Mary Astor and Notting Hill (film): Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Film
[[Image:MaryAstor.jpg|thumb|Mary Astor]]
| name = Notting Hill
'''Mary Astor''' ([[May 3]], [[1906]] – [[September 25]], [[1987]]) was an [[Academy Award|Oscar]]-winning [[United States|American]] [[actor|actress]].
| image = NottingHillRobertsGrant.jpg
| caption = The film's poster.
| producer = [[Duncan Kenworthy]]
| director = [[Roger Michell]]
| writer = [[Richard Curtis]]
| starring = [[Julia Roberts]]<br>[[Hugh Grant]]<br>[[Rhys Ifans]]<br>[[Emma Chambers]]<br>[[Tim McInnerny]]<br>[[Gina McKee]]<br>[[Hugh Bonneville]]
| music = [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]]
| cinematography = Michael Coulter
| editing = Nick Moore
| distributor = [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]]-[[Universal Studios|Universal]]<br />[[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]
| released = {{flagicon|UK}} [[May 21]], [[1999]]</br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[May 28]], [[1999]]
| runtime = 124 min.
| budget = $42 million
| gross = $116 million
| language = [[English language|English]]
| website = http://www.notting-hill.com/
| imdb_id = 0125439
| amg_id = 1:179536
}}
'''''Notting Hill''''' is a [[1999 in film|1999]] [[romantic comedy film]] set in the [[Notting Hill]] district of [[London]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], that was released on [[May 21]] [[1999]]. The [[screenplay]] was written by [[Richard Curtis]] who had previously written ''[[Four Weddings and a Funeral]]''. It was produced by [[Duncan Kenworthy]], and directed by [[Roger Michell]]. The film stars [[Julia Roberts]], [[Hugh Grant]], [[Rhys Ifans]], [[Emma Chambers]], [[Tim McInnerny]], [[Gina McKee]] and [[Hugh Bonneville]].
 
Bookshop owner William Thacker's world begins to turn upside down after the world's most famous actress, Anna Scott, visits his store. Later, Will knocks his orange juice into Anna as she passes him in the street. After she gets changed at his house, Anna surprises Will with a kiss. The pair then begin a relationship, but encounter numerous problems on the way.
==Early life==
Astor was born '''Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke''' in [[Quincy, Illinois|Quincy]], [[Illinois]], the only child of Otto Ludwig Langhanke ([[October 2]], [[1871]]-[[February 3]], [[1943]]) and Helen Marie Vasconcellos ([[April 19]], [[1881]]-[[January 18]], [[1947]]).
 
The film was well received by critics, and charted well at the box office, becoming the highest grossing British film yet released. The film won a [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]], and both won and was nominated for several others.
Her father, who was born in [[Berlin]], immigrated to the [[United States]] from [[Germany]] in [[1891]] and became a [[Naturalization|naturalized]] [[Citizenship|citizen]]; her mother was born in [[Jacksonville, Illinois]], of [[Portugal|Portuguese]] and [[Ireland|Irish]] extraction. They married [[August 3]], [[1904]] in [[Lyons, Kansas]]. Otto was a teacher of [[German language|German]] at Quincy High School until the U.S. entered [[World War I]]. He then began doing light farming. Helen, who had always wanted to be an actress, began teaching drama and elocution.
 
==Plot==
Lucile was homeschooled in academics and taught to play the piano by her father, who insisted she practice daily. In [[1919]], she sent a photograph of herself to a [[beauty contest]] in ''Motion Picture Magazine'' and became a finalist. Her father then moved the family to [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], where he took a position teaching German in public schools there. Lucile took drama lessons and appeared in various amateur [[Theatre|stage]] [[Stage play|plays]].
[[Image:Notting_Hill.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Will and Anna together on a date.]]
William Thacker is the owner of an [[independent bookstore]] which specializes in [[travel writing]] in [[Notting Hill, London, England|Notting Hill]]. Witty, cultivated and handsome, he has not been coping well with his divorce and is currently sharing his house with an eccentric [[Wales|Welsh]] wannabe artist named Spike. One day, Thacker encounters world famous [[Hollywood]] actress Anna Scott during her trip to London, when she enters his shop to purchase a book. Shortly thereafter, the pair accidentally collide in the street, causing William to spill his orange juice on the both of them. He offers his house, which is just across the road, as a place for Anna to get changed. She accepts and they repair to his abode. Having got changed, Anna surprises Will with a kiss. She makes sure that Will does not tell anyone about it, and leaves.
 
Days later, Will asks Spike if he has any messages. Spike has trouble writing down, or remembering any messages left for Will, but does recall "Some American girl called Anna" calling a few days previous. Anna is staying at the Ritz, under a pseudonym, and asks Will to come and visit her. When he arrives, Anna's room has become the centre for a press day and as a result, Will is mistaken for a member of the press. He has to interview every single cast member of Anna's new film ''Helix'', even though he has not seen the film himself. Will does get to talk to Anna, and invites her to his sister Honey's birthday party.
The following year, she sent another photograph to the magazine and again became a finalist, this time being named runner-up in the national contest. Her father then moved the family to [[New York City|New York]], in order for his pretty daughter to become an actress in [[film|motion pictures]]. He managed all her affairs from September [[1920]] to June [[1930]].
 
