Rick McKay's PATRICIA NEAL TRIBUTE

When filmmaker Rick McKay ("Broadway: The Golden Age Trilogy", "Fay Wray", PBS, A&E) was asked in early 2010 to host a tribute to his friend, the actress Patricia Neal, who had appeared in his films, and to interview her on stage, he happily accepted. The tribute was a benefit for the great NYC theatre company, The Peccadillo Theatre, who was mounting a revival of Lillian Hellman's "Another Part of the Forest", which had made Ms. Neal a Broadway star in 1946, winning her the first Tony Award ever given. However, shortly before the date, Neal fell and was hospitalized in California. At the last minute McKay put together this video tribute, or "virtual interview" to substitute, which was shown on stage at the benefit as a huge success. Ms. Neal's friends rallied to appear at the tribute, which happily turned into a celebration of her life hosted by McKay, with the help of her friends Joel Vigg, Cliff Robertson, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, Betsy von Furstenburg, Tammy Grimes and many more. Sadly, Ms. Neal was never to return to NYC, did not see the new production of "Forest" (which got rave reviews and was extended), but happily did get to see this footage as well as a tape of the tribute evening before she passed away on August 8th, 2010. A true friend, a great actress and an incredible inspiration to millions, Patricia Neal will be greatly missed . . .

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Patricia Neal
• neal
• hollywood
• hud
• oscar
• memorial
• pat neal
• mckay
• rick mckay
• broadway
• broadway: The Golden Age
• broadway the golden age
• tony award
• tonys
• dahl
• roald dahl
• eli wallach paul newman
• gary cooper
• lillian hellman
• another part of the forest
• peccadillo
• peccadillo theatre

[WerewolfVm]

Wonderful actress, beautiful face and a great smile! Will surely be missed!

[therealstevegray]

gods she was wonderful. still missed

[HAYLEEJOMILLER]

:( thats my cuzin :( :( I miss you sooooooooooooooooooooo much :( never meet you but u seem cool cuz

my 3rd cuzin i want to be a actor like u cuz R.I.P Cuzin

[lesbryab]

i love that raspy upper class ky accent

[maggie55100]

Thank you for this great interview.....she was something else...

[Flick4U2]

(Boats are passing by in the window--I wonder where she was?) My tribute to Patricia Neal came from my experience seeing her in person. I was at Sardi's in NYC standing, waiting to be seated at a table. The maitre d' walked over and said to the woman standing next to me, "Good evening, Miss Neal. I turned and there she was, Patricia Neal. Her smile radiated and had a special beauty and graciousness that I will never forget. It was though she was 30 years old. Timeless.

[TheVineyarder]

@ThirdOfJune4444 Ms.Neal was one of the kindest most generous ladies I have ever come across.When I saw her the thursday before she died she was in for lunch at the golf club where I work,and see looked a bit jaundiced I thought,but always that smile and throaty voice.She was of course walking with the aid of a walker,and her daughter Tessa was with her as they brought the black mercedes up to the back entrance for her to get in the car with less problem and to avoid being noticed

[ThirdOfJune4444]

@TheVineyarder Hello, did you really see her shortly before she passed? That's so amazing! I am green with envy. You are very lucky! May I ask what it was like to be with her? Any detail would highly be appreciated. She seems to be a very loving, personable, and endearing woman. I am 38 years old, and I first saw her in the episode of "Remember Me" in "Little House On The Prairie" many years ago. Her character PIERCED me through the heart, I bawled! I feel like I know her.

[TheVineyarder]

this was simply a great lady..at the top of her craft always..and always gracious..a pleasure to have known her

[rlf1967]

@TheVineyarder you are so lucky never meet her but always felt like i knew her