I was tagged by
Rick Olson for this 20 Actresses meme which was started by my friend and sometime drinking buddy Nathaniel at
The Film Experience. I love many, many lead actresses in Hollywood and World Cinema history and could make a list of 20 plus easily without breaking a sweat. But it's the character actresses that usually bring a smile to my face more frequently and since they are always forgotten at times like these I decided to focus on them exclusively. Some of these got lead roles in B-pictures (Cinema Styles favorite Glenda Farrell) while others never went beyond bit parts that called for comic relief (Mary Wickes, Marion Lorne). Some were formidable actresses on stage as well as screen (Edith Evans, Kate Reid) and some didn't hit full character actress stride until late in their careers (Margaret Rutherford, Ruby Dee). But I love them all. Here they are, in alphabetical order, my Dames in Frames:
The official list is Beulah Bondi, Billie Burke, Ruby Dee, Mildred Dunnock, Dame Edith Evans, Glenda Farrell, Margaret Hamilton, Elsa Lanchester, Marion Lorne, Hattie McDaniel, Agnes Moorehead, Una O'Connor, Maria Ouspenskaya, Kate Reid, Thelma Ritter, Margaret Rutherford, Frances Sternhagen, Billie Whitelaw, Mary Wickes and Estelle Winwood. Even at 20 I had to make some cuts. I considered Marie Dressler but eventually decided she was a star (she did win a Best Actress Oscar after all which none of these did although Hattie McCaniel and Margaret Rutherford won Supporting Oscars) and dropped her from the list but she is most definitely an honorable mention.
And now as always I tag you, and you... and YOU!
118 comments:
God, the images you get Jonathan are just spectacular.
I thought it was 25. Did I make this harder on myself than I needed to?
Anyway, Jonathan, as always, you made mine look like a pile of poo. Thanks for nothing.
Thanks Sheila but I think in this case it's due to my obsessive need to have things streamlined and ordered more than the pics themselves. I don't like multiple pics of different shape and size on a post, it looks too disorganized to me, so by cropping them and putting them all in frames a nice sleek look was achieved.
Bill, 20, 25, there are no rules. Meme rules are made to be broken. Go ahead and throw up another 30. And you've got a great list, by the way.
Thank you, but it's not, really. But I have an excuse! I have a cold!
Colds do make it harder to pick favorites. That's a perfectly reasonable explanation. After going over every possible explanatory variation in my head, I can find no logical holes in that thesis.
Neither can I. It's pretty solid reasoning.
By the way, I finally saw The Old Dark House...actually, I saw it several weeks ago. Anyway, what an odd movie. I liked it, though I was expecting something else, I think. Thesiger was great.
I probably didn't make clear in my review how much it leans towards light-heartedness and comedy but it is an odd movie. And Thesiger is so great as the cowardly and anxious Horace. And how about Saul? I love that character. What must Melvyn Douglas have thought doing this movie where he spends a third acting with the crazy family, a third falling in love and the last act talking to Saul who says things like, "You knew from the moment you met me that I wanted to kill you."
I wonder what he told friends when they asked what was the movie like he was working on?
What a great lineup - hurrah for the character actresses!
I like all these ladies but the one I was most happy to see here was Thelma Ritter. Gotta love Thelma.
And your pics look great. I wish I'd had more success in posting pics with my list, but either Blogger or my own inadequate laptop (not sure which) was making my life a living hell last night.
Jonathan - Yeah, that's what I thought was so odd about it. I knew it was light -- you were clear about that -- but I wasn't really expecting all the shifts, and general weirdness.
Boy, that Charles Laughton sure was an understanding guy, wasn't he?
Pat, you've got a great post, pics or no pics. And isn't it discouraging to know that Thelma Ritter never won an Oscar. Thelma Ritter! No Oscar! Six nominations though. It's a crime.
Damn it, Lapper ... some of them are OLD, and have wrinkles. Didn't you read the fine print? "Must be hot and gorgeous and have this, I don't know, come-hither look about them."
But I have to second Sheila: You do get some spectacular images. Even though a lot of them I don't know, even with my Extensive Cinema Knowledge.
And you saved Estelle Winwood, one of my favorite dames, for last. Kudos!
Boy, that Charles Laughton sure was an understanding guy, wasn't he?
Well it was a pay-per-view relationship so to speak, so I guess he was just being honest with himself. And Douglas moved in so fast he was probably too hungover to realize what had happened.
On the commentary track, the commentary-track-guy says that [SPOILER] Douglas's character died in the novel, which wasn't intended to be light at all.[END SPOILER] Curious...
Didn't you read the fine print? "Must be hot and gorgeous and have this, I don't know, come-hither look about them."