There, at Max and Bella's house, Anna feels at home with Will's circle of friends, putting up a good case for the "last brownie". The pair go on several dates, to the cinema and to a restaurant. Anna invites Will back to her hotel room, only to find that her American boyfriend, although Anna asserts that they have broken up, but Will has to leave anyway. Some time later, Anna arrives on Will's doorstep, hoping for a place to stay. Some degrading images of her have been leaked to the press and she needs to hide out. The pair bound once again, with Will helping Anna learn lines for her new film. That night, the pair sleep together for the first time. In the morning, Will is stunned to see a throng of reporters at their doorstep, it seems that careless talk by Spike down at the pub the previous night had alerted the media to Anna's whereabouts. She leaves in a hurry, and William decides once and for all to forget her.
A [[Manhattan]] photographer, Charles Albin, saw a photograph and asked the young girl with haunting eyes and long auburn hair, whose [[nickname]] was "Rusty," to pose for him. The Albin photographs were seen by Harry Durant of [[Famous Players-Lasky Corporation|Famous Players-Lasky]] and Lucile was signed to a six-month [[contract]] with [[Paramount Studios|Paramount]]. Her name was changed to Mary Astor during a conference between [[Movie studio|studio]] chief [[Jesse Lasky]], [[gossip columnist]] [[Louella Parsons]], and [[Film producer|producer]] [[Walter Wanger]].
 
Later, Anna returns to England to make another film. She invites Will to the set of the film, he listens to the sound recording whilst Anna is busy filming. He overhears her telling her co-star that Will is "just some guy", and leaves. The next day, Anna comes to the bookshop once again, hoping to resume their love affair, but William turns her down. Will consults his friends on his decision, leading him to realize that he has just made the biggest mistake of his life. He and his friends search for Anna, racing across London in Max's car. They reach Anna's press conference before she leaves for the [[United States]], and Will successfully persuades her to stay in England with him. Anna and Will get married, with the film concluding with a shot of Will and a pregnant Anna sitting on a park bench in Notting Hill.
==Silent movie career==
At age fourteen, she debuted with her new [[stage name]] in the [[silent film|silent movie]] ''Sentimental Tommy'' ([[1921 in film|1921]]), but her small part in a dream sequence wound up on the cutting room floor. Paramount let her contract lapse. She then appeared in some movie shorts with sequences based on famous paintings. She received critical recognition for the two-reeler ''The Beggar Maid'' ([[1921 in film|1921]]).
 
==Cast and characters==
Her first feature-length movie was ''John Smith'' ([[1922 in film|1922]]), which was followed that same year by ''[[The Man Who Played God]]'' starring [[George Arliss]] for [[United Artists]]. In [[1923]], she and her parents moved to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]].
*'''[[Julia Roberts]]''' as '''Anna Scott''': A world famous film star. She meets Will whilst filming in Notting Hill, when she comes into his book shop.
*'''[[Hugh Grant]]''' as '''William Thacker''': Owner of a travel book shop in Notting Hill, who has recently divorced his wife. He meets Anna Scott when she comes in looking for a book.
*'''[[Rhys Ifans]]''' as '''Spike''': Will's strange Welsh flatmate, who dreams of being an artist. He is described by Will as "the stupidest person in the world".
*'''[[Emma Chambers]]''' as '''Honey Thacker''': Will's ditzy younger sister, she is a huge fan of Anna Scott.
*'''[[Tim McInnerny]]''' as '''Max''': Will's best friend, who Will often stays with. He and Bella host Honey's birthday party.
*'''[[Gina McKee]]''' as '''Bella''': Max's wheelchair bound wife.
*'''[[Hugh Bonneville]]''' as '''Bernie''': A failing stockbroker and a friend of Will. He fails to realise who Anna Scott is upon first meeting her.
*'''[[James Dreyfus]]''' as '''Martin''': Harry's assistant at his bookshop.
*'''Richard McCabe''' as '''Tony''': A failing restaurateur, whose restaurant the group often attend.
*'''[[Dylan Moran]]''' as '''Rufus''': A thief who attempts to steal from Will's bookshop. Despite being caught on the CCTV he professes his innocence, and conceals the stolen book in his underpants.
 
[[Alec Baldwin]] makes an uncredited appearance as Anna's American boyfriend.<ref name=variety>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117907270.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=[[1999-04-30]]|author=Elley, Derek|publisher=Variety}}</ref> [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]] has a cameo role as one of the loud and offensive men in the restaurant Anna and Will attend.<ref name=bfi>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=95&cc=on|title=95: NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-19|publisher=British Film Institute}}</ref> A young [[Mischa Barton]] makes a brief appearance as the [[child actor]] whom William interviews for ''Horse & Hound'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=449705&in_page_id=1908|title=Mischa Barton: Little Miss Sunshine|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=[[2007-05-12]]|author=Gordon, Jane|publisher=The Mail on Sunday}}</ref>
After appearing in several larger roles at various studios, she was signed by Paramount again, this time to a one-year contract at $500 a week. She appeared in several more movies, then [[John Barrymore]] saw a photograph of her in a magazine and wanted her cast in his upcoming movie. On loan-out to [[Warner Bros.]], she starred opposite "The Great Profile" in ''[[Beau Brummel]]'' ([[1924 in film|1924]]). The older actor wooed the young actress, but their engagement ended when he became involved with [[Dolores Costello]].
 
