Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 1941
Jane Darwell in The Grapes of Wrath 1941
SEX WORKER ROLE
Kate Nelson in My Darling Clementine 1946
Character Is A Madam Who Runs A House Of Prostitution
And Is An Employer Of Prostitutes
Jane Darwell in My Darling Clementine 1946
Female owners of brothels are known as madams. Typically, these are older women who have retired from prostitution and now leverage their experience to hire prostitutes and oversee their sex transactions. They collect a portion of the profits from every job.
After her Oscar-winning role as Ma Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath,” this would be Jane Darwell’s second appearance in a John Ford movie. She plays Kate Nelson, the proprietress of a saloon and madam of a brothel. The character was much more significant in the original script. However, studio head Darryl Zanuck insisted on removing all the brothel scenes, which primarily featured her character Kate Nelson, from the final cut. Jane’s role became so small that she isn’t in the trailer or on the movie poster. Ultimately, her part became nothing more than a glorified cameo role.
In this scene, she has one line: “Young man, you be careful!”
Watch clip of the film “My Darling Clementine”
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