Marion Caroline Dougherty (February 9, 1923 – December 4, 2011) was an American casting director. She is known for casting films such as The World of Henry Orient, Midnight Cowboy, Me, Natalie, Panic in Needle Park, Grease, Urban Cowboy, The World According to Garp, and Batman.

Marion Dougherty
Born
Marion Caroline Dougherty

(1923-02-09)February 9, 1923
DiedDecember 4, 2011(2011-12-04) (aged 88)
OccupationCasting director

Marion Dougherty is also the primary subject of Casting By, a 2012 documentary, combining over 230 interviews, extensive archival footage, animated stills and documents to tell her untold tale. Dedicated to her memory, Dougherty died before the film's release.

Biography

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Dougherty attended Penn State University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.[1] Dougherty's career in the performing arts began when, after graduating from Penn State in 1943, she had a brief stint working at the Cleveland Playhouse as an actress. She then moved to New York City, just as live television was becoming mainstream. She was making window displays at the Bergdorf Goodman Building when a fellow Penn State alum, who had been recently hired into the casting department at Kraft Television Theatre, hired her as an assistant.[2]

In 1991, many prominent filmmakers and actors, including Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen and Al Pacino, attempted to convince the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to grant an honorary award to Dougherty. Unfortunately this dream of recognizing her was never accomplished, before her death in 2011.[3]

Career

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After working at the Kraft Television Theatre, Dougherty moved on to another television series, Naked City,[4] where she gave Jon Voight[5] and Dustin Hoffman[6] their first acting credits. While working on this show and another, Route 66,[7] Marion was able to feature many notable guest stars such as Tina Louise,[8] Michael Parks,[9] Jean Stapleton,[10] Jessica Walter,[11] William Shatner,[12] Joan Crawford,[13] Christopher Walken,[14] Gene Hackman,[15] Martin Sheen,[16] and Robert Duvall.[17]

In 1963 Dougherty established her own casting company in New York, where she began casting local talent out of the theaters.[2] Dougherty became notable for her casting decisions, choosing to cast based on their acting abilities, as opposed to type casting based on appearance.[3]

Out of her brownstone, Dougherty worked on many Hollywood films, including The World of Henry Orient, Hawaii, and Midnight Cowboy.[2] In 1972 with the release of Slaughterhouse-Five, Dougherty made history as being one of the first casting directors to receive an entire title card to list their credit.[2] From 1979 to 1999, Dougherty worked at Warner Brothers as the Vice President of casting.[18]

Other notable actors that Dougherty gave their first film credit to include Glenn Close in The World According to Garp,[19] Bette Midler in Hawaii,[20] and Al Pacino in Me, Natalie.[21]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Credit Listing Notes
1961-1963 Naked City Casting Executive 68 Episodes
1963-1964 Route 66 Eastern Casting Executive 17 Episodes

Notable films

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Year Title Credit Listing Notes
1964 The World of Henry Orient Casting Director
1966 Hawaii Casting Director
1969 Midnight Cowboy Casting Director Uncredited
1969 Me, Natalie Casting Director
1971 Panic in Needle Park Casting Uncredited
1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Casting Director Rented the Plaza Hotel for titular role of Willy Wonka
1972 Slaughterhouse-Five Casting Director
1973 The Sting Casting Director
1973 The Last American Hero Casting Director
1975 The Day of the Locust Casting Director
1978 Grease Casting: Paramount Uncredited
1978 Pretty Baby Casting Uncredited
1979 Escape from Alcatraz Casting Director Uncredited
1980 Urban Cowboy Casting: Los Angeles
1982 The World According to Garp Casting Director
1987 Full Metal Jacket Additional Casting
1987 Lethal Weapon Casting Director
1987 The Lost Boys Casting Director
1988 Gorillas in the Mist Casting Director
1989 Batman Casting Director
1990 Joe Versus the Volcano Casting
1992 Batman Returns Casting Director
1993 Falling Down Casting Director
1995 Braveheart Casting Director
1997 Anna Karenina Casting Director

References

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  1. ^ Kappa Alpha Theta Heritage. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  2. ^ a b c d "Fifty Years of Casting". Cineaste. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  3. ^ a b "'Casting By' Aims to Give Casting Directors Credit Where Due". Backstage. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  4. ^ "Marion Dougherty". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  5. ^ "Jon Voight". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  6. ^ "Dustin Hoffman". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  7. ^ "Route 66". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  8. ^ "Route 66: I'm Here to Kill a King". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  9. ^ "Route 66: Cries of Persons Close to One". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  10. ^ "Route 66: 93 Percent in Smiling". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  11. ^ "Route 66: A Long Way From St. Louie". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  12. ^ "Route 66: Build Your Houses with Their Backs to the Sea". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  13. ^ "Route 66: Same Picture, Different Frame". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  14. ^ "Naked City: Robin Hood and Clarence Darrow, They Went Out with Bow and Arrow". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  15. ^ "Naked City: Prime of Life". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  16. ^ "Route 66: The One Marked Hot Gives Cold". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  17. ^ "Naked City: Dust Devil on a Quiet Street". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  18. ^ "Marion Dougherty, Hollywood Star-Maker, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  19. ^ "Glenn Close". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  20. ^ "Bette Midler". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  21. ^ "Al Pacino". IMDB. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
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