==Production==
In [[1925]], Astor's parents bought a Moorish style mansion with one acre of land known as "Moorcroft" in the hills above [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]]. They lived lavishly on her earnings, had servants, a grand piano, a luxury car and a chauffeur. Moorcroft, which still stands at 6147 Temple Hill Drive north of Franklin Avenue and just west of Beachwood Drive, was, incidentally, rented by [[Charlie Chaplin]] before the Langhankes bought the place. It was from this garish looking mansion that Astor, fed up with her father's constant badgering to practice the piano, climbed from her second floor bedroom window and walked down to [[Hollywood Boulevard]], as recounted in her memoirs.
===Development===
Richard Curtis spoke at length as to how he originally came up the idea for the film.
{{cquotetxt|When I was lying sleepless at nights I would sometimes wonder what it would be like if I just turned up at my friends' house, where I used to have dinner once a week, with the most famous person at that time, be it [[Madonna]] or whomever. It all sprang from there. How would my friends react? Who would try and be cool? How would you get through dinner? What would they say to you afterwards? That was the starting point, the idea of a very normal person going out with an unbelievably famous person and how that impinges on their lives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=Behind-the-Scenes|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref>}}
 
''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' director [[Mike Newell (director)|Mike Newell]] was approached for the film, but rejected it to work on ''[[Pushing Tin]]'' instead. He did later admit that in commercial terms he had made the wrong decision, but did not regret it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=78|title=The man who told Notting Hill to 'sod off'|accessdate=2007-05-21|author=Chris Parry|publisher=eFilm Critic}}</ref> The film's producer Duncan Kenworthy then turned to Roger Michell, stating that "Finding someone as good as Roger, was just like finding the right actor to play each role. Roger shone out."<ref name=production>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=About the Production|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref>
Astor went on appearing in one movie after another at various studios. When her Paramount contract ended in [[1925]], she was signed at Warner Bros. Among her assignments was another role with John Barrymore, this time in ''[[Don Juan]]'' ([[1926 in film|1926]]).
 
===Casting===
She was named one of the [[WAMPAS Baby Stars]] in [[1926]], along with [[Mary Brian]], [[Dolores Costello]], [[Joan Crawford]], [[Dolores Del Rio]], [[Janet Gaynor]], and [[Fay Wray]].
Julia Roberts was the production team's "one and only" choice for the role of Anna, although Michell and Kentworthy did not expect her to accept the part. She did however take the role, with her agent citing it as "the best romantic comedy she had ever read".<ref name=production/> Roberts herself commented that after reading the script she decided she was "going to have to do this".<ref name=dreamteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=A Romantic Comedy Dream Team|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref> The decision to cast Hugh Grant as Will was unanimous, as together Grant and Curtis had a "writer/actor marriage made in heaven". Michell stated that "Hugh does Richard better than anyone else, and Richard writes Hugh better than anyone else", and that Grant is "one of the only actors who can speak Richard's lines perfectly".<ref name=production/> The casting of Hugh Bonneville, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, Emma Chambers and Rhys Ifans as Will's group of friends was "rather like assembling a family". Michell explained that "When you are casting a cabal of friends, you have to cast a balance of qualities, of types and of sensibilities. They were the jigsaw that had to be put together all in one go, and I think we've got a very good variety of people who can realistically still live in the same world."<ref name=production/>
 
===Filming===
On loan-out to [[20th Century Fox|Fox]], Astor starred in the role as Jeanne in ''Dressed To Kill'' ([[1928 in film|1928]]), which received good reviews. That same year, she starred as Elizabeth Quimby in the sophisticated comedy ''Dry Martini'' at Fox. She later said that, while working on the latter, she "absorbed and assumed something of the atmosphere and emotional climate of the picture." She said it offered "a new and exciting point of view; with its specious doctrine of self-indulgence, it rushed into the vacuum of my moral sense and captivated me completely." When her Warner Bros. contract ended, she was signed at Fox for $3,750 a week.
Curtis chose the setting of Notting Hill for the film as he lived there and knew the area well, stating "Notting Hill is a melting pot and the perfect place to set a film".<ref name=___location>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=Notting Hill, the place, the movie ___location|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref> This left the producers with a challenge of having to film in a heavily populated area. Kenworthy noted "Early on, we toyed with the idea of building a huge exterior set. That way we would have more control, because we were worried about having Roberts and Grant on public streets where we could get thousands of onlookers." In the end they decided to take the risk anyway and film in the actual streets.<ref name=___location/> Michell was worried "that Hugh and Julia were going to turn up on the first day of shooting on Portobello Road, and there would be gridlock and we would be surrounded by thousands of people and paparazzi photographers who would prevent us from shooting". The ___location team, and security forces prevented this, as well as preventing problems the presence of a film crew may have caused the residents of Notting Hill, who Michell believes were "genuinely excited" about the film.<ref name=___location/> The film's ___location manager Sue Quinn described her job of finding suitable locations and getting permission to film there as "a mammoth task". She said
{{cquotetxt|The major problem we encountered was the size of our film unit. We couldn't just go in and shoot and come out. We were everywhere. Filming on the London streets has to be done in such a way that it comes up to health and safety standards. There is no such thing as a road closure. We were very lucky in the fact that we had 100% cooperation from the police and the Council. They looked favorably on what we were trying to do and how it would promote the area.<ref name=___location/>}}
Quinn and the rest of her ___location team had to send letters to thousands of people in the area, promising that they would donate to each person's favourite charity, resulting in over two hundred different charities receiving money from the film project.<ref name=___location/>
 
