GODDESS, THE (1958)

Writer Paddy Chayefsky (Network) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Goddess, a stunning drama that depicts a Hollywood tragedy from director John Cromwell, starring Kim Stanley (Seance on a Wet Afternoon) and Lloyd Bridges (High Noon, Airplane!).

Allegedly based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, the film follows Emily Ann Faulkner from underprivileged, broken homes in the Boondocks through to Hollywood stardom as ‘Rita Shawn’, told across three distinct acts.

Acclaimed by critics on release, The New York Times called The Goddess “a shattering, but truly potent, film”, while the Philadelphia Inquirer said “‘The Goddess’ surpasses ‘Marty’ in awareness and depth. Scene after scene, line after line grips the mind and heart, to move or to horrify. Nowhere has the author, his cast or director John Cromwell struck a false or artificial note”.