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 An Employer Of Prostitutes
The Madam Of A Brothel
Jane Darwell in My Darling Clementine 1946
Female owners of brothels are known as madams. They are usually older women who have aged out of prostitution and now use their experience to employ prostitutes to work for them.
For Jane Darwell, this is her second appearance in a John Ford movie, after her Oscar-winning role as Ma Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath.” 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, Darryl Zanuck edited the film, leaving all the brothel scenes surrounding Kate Nelson on the cutting room floor. Since her part is so tiny, Jane is not on the movie poster nor seen in the trailer. Ultimately, her part is 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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