The film's production designer was [[Stuart Craig]] who was pleased for the chance to do a contempory film, stating on the film "we're dealing with streets with thousands of people, market traders, shop owners and residents which makes it really complex".<ref name=___location/> Filming began on [[April 17]] [[1998]], in both West London and at [[Shepperton Studios]].<ref name=production/> Will's bookshop was situated on [[Portobello Road]], which was one of the main areas in which filming took place. Other places within Notting Hill where filming took place included Westbourne Park Road, [[Golborne Road]], [[Landsdowne Road]] and the Coronet Cinema.<ref name=___location/> After filming for a period of six weeks in Notting Hill, filming moved to the [[Ritz Hotel]], where filming had to take place at night, the [[Savoy Hotel]], the Nobu Restaurant, the [[Zen Garden]] and [[Kenwood House]].<ref name=___location/> One the film's final scenes takes place at a film premiere, which presented difficulties for the production team. Michell wanted to film the scene in [[Leicester Square]], but the request was declined due to huge problems that fans attending a [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] premiere had caused the police. Through a health and safety act, the production received permission to film and constructed the scene in just twenty-four hours.<ref name=___location/> Interior scenes were the last scenes to be filmed, with them taking place at Shepperton Studios.<ref name=___location/>
In [[1928]], she and [[film director|director]] [[Kenneth Hawks]] were married at her family home, Moorcroft. He gave her a Packard automobile for a wedding gift and they moved into a home high up on Lookout Mountain in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] above [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]].
 
The film features the [[1950 in art|1950]] [[Marc Chagall]] painting ''[[La Mariée]]''. In the story, Anna sees a print of the painting in William's home, and later gives him what is presumably the original. According to director Michell in an article in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', the painting was chosen because screenwriter Curtis was a fan of Chagall's work, and because ''La Mariée'' "depicts a yearning for something that's lost." Producers had a reproduction made for use in the film, but had to first get permission from the painting's owners as well as clearance from the British [[Design and Artists Copyright Society]]. Finally, according to producer Kenworthy, "we had to agree to destroy it. They were concerned that if our fake was too good, it might float around the market and create problems." The article also noted that "some experts say the real canvas could be worth between $500,000 and $1 million."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,273720,00.html|title=Flashes|date=[[1999-06-11]]|accessdate=2007-05-20|author=Joe Dziemianowicz; Clarissa Cruz|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
As the movie industry made the transition to [[Sound film|talkies]], Fox gave her a sound test, which she failed because the studio found her voice to be too deep. Though this was probably due to early sound equipment and the inexperience of technicians, the studio released her from her contract and she found herself out of work for eight months in [[1929]].
 
==New beginnings=Music===
Music for the film was composed by ''Four Wedding and a Funeral'' composer Trevor Jones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/notting_hill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|publisher=Filmtracks.com}}</ref> Several additional songs written by other artists appeared on the film's soundtrack. These include [[Elvis Costello]]'s [[cover version|cover]] of the [[Charles Aznavour]] song "[[She (Charles Aznavour song)|She]]", as well as [[Ronan Keating]]'s specially recorded cover version of "[[When You Say Nothing at All]]", the song reached number one in the British charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/whenyousaynothingatall.shtml|title='When You Say Nothing at All'|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Originally, Charles Aznavour's version of the song was used in the film, but American test screening audiences could not understand it. Costello was then brought in by Richard Curtis to record a cover version of the song.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/395140.stm|title=Elvis alive and well in Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|author=Darryl Chamberlain|date=[[1999-07-20]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
Astor took voice training and singing lessons during her time off, but no roles were offered. Her acting career was then given a boost by her friend, [[Florence Eldridge]] (wife of [[Fredric March]]), whom she confided in about her woes. Eldridge, who was to star in the stage play ''Among the Married'' at the Majestic Theatre in [[Downtown Los Angeles]], recommended Astor for the second female lead. The play was a success and her voice was deemed suitable, being described as low and vibrant.
 
==Reception==
She was happy to be back at work, but her happiness abruptly came to an end. On [[January 3]], [[1930]], while filming sequences for the Fox movie ''Such Men Are Dangerous'', Kenneth Hawks was killed in a mid-air plane crash over the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] off [[San Pedro, California|San Pedro]]. Astor had just finished a matinee performance at the Majestic and was lying down on a couch that was part of the set of the play when Florence Eldridge came to her on stage with the news. She was then rushed from the theatre and taken to Eldridge's apartment; a replacement, [[Doris Lloyd]], stepped in for the next show.
===Critical reaction===
The film was meet with generally positive reviews, scoring an 85% "Cream of the Crop" rating at [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref name=rt>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/notting_hill/|title=Notting Hill (1999)|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> "Variety's Derek Elley said that "It's slick, it's gawky, it's 10 minutes too long, and it's certainly not "''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' Part 2" in either construction or overall tone", giving it an overall positive review.<ref name=variety/> Cranky Critic called it "Bloody damned good", as well as saying that it was "A perfect date flick."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crankycritic.com/archive99/nottinghill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|publisher=Cranky Critic}}</ref> Nitrate said that "''Notting Hill'' is whimsical and light, fresh and quirky", with "endearing moments and memorable characters".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nitrateonline.com/1999/rnottinghill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|author=Savada, Elias|date=[[1999-05-28]]|publisher=Nitrate}}</ref> In his review of the film's DVD John J. Puccio noted that "The movie is a fairy tale, and writer Richard Curtis knows how much the public loves a fairy tale", calling it "a sweet film".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/notting-hill/739/2|title=Notting Hill <nowiki>[Ultimate Edition]</nowiki>|accessdate=2007-05-20|author=John J. Puccio|publisher=DVD Town.com}}</ref> Desson Howe of the [[Washington Post]] gave the film a very positive review, praising Rhys Ifans peformance as Spike.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/nottinghillhowe.htm?movieslede=y|title='Notting Hill': Easy to Love|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Desson Howe|publisher=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> James Sanford gave ''Notting Hill'' three and a half stars, saying that "Curtis' dialogue may be much snappier than his sometimes dawdling plot, but the first hour of "Notting Hill" is so beguiling and consistently funny it seems churlish to complain that the rest is merely good."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interbridge.com/jamessanford/1999/notting.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|author=James Sanford|publisher=Kalamazoo Gazette}}</ref> Sue Pierman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated that "''Notting Hill'' is clever, funny, romantic - and oh, yes, reminiscent of ''Four Weddings and a Funeral''", but that the film "is so satisfying, it doesn't pay to nitpick."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.jsonline.com/enter/movies/reviews/may99/m.nott28052799.asp|title='Notting Hill' is perfect romantic fit for Roberts, Grant|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-27]]|author=Sue Pierman|publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] praised the film, saying "the movie is bright, the dialogue has wit and intelligence, and Roberts and Grant are very easy to like."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990528/REVIEWS/905280301/1023|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Roger Ebert|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> Kenneth Turan gave a good review, concluding that "the film's romantic core is impervious to problems".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie990527-6,0,7251334.story|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Kenneth Turan|publisher=Calender Live}}</ref> [[CNN]] reviewer Paul Clinton said that ''Notting Hill'' "stands alone as another funny and heartwarming story about love against all odds".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9905/27/review.notting.hill/|title=Review: Julia, Hugh a perfect match for 'Notting Hill'|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-27]]|author=Paul Clinton|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
 
