An American beauty and show business treasure, Anne Bancroft died Monday. She was a much celebrated Broadway and film actress known for dramatic parts in her early career. She introduced the biographical role of Annie Sullivan (written with her in mind), who was, as "The New York Times" describes, "the teacher who leads the blind and deaf Helen Keller out of darkness into light in 'The Miracle Worker.'" She received her second Tony Award for the play and the Oscar for the 1962 screen adaptation.
In 1967, after a pass by the most commercial actress in Hollywood, Doris Day, Bancroft accepted the role she is, perhaps, best remembered for, portraying the cold, calculating, middle-aged seductress, Mrs. Robinson, in "The Graduate." Director Mike Nichols' social satire was a landmark film and a runaway sensation, making stars out of the essentially unknown Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross, and cementing Bancroft as one of our finest talents.
Going forward, she lightened up, accepting comedy parts with some frequency, while continuing to command attention in dramatic projects, such as "The Turning Point" (1977), "The Elephant Man" (1980), and "Agnes of God" (1985).
Her humorous filmography includes Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (1975) and "Broadway Bound" (1992), "Fatso" (1980, which she also directed), "Garbo Talks" (1984), "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992), "Love Potion No. 9" (1992), "Home for the Holidays" (1995), "Antz" (voice, 1998), "Keeping Faith" (2000), and "Heartbreakers" (2001).
In 1964, she married her second husband, who remained by her side for life, parenting a son along the way. The successful television writer, Mel Brooks, leaped into an impressive film career of his own, first behind the camera and then as an actor. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks headlined a remake of the classic WWII comedy "To Be or Not to Be" (1983). Sharp viewers may also identify her bit appearances in his directorial efforts, "Blazing Saddles" (1974) and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" (1995).
Whenever I've thought of Anne Bancroft during the past three decades, my mind flashes over the iconic images from "The Graduate" and "The Miracle Worker" to her hilarious surprise cameo in Brooks' "Silent Movie" (1976). After a few minutes of adept slapstick, she turns to the camera and demonstrates an astounding feat of eyeball control. Without the aid of special effects, she manipulates each orb independently of the other. Her charm at that instant remains one of my favorite movie moments gleaned amidst thousands and thousands of flickering gems.
