Paula Prentiss: Hollywood’s Unsung Scene-Stealer

“Joanna, how could you do a thing like that?” hisses the robotic voice of Bobbie Markowe as she clutches a kitchen knife and stares ominously into the eyes of Joanna, her former best friend, in one of the most chilling moments of the 1975 psychological horror film, The Stepford Wives.
The pair have just been reunited after Bobbie took a brief vacation with her husband, Dave. But that “vacation” has changed Bobbie, and Joanna knows it. Her friend has become polite and polished; her clothes are dainty and refined. There is absolutely no trace left of the boisterous and vulgar Texan who always carried Ring Dings in her purse and gushed obsessively over Robert Redford. Instead, she has been replaced with a grotesque specimen of ladylike domesticity, a robotically passive homemaker who exists only to please her husband. “How could you do a thing like that?” she repeats, before beginning to mindlessly pace the kitchen, robotically shattering coffee mugs and dumping heaping spoonfuls of sugar onto the kitchen floor. Joanna’s puzzled expression says it all: something is very wrong with Bobbie. “When I was just going to give you coffee?” Bobbie says, bizarrely opening and closing an overhead cabinet to the left of the fridge as if she were stuck in some sort of never-ending loop. Joanna begins to inch towards the exit, fighting tears as she comes to the grim realization that her best friend has been lost forever. After taking one last look at her friend, Joanna makes a beeline for the exit. “I thought we were friends?” Bobbie calls out through the kitchen, just as Joanna makes her escape.

It was at that precise moment, bundled up in a pile of thick blankets, huddled in front of a small TV in my room late at night that I knew I had found my new favorite actress. It wasn’t Katharine Ross, who played the film’s heroine, Joanna. Nor was it Tina Louise, of Gilligan’s Island fame, who portrayed one of Joanna’s other confidantes, Charmaine. Instead, my attention was drawn to the little-known actress who played Joanna’s lovable sidekick turned sinister Stepford Wife, Bobbie Markowe.

Her name is Paula Prentiss, and even though nearly two years have passed since I first watched The Stepford Wives, she is still my #1. While there have been several moments in my movie-going life where I’ve fallen head over heels for a star, this one eclipsed them all.
Sure, I had been wowed by Joan Crawford’s strength and determination in Mildred Pierce (1945), by Rock Hudson’s sensitivity in All That Heaven Allows (1955), and the sheer depth of Bette Davis’ layered performance in Now, Voyager (1942), but Paula was different, and with her performance in The Stepford Wives, caught my attention on a whole other level. The moment she came on screen, I instantly gravitated toward her spunky charm and found that it was nearly impossible to take my eyes off her. Her performance may not have been stereotypical Oscar-bait dramatic fare, but that didn’t matter, she left a tremendous impact on me all the same. Simply put, she’s got what showbiz people call the “it” factor; an innate likeability and charm that sets her above all the rest. Coming into the film at just around the half-hour mark, Paula Prentiss imbues the story with some great pieces of comic relief and lightens up the otherwise dreary turn of events with her delightfully kooky persona. Her dialogue is also insanely quotable, from the bizarrely random “Hello, High C!”, to the retrospectively depressing “I’m not gonna end up like one of those pan scrubbers”. This innate likability makes it all the more tragic when her character is transformed into a lifeless “Stepford Wife” shortly before the film’s conclusion.

In the weeks after I watched The Stepford Wives for the first time, I did everything I could to learn more about Paula Prentiss. This included scouring the internet for any articles and videos about her that I could find, as well as taking a deep dive into a large chunk of her filmography. I was expecting to find that she had been a critically acclaimed and successful comedy star, lauded just as much by critics for her masterful performances as the likes of Lucille Ball or Carole Lombard. But the reality of her situation surprised me. Despite her strong comedic chops – Paula Prentiss never quite made it to leading lady status in Hollywood. And let me tell you, that’s a darn shame. In every movie she appeared in – without fail – she stole the show, snatching all attention right out from under the nose of its leading star, whoever it may be. She possessed a depth of skill that surpassed many of her contemporaries. Additionally, Paula was also one of the most beautiful performers dazzling the silver screen in the early 1960s and has kept those good looks well into her eighties. Despite this wealth of talent and all-American charm, Prentiss’ star burned bright and fast, and as early as the late 1960s, she had largely been relegated to supporting roles, at least on the big screen, like in The Stepford Wives. Considering this fact, it’s quite possible (although a shame) that the person reading this may have no clue who Paula Prentiss even is! Well, if that statement applies to you, here’s a little background on Texas’ finest Hollywood export!