Dude, I totally read that. Why do you think Edith Evans is in there? She's all like, "Hi there sailor. You look ... [gently licks her upper lip] ... thirsty. Spot of tea?." So damn sexy!
I'm glad you like the images, they were hard to come by as these ladies don't have nearly the variety of pics available as the stars do.
Estelle Winwood. She's a treasure.
Bill - I haven't listened to the commentary track yet. Any good? And that comment - Did he mean the novel was not light throughout, or just the ending?
The commentary track is okay. One odd thing about it is that it doesn't start until three or four minutes into the film. Another odd thing is that the guy gives a pretty good run-down on the biographies of all the actors except Gloria Stuart, who he knocks off in a couple of sentences (she also has a commentary track, which I didn't listen to). It's like he's mad at her about something, and he takes it out on her by slighting her on the commentary.
And I gathered that the novel wasn't light at all. It was written by J. B. Priestley, and all I think I know about him is that he was a respected English playwright.
Estelle Winwood: "Hold me, touch me."
J. B. Priestley, and all I think I know about him is that he was a respected English playwright. Jason Priestly from Beverly Hills 90210 wrote Old Dark House? Wow, that guy's got hidden talents.
Where are the biographies on the track? Are they all together, said when an actor arrives, etc? I want to listen to that part now and hear the Gloria Stuart smackdown.
And I bet on her commentary track she says things like, "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets. But now you know there was a man named James Whale and that he saved me... in every way that a person can be saved. I don't even have a picture of him. He exists now... only in my memory.
Rick, she makes the opening sequence of The Producers funny and sweet.
Yes, she does ... it is one of the best opening of a comedy I can think of.
God, I miss Zero Mostel.
And if Blogger supported editing comments, I could have put an "s" on the end of "opening."
Well, not everything is as magical as Wordpress, Mighty Overlord of all Blogging Platforms.
Where are the biographies on the track? Are they all together, said when an actor arrives, etc?.
Pretty much, which I've gathered is SOP for commentaries on old movies. But with Stuart, he wants until almost the very end, and rushes through it, like he's been dreading this moment.
Bow down before the mighty WordPress.
Estelle Winwood: Did he say murder-poo?
Hey Pat (Piper that is) it just occured to me thanks to your quote that I should have put a picture of Elsa and Estelle together in Murder by Death. Ah, a missed opportunity.
I'm not a Frenchie, I'm a Belgie!
I just recently watched Murder By Death with my son.
A wonderful movie.
Interesting list Jonathan and I understand about "breaking a sweat." As I mentioned over at my own blog, these meme things tend to give me a headache. Having to pick only 20 favorite actresses is like walking into one of those Baskin Robbins "31 Flavors" Ice Cream Parlors when you're a kid and being told by your mother that you can only pick 2 flavors. Madness!
I was especially happy to see Elsa Lanchester, Agnes Moorehead and Billie Whitelaw listed since I like them all a lot. I do suspect though that you might have been nervous about putting up leading lady "glamour shots" after the conversation at Rick's place.
It's funny, but a week or two ago I put together a list of "favorite sad songs" for my personal blog (yes, I created another blog for my art, photography, etc. because I lost my personal website) and one of the songs was Morrissey's "Every Day is Like Sunday" and I was surprised to discover that Billie Whitelaw appears in the video. It's not listed in her acting credits, but she's there. Being a Smiths/Morrissey fan I was happy to discover this. Morriesy's a huge film fan of course so I suspect he must have enjoyed having Billie in his video.
Kimberly thanks. I assure you though I wasn't nervous about posting any glamour shots, I just wanted to do character actresses.
I didn't know about any Billie Whitelaw connection to Morrissey though. I haven't seen that video either.
But speaking of musical connections I think my favorite performance by Whitelaw may be as the mother in The Krays starring the Kemp brothers of Spandau Ballet. She's fantastic in that.
I bet I could find glamour shots of all the actresses listed and lets be honest here, some of those shots above are really lovely! Glamour photography is an art form that can make anyone look fabulous and unreal.
Whitelaw is terrific in The Krays. It's pretty amazing to consider how many great movies she's appeared in!
Actually, those are the best shots of most all of them I would say. Agnes Moorehead looks terrific as does Elsa, Glenda, Billie (both) and so on. It's just that that's what glamour shots are for those actresses of that time. And I think they look great. Trust me, I looked for the best, and the one of Margaret Hamilton was the best one available. Margaret just didn't go with glamour very well.
Billie Whitelaw is on my list, too. (Not that anyone's asked me for my list.) I love her at her ball-breaking best, as in Frenzy.