Widgett Walls of Needcoffee.com gave the film "three and a half cups of coffee", stating that "the humor of the film saves it from a completely trite and unsatisfying (nay, shall I say enraging) ending", but criticised the film's soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.needcoffee.com/html/reviews/nhill.html|title=Notting Hill (1999)|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=Needcoffee.com|author=Widgett Walls}}</ref> Dennis Schwartz gave the film a bad review with a grade of "C-" citing "this film was pure and unadulterated balderdash".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sover.net/~ozus/nottinghill.htm|title=NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[2000-11-29]]|author=Dennis Schwartz|publisher=Ozus' World Movie Reviews}}</ref>
Astor remained with her friend, Eldridge, at her apartment for some time. Seeming to be "bearing up well," she soon went back to work under the burden of her grief. Shortly after the death of her husband, she debuted in her first talkie, ''Ladies Love Brutes'' ([[1930 in film|1930]]) at Paramount, which co-starred friend Fredric March.
 
''Notting Hill'' was placed 95th on the [[British Film Institute]]'s "list of the all-time top 100 films", the results of the list were based on estimates of each film's British cinema admission level.<ref name=bfi/>
While her career picked up, her private life remained rocky. After working on several more movies, she suffered delayed shock over the death of Hawks and had a nervous breakdown. During the months of her illness, she was attended by Dr. Franklyn Thorpe, whom she later married.
 
===Box office performance===
Astor had four husbands, [[film director|director]] [[Kenneth Hawks]] (married [[February 26]], [[1928]]-his death [[1930]]); physician and surgeon Franklyn Thorpe (married [[June 29]], [[1931]]-divorced [[1936]]); insurance salesman Manuel del Campo (married February [[1936]]-divorced [[1941]]); and stockbroker Thomas Wheelock (married [[December 25]], [[1945]]-divorced [[1955]]).
The film had its world premiere at the [[Odeon]], Leicester Square on [[April 27]] [[1999]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/329426.stm|title=Notting Hill premieres in Leicester Square|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-04-27]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The premiere received media attention in the British tabloid press, as Julia Roberts attended sporting unshaven arm pits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/field/stories/mclaren02.html|title=Letter from Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[2002-12-20]]|author=Leah McLaren|publisher=Globe and Mail}}</ref> ''Notting Hill'' charted well at the box office, earning $116,089,678 as its overall domestic gross, with a worldwide gross of $363,889,678, losing out to ''[[Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref name=boxoffice>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=nottinghill.htm|title=NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It totaled $27.7 million over its opening weekend, breaking American box office records,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/358820.stm|title=Notting Hill has The Force|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-06-02]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and making it the biggest ever opening for a romantic comedy film at that point, beating previous record holder ''[[My Best Friend's Wedding]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1046&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-02]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> ''Notting Hill'' made another $15 million the following week,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1048&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-07]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> but then began to lose out.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1053&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-21]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> One month after its release, ''Notting Hill'' lost its record for highest grossing opening weekend for a romantic comedy film to ''[[Runaway Bride (1999 film)|Runaway Bride]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1065&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-08-03]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It was the sixteenth highest grossing film of 1999,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1999&p=.htm|title=1999 DOMESTIC GROSSES|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> and as of May 2007 is the 104th highest grossing film of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/?pagenum=2&p=.htm|title=WORLDWIDE GROSSES|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> At the time, it had become the highest grossing British film of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/431153.stm|title=Notting Hill breaks film record|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-08-26]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
 
===Awards===
She and Thorpe had one daughter, Marylyn Hauoli Thorpe (born [[June 16]], [[1932]]), who was married in [[1950]] to Frank Roh, Jr.; she and del Campo had one son, Anthony Paul "Tono" del Campo (born [[June 5]], [[1939]]), who was married in [[1960]] to Patricia Ellen Leuty.
''Notting Hill'' won the Audience Award for Most Popular Film at the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]s in 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855372.html|title=2000 British Academy of Film and Television Awards|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=infoplease.com}}</ref> and was nominated in the categories of The Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the year, and Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting role for Rhys Ifans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/662167.stm|title=Bafta nominations in full|accessdate=2007-05-22|date=2000-03-01|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The film also won Best Comedy Film at the [[British Comedy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/pastwinners99.html|title=The Past Winners 1999|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=British Comedy Awards}}</ref> The film's soundtrack won Best Soundtrack at the [[Brit Awards]], beating ''[[Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/entertainment/2000/brit_awards/625884.stm|title=Brits 2000: The winners|accessdate=2007-05-22|date=[[2000-03-03]]|pblisher=BBC News}}</ref> The film won Best British Film, Best British Director for Roger Michell, and Best British Actor for Hugh Grant at the [[Empire Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/news/library/soft/blwh-022000.htm|title=What are they doing?|date=2000-02-20|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=British Theatre Guide}}</ref>
The film received three nominations at the [[Golden Globes]], in the categories Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, Best Motion Picture Actor - Comedy/Musical for [[Hugh Grant]], and Best Motion Picture Actress - Comedy/Musical for [[Julia Roberts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoldenglobes.com/welcome.html?movie/notting_hill.html|title=Notting Hill|publisher=TheGoldenGlobes.com|accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref>
 
