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Post by dreamer on Jan 31, 2007 8:00:37 GMT -5
;D The more films I see of Joan - the more I like her, not fare from being a fan - but never will she take in Kate's place. Always NO 1. ;D Harsh - naaah Shaun Have just ordered My Way of Life by JC - the first book made me curious, not because of the abuse but because of the lack of Joan's history. Have visited some sites about Joan and they are really interesting. www.joancrawfordbest.com/menupage.htmjoancrawfordma.tripod.com/The first link is interesting - a encyclopedia and index + an amount of pics never seen before on a website and on the second link fans are writing with Joan's grandson, also quit interesting. One site even assume that it was suicide and not heart failure nor cancer. That she was lonely - didn't want to live anymore. My mushy heart! ::cries:: Many of the really great ones - seems to me - they were extremely vulnerable. When work was gone - they missed the world and how it used to be to much. But on the other hand so do most people as they retire. The stars just seems to fall deeper. Amber - did you know that she during her school time slept in a closet under the stairs. Oh boy she must have fought her way up? Leave for now - joining Johnny Guitar on the couch
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Post by Shaun on Jan 31, 2007 13:10:36 GMT -5
I'm not saying I'll never seen another Joan Crawford movie again. It will probably just take that one special movie to push me over the edge. But I'm standing by my harsh statement though. She was a looker in the 30s for sure, but those thick eyebrows she began sporting later on and that extremely square jawline....no thanks. Go ahead, recommend me a Crawford movie I'll love. Something along the lines of Mildred Pierce and Humoresque.
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Post by Richard on Jan 31, 2007 15:27:10 GMT -5
Shaun, if you can, rent Dancing Lady. I'm almost positive you'll like that one.
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Post by dreamer on Jan 31, 2007 15:39:41 GMT -5
Hi Shaun, enjoyed Reunion in France and Above Suspicion but I'm not sure, if they are in the same category as those two you mentioned, they are fabulous if not outstanding. I don't "category" a person from their looks or fashion - try to see deeper (movement, body language and such) and a specialty of mine is voices. Joan's, I like - in the films I have seen of hers - it has been warm and what I would call welcoming. Don't want to sound snobbish - sorry if it should sound so, not my intension! Believe emotions can be told in many ways. Kate was an expert in it - just remember OGP "you are my knight in shiny armor". She too used her eyes to tell stories (oh boy what stories could they tell), which I also think Joan could and did. Did see Johnny Guitar this afternoon and enjoyed it. Even though they call it a western - I don't see it as such nor bought it because of. To use some of Martin Scorsese's words: In the US people expected a western. It seems and looks like a western. But people didn't know what to think of it. They laughed at it or ignored it. On the other hand in Europe out of the American context, they saw it, for what it was, a totally different picture - an intense, unconven-tional and stylish picture full of ambiguations and subtext. I just don't quite understand why people in the US didn't saw it how we in Europe see it. A guess anybody?
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Post by Judy on Jan 31, 2007 15:44:35 GMT -5
I'm not saying I'll never seen another Joan Crawford movie again. It will probably just take that one special movie to push me over the edge. But I'm standing by my harsh statement though. She was a looker in the 30s for sure, but those thick eyebrows she began sporting later on and that extremely square jawline....no thanks. Go ahead, recommend me a Crawford movie I'll love. Something along the lines of Mildred Pierce and Humoresque. Crawford would not make my top ten list but here's a very respectable group of movies in which I think she excelled: GRAND HOTEL - she, in my humble opinion, is the best thing in a movie boasting John and Lionel B, Garbo, etc., SUSAN AND GOD, THE WOMEN, A WOMAN'S FACE, the aforementioned MILDRED PIERCE and HUMORESQUE, even BABY JANE. And here's a little bit of trivia: As you Crawford fans know, or anyone who's seen MOMMIE DEAREST, in the late 60's she replaced Christina for a time in the soap opera that Christina was doing - playing the SAME CHARACTER that Christina played. My mother used to watch these CBS soaps and she got me hooked on them, too. I remember coming home from school - must've been 14 years old or so - and tuning in and seeing her come on instead of Christina. I don't think I knew much about her at the time, but I distinctly remember thinking, "how weird. She's gotta be at least twice the age of the young person she was trying to play." That truly was an odd blip on her career. Strange. I, for one, have never criticized her for all those horror movies. I would have preferred if she hadn't done them, but I always recognized it as an actress with little being offered to her just doing the best she could. Must have been extra difficult for someone like Crawford to age. So involved with her look and image as the decades passed. I think she always said nice things about Kate and vice versa. I know I've told this before, but I remember that the day I got to meet Kate after a performance of A MATTER OF GRAVITY in Baltimore, it was the day after Joan died. The newspapers all had her on the front page, and a friend I had then who was working with the GRAVITY company told me that they purposely kept them out of Kate's sight so it wouldn't upset her before a performance. Judy Oh, one more thing. In the early 70's a press rep named John Springer did a series of shows called LEGENDARY LADIES OF THE MOVIES. I saw them all. The 4 women he chose to interview onstage at Town Hall in NYC (after which they answered audience questions) were: Bette Davis, Myrna Loy, Sylvia Sidney and Joan Crawford. They each received great ovations, but the one for Joan surpassed them all. Audience clapped for what seemed like an hour when she walked out. Davis was first up and her evening lasted the longest, as I recall - because at that time Springer was the first to do this sort of thing. After that initial series, other stars did it periodically - like Cary Grant and Gregory (neither of whom I ever saw and both of whom I would've killed to see). But Springer's shows were the first of this kind. So they learned as they went. With Davis, he interviewed her and then gave her the mike and she walked up and down the stage calling out to people with raised hands so they could ask a question. Went on quite a long while and was great. Then they realilzed that it would be best to have the audience fill out cards with their questions so that he could read it to the other actresses on their nights. Was more professional, but a bit less fun than the Davis evening. After that series he did individual interviews with others and the one who put them all to shame - in terms of screaming, howlilng fans - was - believe it or not, Lana Turner. I am not a Turner fan per se, but went to that one as well because I couldn't pass up the chance to see a bona fide Hollywood movie star. Even though she was not a favorite.
