Theatrics at the Club
Thursday June 18, 2009 | Contributor: Jennifer Wright

Overlooking Gramercy Park and decorated like something out of an Edith Wharton novel, the stately National Arts Club seems ready to host a glittering party for great thespians of a bygone era. So, we were delighted to attend as the National Arts Club recently gave its Medal of Honor to actress Carroll Baker. Previous honorees of this prestigious lifetime achievement award include Martin Scorsese, Olympia Dukakis and Lynn Redgrave.





And Baker is certainly worthy of joining their ranks. In addition to her Oscar nomination for Baby Doll, she starred with legends Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean in Giant. Over the course of her career, she has appeared in such films as The Carpetbaggers, Harlow, Ironweed and Kindergarten Cop.  At this event, admirers like famed Method actor Eli Wallach praised her versatility and her range in both dramatic and comedic roles.





It was on the set of Baby Doll that Wallach first met Baker. During his tribute, Wallach reminisced about the making of the film and brought photographs from the set for Baker. Wallach was in fine form, happy to be out on the town with his wife, Anne Jackson, and quipping about having met her in “1884!” Jackson parried that they actually met while working on a play in which the adult Wallach was trying to play a 14-year-old boy, claiming: “But he’s a good actor!” Wallach then proceeded to inform me that he had been happily married for 64 years, to which his wife laughingly responded that the length of time was remarkable, “Because you know, I’m only 61.”





Rex Reed, media critic for the New York Observer, was also in attendance, encouraging people to “throw out the computers!” and revert to traditional media. He also declaimed against the use of “electronic notebooks” (I think he meant iPhones or Blackberries). Is this part of a new, aggressive plan to save newspapers? I expect Reed will probably not be reading this commentary—but he certainly appreciated all of Baker’s films.





Other attendees included Mercedes Ruehl, whom you will remember from Lost in Yonkers and The Fisher King. She was joined by actress Celeste Holm and the author Foster Hirsch (who, I was amazed to find, has written over 16 books about the movies). Elaine Stritch had also planned to attend but regrettably had to cancel earlier in the day.





The evening brought together some of our most venerable stars of stage and screen—a fitting tribute to a stellar actress.