==References==
In May [[1932]], the Thorpes purchased a yacht and sailed to [[Hawaii]]. Astor was pregnant, but the birth was scheduled for August. Her daughter was born in June in [[Honolulu]], her name being a combination of the names of her parents. Her middle name, Hauoli, means "To sing with joy."
{{Reflist|2}}
 
When they returned to [[Southern California]], Astor began freelancing and accepted the pivotal role of Barbara Willis in ''[[Red Dust]]'' ([[1932 in film|1932]]) at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] with [[Clark Gable]] and [[Jean Harlow]].
 
In late [[1932]], Astor signed a featured player contract with Warner Bros. Besides spending lavishly, her parents invested in the [[stock market]], which turned out in many instances to be unprofitable. They still lived in Moorcroft, which Astor dubbed a "white elephant" and refused to maintain. She had to turn to the [[Motion Picture & Television Fund|Motion Picture Relief Fund]] in [[1933]] to pay her bills.
 
Unhappy in her marriage, she took a well deserved break from movie making in [[1933]] and went to New York by herself. While there, enjoying a whirlwind social life, she met the [[playwright]] [[George Kaufman]] and had an affair, which she documented in her diary.
 
==Scandals==
In March [[1934]], Astor was sued by her parents, Otto and Helen Langhanke, for support and a public family feud burst out violently as they all went threshing into court hurling charges.
 
The Langhankes said they did not even have enough money for the necessities of life; the only money they had received from their daughter in the last six months was $60 in grocery coupons, and they had to sell some of their furniture to survive. They also cited a foreclosure notice on their home, saying their daughter would not help them pay the mortgage.
 
Despite the [[Great depression|Depression]], Otto had continued to improve their estate. He then took out an $18,000 loan and had a swimming pool installed, which Astor said neither of them ever used and was a waste of money, and he could not afford to pay on the remaining $15,000 incumbrance.
 
Astor said all her earnings went to her parents until [[1930]], being deposited by the studio directly into their bank account, and she received a small allowance. She then decided it was necessary for her to look out for her own future and wiped the slate clean. She gave them the house in June of that year, free and clear of all incumbrance, and for a year thereafter gave them $1000 a month. In addition, in March 1931, she loaned them $2,515.19, which they did not repay and she never asked for. She said that she told them in March 1933 that she could not afford to support them in their expensive home, which cost more than the one she and her husband and daughter were living in. She offered them an allowance of $100 a month if they moved from the mansion; she also offered to set them up in a suitable house in [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo County]], together with food and utilities, but they did not accept either offer. Their lawyer responded that a daughter could not dictate to her parents where they could or could not live as if they were "Peter the hermit."
 
The judge ruled that she should give her parents $100 a month. Moorcroft, now valued at $200,000, went on the auction block and sold for only $21,500. Otto was outraged and did not want to accept the bid, but the auctioneer said they had a signed contract, the buyer had deposited the proper deposit, and the sale was final. The Langhankes then moved to [[San Fernando, California|San Fernando]].
 
In the meantime, Astor's marriage to Franklyn Thorpe continued to deteriorate. She learned from Kaufman that Thorpe had talked to him about their affair. When the inevitable confrontation came, Thorpe told her he would name Kaufman in a divorce suit. He said that if she would let him take their daughter, Marylyn, she could have her back after six months to keep for six months. She believed that later on she could get custody of Marylyn and avoid bad publicity.
 
In April 1935, Thorpe divorced her in an uncontested suit and gained sole custody of their daughter. While working on ''[[Dodsworth]]'' ([[1936 in film|1936]]) starring [[Walter Huston]] and [[Ruth Chatterton]], Astor sued to gain sole custody in July 1936, after having Marylyn living with her for six months, as well as for the recovery of stocks and property paid for by her movie earnings, or the value, and a vicious battle broke out that was also well documented by the press.
 
Thorpe cited her adultery with Kaufman and introduced excerpts of her diary as evidence of the affair. Astor said he had stolen her diary and that most of the passages submitted were forgeries. She said she was intimidated into not contesting custody when he threatened to ruin her career. She said he assertedly threatened to deprive her of her daughter's companionship unless she transferred the securities to him, which she did shortly before the divorce. She further asserted that he was busy with his practice and unable to properly rear the child.
 
Excerpts of what she wrote about her marriage and affair with Kaufman were then released by Thorpe's lawyers to the press, who dubbed it the "purple diary," although it was actually penned in Aztec brown ink and not purple, and it became headline news. Although the excerpts in the papers were fairly harmless, with romantic and sentimental chatter and no intimate details, lurid tales of sexually explicit contents began to circulate. No one ever actually read the authentic diary, however, and such reports of its contents were purely speculative.
 
