* Played a detective in Hitchcock’s ‘North by Northwest’

*The New Jersey native was a product of the famous Actors Studio

by Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (AP) — Eva Marie Saint, the beautiful blonde who gave two of the most notable film performances of the 1950s in “On the Waterfront” with Marlon Brando and “North by Northwest” with Cary Grant, has died at the age of 102.

A statement from his spokesperson said Saint died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles.

Saint won an Oscar in her film debut for playing the virtuous Eddie Doyle in director Elia Kazan’s 1954 drama “On the Waterfront,” then changed directions as detective Eve Kendall in director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller “North by Northwest.”

The New Jersey native worked with a number of big-name directors and stars after honing her craft at Lee Strasberg’s famous “Method Acting” school, the Actors Studio, in New York.

Otto Preminger hired him for “Exodus” with Paul Newman, while John Frankenheimer directed him in both “All Fall Down” with Warren Beatty and “Grand Prix” with James Garner.

Vincente Minnelli directed Saint in “The Sandpiper” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, while Norman Jewison cast him in the Cold War satire “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

Saint said his mentor was the great silent film actress Lillian Gish, who appeared with him in a 1953 production of the play “The Trip to Bountiful”, which brought him to Kazan’s attention. He chose Saint over Elizabeth Montgomery for “On the Waterfront”.

This uncompromising film depicts the struggles of dock workers on the rough shores of New York. Brando played former boxer Terry Malloy, who flees a corrupt union but defies the odds to become a hero with the help of Edie, an innocent but strong-willed Catholic girl from St. Louis, who sees more goodness in him than herself.

Saint was 30 at the time but was playing the character of a schoolgirl.

“On the Waterfront” won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with Kazan winning Best Director, Brando winning Best Actor, and Saint winning Best Supporting Actress.

When Saint accepted her Oscar in March 1955, she was pregnant. She walked on stage, kissed the golden statue and excitedly told the audience, “I can have a baby right here!” Two days after the ceremony, she gave birth to their first child, Darrell Hayden.

‘Empty stomach’

“North by Northwest” was a suspenseful espionage thriller in which Saint played a charming detective in a story of mistaken identity involving Grant’s advertising man Roger Thornhill. Famous scenes include the crop-dusting plane chasing Grant and Grant and Saint’s frantic pursuit as they climb into the giant American presidential faces carved into Mount Rushmore.

Hitchcock guided Grant and Saint through witty, thought-provoking dialogue that went beyond what the studio would allow at the time. One of Saint’s lines – provocatively telling Grant “I never make love on an empty stomach” – was changed to the more benign “I never discuss love on an empty stomach.”

“North by Northwest” – like “On the Waterfront” is often considered one of the greatest films ever made – it received three Oscar nominations but won none.

Saint was born on July 4, 1924 in New Jersey. His early career was spent in live television productions in the formative years of the medium. She married veteran TV director Jeffrey Haydon in 1951 – the marriage lasted until his death in 2016 – and had two children. He acted in about 20 films but turned down many roles to devote time to his family.

Later in her career, Saint returned to TV work frequently. He won an Emmy Award in 1990 for his performance in the drama “People Like Us”. He also took on film roles in the 80s, including “Because of Winn-Dixie”, “Winter’s Tale” and “Superman Returns”, a film in which Brando appeared posthumously using archive footage from the 1970s.

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