Paula Ragusa (that’s right, Prentiss is a stage name) was born on March 4th, 1938, in San Antonio, Texas. As a child, she showed absolutely no desire to become an actress and only started her acting journey after transferring to Northwestern University from Randolph-Macon Academy, where she had previously been studying to become a doctor. Paula had been thoroughly disappointed by the dating scene at the all-women’s school and thought that Northwestern, in addition to its superior academics, would grant her a larger pool of eligible bachelors to choose from. Once transferred, and inspired by her experience participating in plays at Randolph-Macon, Paula threw away her medical books and enrolled in Northwestern’s famed acting program, studying under the “maker of stars” Alvina Krause. It was in the theatre department where she would find that eligible bachelor she was looking for, fellow drama student Richard Benjamin, who would later rise to fame starring in films such as Westworld (1973). According to an interview that the couple gave on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, it was Benjamin who was largely responsible for launching Prentiss’ Hollywood career. Upon learning that Dudley Wilkinson, an MGM talent scout famous for discovering the likes of Patricia Neal and Rita Moreno, would be visiting Northwestern to look for up-and-coming talent, Richard encouraged an initially hesitant Paula to audition. After much coaxing, she agreed, and the pair performed a scene from Michael V. Gazzo’s play, A Hatful of Rain, for Wilkinson.

Paula must have made an impression because shortly thereafter she got a call from MGM requesting her presence in Hollywood for a screen test. Apparently, the studio was in the market for a tall and spunky brunette to play the role of Tuggle Carpenter in their upcoming beach comedy, Where the Boys Are. Standing at a lean 5’10 with bouncy brown curls, and a thick Texan accent, Paula fit the bill. So, she packed her bags and went west, ready to take her best shot at Hollywood stardom. But so naïve was Paula to the world of show business that when she showed up at the studio for the screen test, she had brought along with her a bag full of props from home to use in the scene. After being informed by a likely dumbfounded executive that major film studios do indeed have prop departments, she threw her bundle aside and went on with the scene.

Her screen test was a success, and Paula Ragusa was immediately offered a seven-year contract with MGM. Once signed, she was quickly rechristened “Paula Prentiss” by producer Joe Pasternak, who insisted that “Ragusa” sounded too Italian to appeal to mainstream audiences. With that, she was officially cast to appear in Where the Boys Are, alongside megastars such as Connie Francis, Dolores Hart, and Yvette Mimieux. The film was released in 1960, and was a smash hit, raking in over $3 million at the box office, equivalent to almost $24 million in today’s money. To understand what made Paula Prentiss such a refreshing presence in the early 1960s, one must first understand just how unique her persona was within the Hollywood landscape of the time. Standing in sharp contrast to the unapproachable foreign goddesses, statuesque blondes, and the violent and brooding outlaws who dominated mid-century movie screens, Paula Prentiss was incredibly down to earth, possessing a kooky home-spun charm which made her instantly relatable to audiences all over the country. There was just something immediately familiar about Paula as if she was just another ordinary person you could pass on the street. She’s the batty neighbor who drops off a batch of cookies when you’re feeling down, or your oddball aunt who is always willing to help you work through your problems over a cup of tea. Her unique southern drawl wraps you up like a warm hug, inviting you to share in whatever adventures her characters find themselves involved in. And while there were several other comediennes active at the time, like Shirley MacLaine, Jane Fonda, and Natalie Wood, they were all simultaneously screen goddesses; glamour girls with faces that could easily be at home on the cover of vogue. That isn’t to say that Paula herself wasn’t incredibly beautiful, but hers was a girl-next-door type of beauty, and it came second to her comedic talents – serving as an additional asset, rather than a crutch. Simply put, with her trademark Texas twang, loose acting style, and infectious smile, Prentiss was a real treat to watch. She had no pretenses of high glamour, just good old-fashioned charm and charisma. And in a market oversaturated with beauties and hunks, those two things can go very far in helping a performer carve out a unique place for themselves. Following the colossal success of her first film, Paula starred in a series of other comedy movies in the early sixties, such as The Honeymoon Machine (1961), Bachelor in Paradise (1961), and Man’s Favorite Sport (1964). The latter film was directed by the legendary Howard Hawks, and co-starred Rock Hudson, with Paula getting a rare chance to shine as a romantic lead. She then got a chance to flex her dramatic chops opposite John Wayne in Otto Preminger’s 1965 WWII drama, In Harm’s Way.