Someone did ask: Bill. He tagged when he put his list up last night. Technorati is a slow moving animal so it may not have shown up yet. Anyway, you were the only one I was going to tag because I was going to ask you to do your 20 favorite horror actresses but then I saw Bill tagged you and didn't.
And I'm glad to know Billie is on your list too. I love her in Frenzy too, and even though we're all avoiding the 500 pound gorilla in the room, The Omen, because it's so over stressed in her career, it doesn't change the fact that she was absolutely awesome in that movie!
You took the photo of Billie Burke I was going to use, you cur. This is payback for "That's a wrap" isn't it. Isn't it!!
Arbo... Bill tagged you over at his blog.
Bill sent me over here to tell you that b/c he's busy right now in the 12/11/08 comment race between him and Lapper. Right now Jonathan is winning 35 - 32. Er... make that 36 - 32.
37-32
Marilyn, you had to remind me. Such bad memories, all flooding back in. I'm off to see your list.
Fox - I already told Arbo three comments up. And the only reason Bill is so close is because he and Rick had like a 12 comment exchange about nothing in there.
38 -32
Never mind. I just went to Ferdy on Films and The Hellstrom Chronicles is still up. Marilyn, why must you tease me like that?
39 -32
I refuse to cheat in the comment contest. Someone put up comment 40.
These are just great, your choices, and the wonderful photos of them. Great Dames.
(Hah! Comment number 40!)
They're up now, Jonathan.
I didn't know we were having a comments race. I'm above that sort of thing anyway.
Thanks Jacqueline, for the kudos and the number 40 comment.
Marilyn, I shall check it out, thanks for the update.
Bill, by commenting on this thread, thus upping my comment count despite it working against your own total, you have taught me the true meaning of Christmas.
Before this I thought it had something to do with a rough combination of pagan nature rituals, winter celebrations, Messiah births and gift giving.
But now I know it is a vaguely defined celebration of blog commenting. Or something like that. Thanks Bill.
Lights, please?
"And there were in the same country bloggers abiding on the web, keeping watch over their blogs by night. And, lo, Marilyn from Ferdy on Films came upon them, and the glory of all that is Ferdy shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And Marilyn said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy and comments aplenty, which shall be to all bloggers."
I think I'm going to cry.
Loo loo loo
La loo loo loo loo
LOO LOO LOO
La loo loo loo
All: "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"
We should have a gift exchange between everybody. To keep it cheap, we can just pick out a DVD from our collections and mail it to our secret santas.
Of course, we'd have to select whichever one of us that hates Christmas (Arbo??) and have him/her send the random selection of names to all the bloggers.
Then we can open them all together on December 20th at 9:00 PM and cry together.
Oh, I like your casting, Jonathan.
I actually like that idea, Fox. But I don't have a clue who anyone but Rick is.
I actually like that idea, Fox.
I know. At first I was just typing it for fun, but as I kept going I started thinking... "hey, this would be kinda fun."
But I don't have a clue who anyone but Rick is.
Well, my real name is Mark. I have blue eyes, brown hair, and people tell me I look like Ryan Gosling from the Lars and the Real Girl poster. I like Mexican food, dogs, movies, music, and talking to girls.
I'm Bill R.
I'm Pat Piper. People tell me that my skin is the color of the underbelly of a fish.
My real name is John Book, I'm a detective out of Philadelphia currently hiding out in Amish country.
I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
That's true about Piper. We were playing a charity softball game and he dove for a pop fly. Anyway, his shirt came up a bit and his stomach was glittery like Edward's skin gets when he gets near the sun in Twilight.
(I realize that's the gayest thing I've ever written, but oh well...)
Well, my real name is Mark.
As in Marky Mark? Do you have a Funky Bunch?
HAHA... John Book is a great name!
Do you also sit in your car a lot and think about your life while looking out at the landscape through your windshield?
Another fun fact Pat has shared with his readers recently is that he sweats. A lot! As in a few feet of walking produces that "just ran a marathon" look that the ladies love so much.
Did John Book do that?
Do you also sit in your car a lot and think about your life while looking out at the landscape through your windshield?
Nah, mainly I go into town and beat up unsuspecting locals when they put ice cream on my nose.
As in Marky Mark? Do you have a Funky Bunch?
Yes. Well, no. No funky bunch, but yes I get called Marky Mark all the time. Girls like to call me "Marky" so... you know, it just is inevitable.
If you knew my last name you would know another name I've been called my entire life. It pre-dates Marky Mark, and it's more annoying b/c people ALWAYS ask me, "Hey, are you related to ___ _____ ?" It's sooooo original everytime I hear it.
Did John Book do that?