When Thorpe surrendered the diary to the court it was impounded and the full contents never revealed. The judge was only concerned with the welfare of the child. Astor wanted her diary back, while Thorpe asserted it should be returned to him. The judge then ordered that it be stored in a safe deposit box at Security-First National Bank at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood, sealed against prying eyes. In April [[1952]], with no objection from Astor or Thorpe, the diary was destroyed, unread, by order of the court.
 
Astor received joint custody of her daughter. Marylyn lived with her mother during the long school months and with her father during summer vacation. She shared [[Christmas]] with both parents.
 
==Career continues==
Fortunately, the scandal caused no harm to Astor's career, which was actually renewed because of the custody fight and the huge level of publicity generated; ''Dodsworth'' was released to rave revues, and the public's acceptance assured the studios that she was still a viable commercial property.
 
In [[1937]], she returned to the stage in well received productions of [[Noel Coward]]'s ''Tonight at 8:30'', ''The Astonished Heart'', and ''Still Life'', at the Biltmore Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. She also began doing regular performances on [[Radio programming|radio]]. And some of her best movies were still to come, including ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' ([[1937 in film|1937]]) starring [[Ronald Colman]] and [[Madeleine Carroll]]; [[John Ford]]'s ''[[The Hurricane (1937 movie)|The Hurricane]]'' ([[1937 in film|1937]]) starring [[Dorothy Lamour]] and [[Jon Hall]]; and ''[[Brigham Young - Frontiersman]]'' ([[1940 in film|1940]]) starring [[Tyrone Power]] and [[Linda Darnell]].
 
[[Image:Astorfalcon.JPG|left|thumb|Astor's elevator ride down with police at the end of ''The Maltese Falcon'', seen by some as being symbolic of a final trip to hell.]]
Astor is probably most-famous for her role as Brigid O'Shaunessy, the scheming temptress who murders Sam Spade's partner, in [[John Huston]]'s ''[[The Maltese Falcon]]'' ([[1941 in film|1941]]) opposite [[Humphrey Bogart]], with [[Peter Lorre]] and [[Sydney Greenstreet]].
 
Another noteworthy performance was her role as Sandra Kovack, the selfish, self-centered, concert pianist, who willingly gives up her child, in ''[[The Great Lie]]'' ([[1941 in film|1941]]) starring [[Bette Davis]] and [[George Brent]].
 
Davis wanted Astor cast in the role after watching her [[screen test]] and seeing her play [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]]'s [[Piano Concerto No. 1 (Tchaikovsky)|Piano Concerto No. 1]]. She then recruited Astor to collaborate with her on rewriting the script, which Davis felt was mediocre and needed work to make it more interesting. Astor further followed Davis's advise and sported a brazen bobbed hairdo for the role. The soundtrack of the movie during the scenes where she plays the concerto, with violent hand movements on the piano keys, was actually recorded with [[Max Rabinovitch]] playing.
 
She let Davis be boss and run the show, with no objection, and they became good friends. Davis deliberately stepped back to allow Astor to shine in her key scenes. As a result of her performance, Astor won the [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for ''The Great Lie''.
 
Astor was not propelled into the upper echelon of [[movie star]]s by these successes, however. She always declined offers of starring in her own right. Not wanting the responsibility of top billing and having to "carry the picture," she preferred the security of being a featured player.
 
She was reunited with Bogie and Sydney Greenstreet in John Huston's ''[[Across the Pacific]]'' ([[1942 in film|1942]]). She also played the Princess Centimillia in ''[[The Palm Beach Story]]'' ([[1942 in film|1942]]) starring [[Claudette Colbert]] and [[Joel McCrea]], with [[Rudy Vallee]].
 
In February [[1943]], Otto Langhanke died in [[Cedars of Lebanon Hospital]] as a result of a heart attack complicated by influenza. His wife and daughter were both at his bedside.
 
That same year, Astor signed a seven-year contract with MGM, which turned out to be a regrettable mistake. She was kept busy playing what she considered mediocre mother roles. After ''[[Meet Me In St. Louis]]'' ([[1944 in film|1944]]), starring [[Judy Garland]] and [[Margaret O'Brien]], the studio allowed her to make her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in ''Many Happy Returns'' ([[1945]]). The play was a miserable failure, but Astor received good reviews.
 
On loan-out to 20th Century Fox, she played a wealthy widow in ''[[Claudia and David]]'' ([[1946 in film|1946]]) starring [[Dorothy McGuire]] and [[Robert Young]]. She was also loaned to Paramount to play Fritzi Haller in ''[[Desert Fury]]'' ([[1947 in film|1947]]) starring [[John Hodiak]], [[Lizabeth Scott]], [[Burt Lancaster]], and [[Wendell Corey]]. It was another mother role, but she played the tough owner of a saloon and casino in a small mining town.
 
Before Helen Langhanke died of a heart ailment in January [[1947]], Astor said she sat in the hospital room with her mother, who was delirious and did not know her, and listened quietly as Helen told her all about terrible, selfish Lucile. After her death, Astor said she spent countless hours copying her mother's diary so she could read it and was surprised to learn how much she was hated.
 
Back at MGM, Astor went on being cast in undistinguished, colorless mother roles. One exception was when she played a prostitute in the [[film noir]] ''[[Act of Violence (1948 film)|Act of Violence]]'' ([[1948 in film|1948]]). The last straw came when she was cast as Marmee March in ''[[Little Women]]'' ([[1949 in film|1949]]), starring [[June Allyson]], [[Peter Lawford]], [[Margaret O'Brien]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]], and [[Janet Leigh]]. Astor found no redemption in playing what she considered another humdrum mother and became despondent. The studio wanted to renew her contract, promising to give her better roles, but she declined the offer.
 
