A pile of tragedies plagued this grande dame of stage and screen throughout her life including a series of three strokes which nearly killed her at the age of 39 and a marriage that ended with her husband and her friend's adulterous betrayal. So one could be forgiven for thinking if the overwhelming adversity informed the world-weariness of her Oscar-winning role as Alma in Hud (1963). But Patricia Neal hadn't yet encountered some of her misfortune when she received kudos for this classic performance.