Bill, I don't think Fox knows I'm talking about the movie Witness.
Fox, we're talking about Witness.
Fun Fact Pat!! That's a brilliant nickname just born here.
"Hey everybody... LOOK! Here comes Fun Fact Pat and his book of curious information to share with all of us!"
If you knew my last name you would know another name I've been called my entire life. It pre-dates Marky Mark, and it's more annoying b/c people ALWAYS ask me, "Hey, are you related to ___ _____ ?" It's sooooo original everytime I hear it.
Russell. Your last name's Russell right?
Awww... why'd you kill the illusion! I thought you were awesome for a second. (I mean, you ARE awesome, but I though you were really special awesome.)
Witness. Isn't that the movie where Danny Glover pees on Lukas Haas in the bathroom and then cuts Kelly McGillis' throat for seeing the whole thing go down... or something???
Singer?
Russell. Your last name's Russell right?
Yeah. Clerks at 7/11 have been dropping "Hey are you related to Bertand Russell?" on me my whole life.
Singer?
As in Alvy or Bryan?
Man... this thread has taken off. We're so good at banter.
Now why do you have to spoof 7-11 clerks like that?
No, no I was thinking Mark Russell as in you have the same name. You know, like Mike Bolton in Office Space.
Since your first name is Mark I'm going with famous people who have the first name Mark. But now I see that you mean you simply have a recognizable last name that does not combine with your first name to make a famous celebrity name. So basically, there's no way in hell I could guess.
Well there goes my Mark David Chapman, Mark Felt, Mark Hamill, Mark McGwire and Mark Ruffalo guesses.
And I guess you're not Marcus Welby, MD either.
Now why do you have to spoof 7-11 clerks like that?
HAHA!!! Well played, Bill.
It has to be an uncommon last name, or else no one would ever make the connection, so my guesses are:
Hitler
Shakespeare
Frankenstein
Christ
Guevara
Paltrow
And I guess you're not Marcus Welby, MD either.
My best friend's sister called em that as a kid and I didn't get the reference until I was an adult.
Well there goes my Mark David Chapman, Mark Felt, Mark Hamill, Mark McGwire and Mark Ruffalo guesses.
Thank you for leaving Mark Furman off that list.
Thank you for leaving Mark Furman off that list.
Well I kept Mark David Chapman on so I wouldn't be too grateful.
I believe your last name is Terwilliker.
Oh wait a minute! Are we missing the obvious? Is it just Fox? And are people like, "Dude, was Redd Fox your uncle?" Or "are you Michael J. Fox's little brother?"
When you say "Mark David Chapman", you mean Stephen King, right?
And since we're on the topic of MDK, here's my pick for WORST POSTER OF THE YEAR
Yes, that poster sucks.
So what's your last name and why do you reveal it to 7-11 clerks?
I got the Chapman/King reference!! Huzzah!
Bill-
As someone who keeps an eye on the Bilderbergers, I knew I could count on you for that!!!
So what's your last name and why do you reveal it to 7-11 clerks?
You know, like when they see your ID or Credit Card, or something???
See, I actually have to go out and shop for myself. I don't have a butler like you do over at Manoir De Lapper.
Did you know Mark Chapman, of The Langoliers, was originally cast as Lennon in the made for tv movie but was dropped because of his name.
And now he's playing him in Chapter 27 for the same reason.
Times change huh?
*gotta stop logging in under my old blogger pseudonym*
See, I actually have to go out and shop for myself. I don't have a butler like you do over at Manoir De Lapper.
My butler's name is Mark Wahlberg.
The last comment was deleted by the author. I bet it was Stephen King threatening us for revealing his truths, but then he decided that he'd say too much so then he deleted his comment. Man, I got goosebumps just thinking about that!
Now the deleted comment has been deleted! I AM FREAKING OUT!!!!
It was me. I used the wrong login.
Sorry, I have multiple blogs and get confused as to who in the hell I am sometimes.
Wait, wait, wait! Some dude named "Mark Chapman" was in that Stephen King Langoliers show!?
Why doesn't King just confess what he's done?? He's obviously trying to shine a light on his guilt!
And now Chapman the actor is playing Lennon. Weird.
Wait a minute! Now it makes sense! Fox, your last name is Lightfoot!
I'd say that we should call the FBI, but I bet they probably hired King to kill Lennon in the first place.
I'm off to pick up the little one from school. When I get home I want to see:
1. Fox's real name.
2. Stephen King brought to justice.
That is all.
I went to go fax something, came back, read y'alls comments, and now my brain is going insane. You just opened up like 3 cans of conspiratorial worms and I don't know where to start!!!!
