| Universally
regarded among the screen's greatest actors, Spencer Tracy
was a most unlikely leading man. Stocky, craggy-faced, and
gruff, he could never be considered a matinee idol, yet few
stars enjoyed greater or more consistent success. An uncommonly
versatile performer, his consistently honest and effortless
performances made him a favorite of both audiences and critics
throughout a career spanning well over three decades. Born
April 5, 1900, in Milwaukee, WI, Tracy was expelled from some
15 different elementary schools prior to attending Rippon
College, where he discovered and honed a talent for debating;
eventually, he considered acting as a logical extension of
his skills, and went on to study at the American Academy of
Dramatic Arts. His first professional work cast him as a robot
in a stage production of R.U.R. at a salary of ten dollars
a week. He made his Broadway debut in 1923's A Royal Fandango
and later co-starred in a number of George M. Cohan vehicles.
Tracy's performance as an imprisoned killer in 1930's The
Last Mile made him a stage star, and during its Broadway run
he made a pair of shorts for Vitaphone, The Hard Guy and Taxi
Talks. Screen tests for MGM, Universal, and Warners were all
met with rejection, however, but when John Ford insisted on
casting Tracy as the lead in his prison drama Up the River,
Fox offered a five-year contract. |