==Middle years==
At the same time, Astor's drinking was getting much worse. She admitted to having a problem with [[Alcoholic beverage|alcohol]] as far back as the [[1930s]], but it had never interfered with her work schedule or performance. She hit bottom in [[1949]] and went into a sanitarium for [[alcoholic]]s.
 
In [[1951]], she made a frantic call to her doctor and told him she had taken too many sleeping pills. She was taken to a hospital and the police reported that she had attempted suicide, this being her third overdose in two years, and the story made headline news. She maintained it had been an accident.
 
That same year, she joined [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] and converted to [[Roman Catholicism]]. She credited her recovery to a priest, Peter Ciklic, also a practicing [[psychologist]], who encouraged her to write about her experiences as part of therapy. She also separated from her husband, Thomas Wheelock, but did not actually divorce him until [[1955]].
 
In [[1952]], she was cast in the leading role of the stage play ''Time of the Cuckoo'', which was made into the movie ''[[Summertime]]'' ([[1955 in film|1955]]) starring [[Katharine Hepburn]], and toured with the company. After the tour, Astor lived in New York for four years and worked in the theatre and on [[television]].
 
Her TV debut was in ''The Missing Years'' ([[1954 in television|1954]]) for ''Kraft Television Theatre''. She acted frequently in TV during the ensuing years and appeared on most of the big shows, including ''[[The United States Steel Hour]]'', ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'', ''[[Rawhide]]'', ''[[Dr. Kildare]]'', ''[[Burke's Law]]'', and ''[[Ben Casey]]''. She also starred on Broadway in ''The Starcross Story'' ([[1954]]), which was another failure.
 
She returned to Southern California in [[1956]]. She then went on a successful theatre tour of ''Don Juan in Hell'' directed by [[Agnes Moorehead]] and co-starring [[Ricardo Montalban]].
 
Astor's [[memoir]], ''My Story: An Autobiography'', was published in [[1959 in literature|1959]], becoming a sensation for its day and a [[bestseller]]. It was the result of Father Ciklic urging her to write. Though she spoke of her troubled personal life, her parents, her marriages, the scandals, her battle with [[alcoholism]], and other things about her life, she did not mention the movie industry or her career in any detail. In [[1971 in literature|1971]], another book was published, ''A Life on Film'', where she righted the wrong of her earlier omission and discussed her career. It too became a bestseller. Astor also tried her hand at [[fiction]], writing the [[novel]]s ''The Incredible Charley Carewe'' ([[1960 in literature|1960]]); ''The Image of Kate'' ([[1962 in literature|1962]]); ''The O'Conners'' ([[1964 in literature|1964]]); ''Jahre und Tage'' ([[1964 in literature|1964]]) (a [[German language|German]] translation of ''The Image of Kate''); ''Goodbye, Darling, be Happy'' ([[1965 in literature|1965]]); and ''A Place Called Saturday'' ([[1968 in literature|1968]]).
 
She appeared in several movies during this time, including ''[[A Stranger in My Arms]]'' ([[1959 in film|1959]]). She made a comeback in ''[[Return to Peyton Place]]'' ([[1961 in film|1961]]) playing Roberta Carter, the domineering mother who insists the "shocking" novel written by Allison Mackenzie should be banned from the school library, and received good reviews for her performance.
 
==Later life==
After taking a trip around the world in [[1964 in film|1964]], Astor was lured away from her [[Malibu, California|Malibu]] home, where she was spending time gardening and working on her third novel, to make what she decided would be her final movie appearance.
 
When she was offered the small role as a key figure in the murder mystery ''[[Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte]]'', starring Bette Davis and [[Olivia de Havilland]], with Agnes Moorehead in a supporting role, Astor decided it would serve as her [[swan song]] in the movie business. After more than 100 movies during a career spanning 44 years, she turned in her [[Screen Actors Guild|SAG]] card and retired.
 
She later moved to [[Fountain Valley, California]], where she lived near her son, Tono del Campo, and his family until [[1976]]. Suffering from a chronic heart condition, she then moved to a small cottage on the grounds of the [[Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital|Motion Picture & Television Country House]], the industry's retirement facility in [[Woodland Hills, California|Woodland Hills]], where she had her own private table when she chose to eat in the resident dining room.
 
While living there, Astor had a heart attack, two strokes and developed emphysema. She died at age eighty-one of respiratory failure due to pulmonary emphysema while a patient in the hospital that is part of the Motion Picture House complex. She is interred in [[Holy Cross Cemetery]], [[Culver City, California|Culver City]].
 
Mary Astor has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6701 Hollywood Boulevard in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]].
 
==External links==
{{wikiquotepar|Notting Hill}}
*{{imdb name|id=0000802|name=Mary Astor}}
* [http://www.thegoldenyearsnotting-hill.orgcom/astor.html Classic''Notting MoviesHill''] (1939official - 1969): Mary Astor]site
*{{imdb title|id=0125439|title=Notting Hill}}
*[http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=1&Type=PN&Tbl=&CatID=DATABIN_CAST&ID=108371&searchedFor=Mary_Astor_&SortType=ASC&SortCol=RELEASE_YEAR AFI Catalog Silent Films entry for Mary Astor]
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=notting_hill|title=Notting Hill}}
*[http://silent-movies.org/Ladies/PAstor.html Mary Astor Photo Gallery]
*{{ibdbmetacritic namefilm|id=30290nottinghill|nametitle=MaryNotting AstorHill}}
*{{mojo title|id=nottinghill|title=Notting Hill}}
 
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