Bill... is Jonathan - GULP - one of them?!? Is he a spook?
I'm off to pick up the little one from school.
Wow... you know you are leaving your place to me and Bill, right?
Fox, I just broke Jonathan's priceless vase that he specifically told me not to touch!! What do I do!? What do I do!?
Remember that episode of The Brady Bunch when Peter had to glue it back together? Maybe we should try that. ... or, no, let's just blame it on Mark Wahlberg!
No, I'm just going to make him a new one. My pottery skills are boss, and he'll never know the difference.
Oh great!!!
Arbo just showed up and he's in the backyard peeing in the pool, Marilyn is out front with a bullhorn shouting down little kids about Chicagoland politics, and Rick Olson and Fun Fact Pat are in the kitchen making sugar and Captain Crunch sandwiches!!!
HELP!!
I'm very, very busy fielding calls about Bettie Page. Really, my blogometer is going through the roof over my review of The Notorious Bettie Page. But now that you mention it, Patti Blagojevich could use a little restraint, a la the lead picture, over her potty mouth...
Uh...Fox? Jonathan's bedroom is on fire. I don't know why.
PS - I'm going to have to start posting Bettie Page pictures ASAP.
Van Johnson just died too.
WHAAATTT? I love Van Johnson!
I didn't know Van Johnson was still alive...
Of course, he isn't anymore....
If Piper is Fun Fact Pat, then which Pat am I?
This comments thread has been a very entertaining way to spend the last half hour of the work day.
Yeah. :(
I just heard it on the radio.
I love him in Brigadoon.
Pat-
To me YOU ARE Fun Fact Pat b/c Pat PIPER is always Piper to me.
So... I will fight for your right to be FFP forever!!
p.s. Will anyone be mad if I say I think Gretchen Mol is prettier than the actual Bette Page?!?
No, I'm not trying to usurp the other Pat's "fun factness" - I'm just looking for my own, unique "Pat identifier."
Well, kids, I'm off to Borders to pick up a copy of Carrie Fisher's new autobiography, then home to crank out a reveiw of "Slumdog Millionaire." Good luck gluing that vase back together before Jonathan gets back!
Yeah... uh, I think Bill read home crying b/c I haven't heard from him in about an hour.
Have a good night Pat!!
I didn't glue anything -- I made a new vase.
Gretchen Mol is very pretty.
Happy now, Fox? I didn't "read home crying" after all.
Yeah, I don't know where that "read" came from. That was bizarre. I think I am exhausted and loopy on 409 and paint fumes at the office.
p.s. If you ARE at work, be careful before checking out Arbo's obit on Bettie Page.
Well I'm back. Anyway, I was thinking that I could...
HEY!!!! What happened to my vase?!!???!?
Why does the pool smell like pee?!?
What the hell was... Jesus! Why is there sugar and Cap'n Crunch all over the kitchen?!!!
WAHLBERG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bill, Fox - You guys must've been out when Wahlberg made this huge mess. Man, I wish you'd been here. You guys would've stopped him.
Anyway, let me read the comments that went up while I was out and...
HEY!!!!!!
Thanks a lot guys. That's it, I'm going to go lay down in the bedroom for a...
HEY!!!!!
I'm never leaving this blog unattended again. I'm very disappointed.
I loved Van Johnson, so sorry to hear that. I just watched In the Good Old Summertime the other night on TCM.
It's not MY fault! Bill is over at the Coosa Creek fighting about Prince Caspain or something.
Is it me, or does Rick seem to always undercut a high volume thread at Cinema Styles by posting something himself around the same time???? Hmmmm....
He's just jealous.
"Boy, that Charles Laughton sure was an understanding guy, wasn't he?"
I first thought you were referring to Elsa lanchester (one of Jonathan's selections), in whose case my answer is "yes"
And then I realized you were talking about the Lillian Bond/Melvyn Douglas affair in "The Old Dark House", in whose case my answer is, hum, "yes" again. Some spoilers ahead...
As Jonathan has mentioned, there is a practical -friendly- agreement between Laughton and Bond characters (which benefits both), so the man might be a bit melancholy, but not heartbroken: he's still missing his late wife and seems glad to see her Chorus Girl happy (BTW, in the DVD comments, Stuart says she was sorry to see the Laughton character "loose the girl")
I think the little comments on Stuart may be due to tha fact that she speaks on the alternate comment soundtrack, so maybe the other commenter considered that her terrain was already covered?
As for the original novel, yes it is more serious, there is more introspection about the post-war British society, etc... It's good, but I must said I quite prefer Whale's choice of lightning it up, and playing it droll.
My, those Femms make look the Addams like the Brady Bunch!
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