It has become a virtual no-brainer that when I get the chance to meet an Oscar winner, I’m going to go ahead and do it. And the Academy really liked actress Celeste Holm. Three times she was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: for Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), Come to the Table (1949), and All About Eve (1950). She was only the winner in the first film – thanks to her role as fashion editor Anne Dettrey opposite actor Gregory Peck. The chance to meet her came at the Hollywood Show on Saturday, October 9, 2010.
I saw Celeste Holm, at the age of 93, as somewhat of a living legend. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to get a signed photo of her and nice snapshot with her. I double-checked with her handler Marvin Paige to make sure I was picking out the correct photo from her Academy Award winning film. Although I had once seen Gentleman’s Agreement, which took home the Oscar for Best Picture, it had been a while.
The price wasn’t too outrageous considering her credentials: $25 for the photo, and $10 to get a picture with her. She was cordial as she added her signature to the 8×10 with a flourish. It was quite a thrill to meet one of the few Oscar winning performers left from the golden age of film.
Celebrity encounters from the Fall 2010 Hollywood Show will continue…
We had Celeste Holm as a guest for Cinecon a couple of years back. I had the honor of going to dinner with her and her husband at Musso & Frank’s in Hollywood. Quite a lady. She tends to be on the quiet side, but you get her going on a subject she’s passionate about and she a ball of fire.
Jim Harwood
April 8th, 2011