Her career came to a halt however, when she suffered a nervous breakdown in Paris on the set of What’s New Pussycat? (1965), and attempted suicide by jumping off of one of the film’s sets. In a 1976 article for People Magazine, Prentiss stated “One day during shooting, I just climbed up the ropes and started walking the beams. I called down to everyone on the set, ‘I’m going to jump’”. Over the years, Paula has vaguely alluded that the breakdown was partially caused by the separation from her husband, Richard Benjamin, whom she had married in 1961 and had left behind in Hollywood while filming What’s New Pussycat? in France. Otherwise, she has been very tight-lipped about what other factors may have contributed to the emotional break. In a recent interview for Texas Monthly, she added, “I guess there was a part of me that wondered, ‘What’s that like, if you go that far?’ And then I knew”. She was hospitalized for nine months following the incident,
initially in an institution in Paris, before being transferred to New York City. As a result, Prentiss wouldn’t make another film for almost five years, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t keep herself busy with other projects in the meantime.

Shortly after her psychiatric treatment had concluded, Paula was offered the chance to star in her very own series for CBS. Prentiss agreed, but only on the condition that it would co-star her husband. The result was the groundbreaking 1967 sitcom, He & She, starring Paula and Richard as Dick and Paula Hollister, a married couple living in Manhattan. Although the series was canceled after only one season, He & She is widely considered by broadcast historians and fans alike to be one of the greatest shows of the 1960s, opening doors for future innovative programs, such as Maude and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Paula herself loved filming the show, not only because it allowed her to act alongside her husband, but also because the live studio audience reminded her of her first love, the theatre. But sadly, it wouldn’t last; the
program was axed by CBS executives after only 26 episodes. Despite this early cancellation, He & She was nominated for five Emmy Awards, winning one for writing, and has become a cult classic, fondly remembered by fans to this day.
Following the cancellation of He & She, Prentiss returned to the movies, although as I stated earlier, this time in supporting roles. From an appearance in the colossal 1970 flop, Catch-22, to her memorable eighteen minutes of screen time in Alan J. Pakula’s 1974 paranoid thriller, The Parallax View, where she played a fictionalized version of slain reporter Dorothy Kilgallen, and The Stepford Wives, Prentiss made unforgettable appearances in some of the best films of the seventies. In each of these movies, she shined brighter than ever, stealing each flick right from under its star in a way that only Paula Prentiss could. I know I’ve repeated it a lot, and you’re likely getting pretty tired of hearing it, but that’s exactly what Paula Prentiss was; a scene-stealer! It’s a term that has been used again and again by critics to describe her on-screen accomplishments, and it’s completely warranted.

You may be wondering, why didn’t all of this “scene-stealing” launch her into stardom? Why isn’t Paula Prentiss one of Hollywood’s acting greats, right alongside Jane Fonda, who unlike Paula was able to eclipse her early sixties comedy career and go on to win two Oscars, becoming one of the most well-respected performers of her generation? The question then becomes, why not Paula? Why did movie-goers fail to elevate her to the heights of stardom that she so rightfully deserved? Why were her talents left largely unnoticed by all except well-versed cinephiles? Is it her destiny to become a niche favorite? I’d argue that it’s not.

Even though she may not have become a massive star in her heyday, I don’t see why she can’t become one now. I think it’s time that movie fans do what audiences back in the day failed to accomplish and make Paula Prentiss a mega-star! That’s right, it’s about time we all enter our Paula Prentiss era.
Stream some of her films, and if you already have, then watch them again! Write fan mail; pen retrospective essays on her life and career, the whole nine yards! Other actors have had recent resurgences, so why not Paula Prentiss? It’s about time that this underrated screen queen gets her due. As this site’s very own host, Dominique put it; a Paula-ssaince is in order!

This potential renaissance in her career is especially important at a time when most Old Hollywood greats have unfortunately passed on. Paula Prentiss is one of the few who are still with us, and I believe it’s best to show appreciation for someone we admire while they’re still around to hear us sing their praises. So, what are you waiting for? Get to it!
Help Paula Prentiss assert her rightful place in the pantheon of great Old Hollywood stars.