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Post by dreamer on Jan 31, 2007 16:02:40 GMT -5
Judy wrote Hi forgot that I saw The Women as well - and liked it. I believe Joan was even better as Garbo in Grand Hotel - IMO Now I can't wait for Baby Jane to arrive. Thanks for sharing that Judy - please more stories
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Kama
Full Member
Posts: 193
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Post by Kama on Jan 31, 2007 16:59:24 GMT -5
When I think about "Grand Hotel" (great movie, but book is better), I always have this story on my mind: "Joan Crawford was irked by Greta Garbo's insistence on top billing and decided to take her revenge. Knowing that Garbo loathed tardiness and Marlene Dietrich in equal measures, Crawford played Dietrich records between shots and made sure to arrive late on set." (from IMDB) ;D
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Post by Richard on Jan 31, 2007 17:47:52 GMT -5
^^^Ha! Thanks for the info, Judy, that was good to know. By the way, I think www.joancrawfordbest.com has a transcript of that Town Hall interview on its website. I distinctly remember reading some of it months ago. I can't seem to find it now. Would love to find transcripts for the rest of those women. Davis in particular.
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Post by dreamer on Jan 31, 2007 19:43:04 GMT -5
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Hepburner
Full Member
'Enemies are so stimulating'
Posts: 180
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Post by Hepburner on Jan 31, 2007 22:54:25 GMT -5
First off, I love old hollywood. And most of these women were good actresses - except Garbo, I've said it before I think, and I shall say it again - ick! just not good.
Davis and Crawford have done some good work. I dont think Baby Jane is among their good work however. But, despite saying this, I find them both repulsive. Davis was brilliant (I thought) in Of Human Bondage, Jezebel and All About Eve, and Dark Victory actually, but I just find her repulsive. I don't know why. In fact, many of these actresses were like that. Crawford was good in some things too. Mildred Pierce. Humoresque, and she was good in Grand Hotel. But again, bore bore bore.
I think these women were good actresses, yes, but I find it too hard to really enjoy them. Somehow they just repulse me, and i find them highly unappealing. Garbo was the same, only with her, I find her performance blah! also.
Anywho, I have to disagree with many of your choices. Whilst I think these women were good at what they did, they aren't at all likable. I will post my own though. So you all can rip into mine lol.
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Hepburner
Full Member
'Enemies are so stimulating'
Posts: 180
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Post by Hepburner on Jan 31, 2007 23:49:50 GMT -5
These are the people that interest me: Rita Hayworth: Some of her films are not *really* my cup of tea (being that I'm not into musicals), but I loved Blood & Sand, Gilda, The Lady From Shanghai, Miss Sadie Thompson (which I preferred to earlier versions - Rain)... Humphrey Bogart: Bogey was just such an interesting player. And many great films, that needn't be named since so many of them are immortal classics, earn him #1 on AFI's list - and he sooooo deserves it. And ain't this picture cute... Cary Grant!: Some utterly great movies to his name. I personally find him odd in color films. he has a kind of Scotch color to him, this weird off orange color, its so weird, has anyone noticed that? He was a great actor though. I especially loved Only Angels Have Wings, why I know not. JIMMY!: Such personality, and he was great in everything I've seen him in. Though I think he was especially great in TPS. I know thats a bit cliche on this particular forum, but it's true. He was just fantastic. Gene Tierney: I have seen her in a handful of films, and loved each. I'm not sure whether that's the films by themselves, or her. But I do like her. Very much. Not many actresses get a scene like this one (that the pic is from), but she did...and she delivered one of the best pieces of cinema I've seen (IMO). lastly: MARLON!: In his early days he did some great performances. A Streetcar Named Desire for one. Amazing. I also loved him in The Wild One, and On The Waterfront. However, I do think he is somewhat over rated as a whole. And I will confess, that a small part of why I love him...is ..*ahem* sex appeal.
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Post by Shaun on Feb 1, 2007 13:12:26 GMT -5
Shane, you and I have similar tastes--except where Davis and Garbo are concerned. I'm dying to see Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven. It's at the top of my list.
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Post by HollywoodHepcat on Feb 1, 2007 16:58:21 GMT -5
Oh well. I say we'll agree to disagree. I luff Greta and Joanie and Bette. And that's all I'm going to say about it. We all love Katie-poos, so all of us must have pretty smashing tastes!
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Post by HollywoodHepcat on Feb 1, 2007 16:59:18 GMT -5
HOW CUTE WAS STEVE BOGART WHEN HE WAS A BABY???!!
too bad he grew up to be such an ass to Betty.
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Kama
Full Member
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Post by Kama on Feb 1, 2007 17:20:03 GMT -5
And have you read "Bogart. In Search of My Father" by Stephen Bogart? A good book, really interesting. A little hard to read for Bogie "believers", but it's worth of your time. (There are some great parts about Kate, too). About my taste... Bogart, Bacall (together I like them the most), V. Leigh, C. Grant, G. Peck. And S. Tracy of course. I can't say a lot about Garbo - I have seen only "Grand Hotel" and "Ninotchka", but I think (very originally ) that she was fascinating. I like the description of Garbo by Kate in Berg's book.
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