playwright [[Clifford Odets]], whom she had married in 1937. Rainer had never made it a secret that she felt terrible as Odets' wife, and exclaimed in a 1938 interview: "All the acting I've done on the stage or screen has been nothing compared to the acting I did in New York, when I tried to make everyone think I was happy&nbsp;– and my heart was breaking."<ref>"Luise Rainer To Go On Second Honeymoon", ''The Desert News'', 8 November 1938</ref> She filed for divorce in mid-1938, but proceedings were delayed "to next October" when Odets went to England.<ref>"Divorce Delayed for Luise Rainer", ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'', 5 July 1938, p. 17</ref> The divorce was final on 14 May 1940. Rainer and Odets summered at [[Pine Brook Country Club]] in [[Nichols Farms Historic District|Nichols, Connecticut]], where numerous other members of the [[Group Theatre (New York)]] also spent the summer of 1936, both acting and writing.<ref>[[Gibson-Brenman, Margaret]]. ''Clifford Odets: American playwright : the years from 1906 to 1940'', Hal Leonard Corp. (2002) p. 410</ref>

Despite the negativity, Rainer was one of the actresses considered for the role of [[Scarlett O'Hara]] in ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone With the Wind]]'' (1939), but the idea was not well-received, and she was not given a [[screen test]]. She also was unable to persuade MGM bosses to cast her in ''Johnny Belinda'', based on a 1940 play about a deaf-mute rape victim.

In a later interview, Rainer commented about her disappearance from the movie industry:

<blockquote>I was very young. There were a lot of things I was unprepared for. I was too honest, I talked serious instead of with my eyelashes and Hollywood thought I was cuckoo. I worked in seven big pictures in three years. I have to be inspired to give a good performance. I complained to a studio executive that the source was dried up. The executive told me, 'Why worry about the source. Let the director worry about that.' I didn't run away from anybody in Hollywood. I ran away from myself.<ref>"Luise Rainer Explains Her Movie Disappearance", ''Waterloo Daily Courier'', 11 March 1951, p. 22</ref></blockquote>