tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post8190753940686564013..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: MIDNIGHT LACE 1960Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21809263552892462252020-04-23T23:58:41.096-07:002020-04-23T23:58:41.096-07:00yeah, mary crosby's agents definitely squander...yeah, mary crosby's agents definitely squandered any momentum she gained as being the pistol packin mama who shot j.r. between the legs. i mean between the ribs. still crosby got the best revenge. she turned her back on hollywood and lives a luxurious life riding and taking care of her horses.petercox97https://www.blogger.com/profile/05818754297522029991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30352605024995061082017-11-30T21:48:07.236-08:002017-11-30T21:48:07.236-08:00Hello, Charles
I suspected as much regarding the s...Hello, Charles<br />I suspected as much regarding the so-called "shot in England" info. Remarkable (for me, a Yank) that you recognize and appreciate the participation of so many British character actors in this film. Most of them unknown to me. <br />When I was writing this I was able to find a copy of "Matilda Shouted Fire" on eBay, but found I wasn't curious enough to fork over cash for it. Now that you've reignited my interest, I may check with the University library where my partner works. Green was such an interesting writer, I'm curious to see how the film deviated from the original material. <br />Thanks for reading and commenting! Great to hear from someone from the UK who knows their way around a real British accent.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-32429934218707330412017-11-30T06:31:50.930-08:002017-11-30T06:31:50.930-08:00Guilty pleasure - yes indeed! Perfect example. Jus...Guilty pleasure - yes indeed! Perfect example. Just caught up with it on the UK's Film 4 Freeview channel.<br /><br />You were right to be surprised at the idea that it was shot in London, since it clearly was not... just a token location image or two (as notified on imdb), but otherwise 100% Hollywood studio, always a more seductive dreamy vision of (especially) England than the real thing: cf Mrs Miniver and Random Harvest from the war years, and much else before and since. The great pleasure of Midnight Lace for this UK viewer, 50+ years on, is noting the dedicated work of a number of expat actors who made a career playing frequently in this sort of 'Hollywood British' film. Marshall, Williams, Dawson, Hermione Baddeley... in smaller roles, Gwenllian Gill, Rex Evans and, not least, Anthony Eustrel (from I Know Where I'm Going, UK 1945) in a blink-and-you-miss it part, uncredited, as luggage salesman. <br /><br />And balancing that are the Americans playing English, with less than total verbal conviction: John Gavin, Richard Ney (from Mrs Miniver).<br /><br />Finally, it would be good to track down Matilda Shouted Fire, the play by Janet Green, cf data on her already posted. Who was Matilda and where was the fire? Or maybe someone has done this already. Charles UKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-42276060770397862932017-08-07T23:26:40.044-07:002017-08-07T23:26:40.044-07:00It looks terrific. Had we known about it, my partn...It looks terrific. Had we known about it, my partner and I would have booked a mini vacation there some time ago- we're crazy about dogs. A definite "must do" for the future. <br />Personally, I too would find it difficult to stay there and not at least have the fantasy wish for a Doris sighting in the back of my mind. Thanks!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43590090448974957712017-08-07T13:22:48.458-07:002017-08-07T13:22:48.458-07:00http://cypress-inn.com/pet-friendly-carmel-hotel/
...http://cypress-inn.com/pet-friendly-carmel-hotel/<br /><br />Your pets are always welcome! The website doesn't feature them, but when I was there 20 years ago, there was some seriously impressive film posters framed and on display. I soooo wanted her to be lounging in the lobby. She was not.George W. Tushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13050905945846094987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30892710626028569822017-08-07T08:48:02.627-07:002017-08-07T08:48:02.627-07:00This popped up on my FB page the other day, posted...This popped up on my FB page the other day, posted by a friend, and I too recognized instantly the production still it was taken from! A very good rendering and a funny "catch" for Doris fans.<br />Nice to hear you are such a devoted one (I didn't know she had a hotel in Carmel!).<br />Thanks for sharing the link, I'm sure a lot of folks familiar with Midnight Lace will get a kick out of it.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-24640415816363824972017-08-07T06:11:25.751-07:002017-08-07T06:11:25.751-07:00I love Doris. I'm maybe in the top ten Doris ...I love Doris. I'm maybe in the top ten Doris Day queens of all time. Yes, I've even stayed in her hotel in Carmel. Not even a Sixth Degree, but I was kvelling the whole time I was there. The only film star who can compare is Judy Garland. Both were top film stars. Both found success in television. Both had extremely successful careers in music, separate from their film work. And they are as different as they can be. I can't get started on Doris as there is no stopping. <br /><br />But I saw this today and it seemed worthy of posting here. I don't know any background on this cartoon, but I know who was used as the model. <br /><br />https://68.media.tumblr.com/837e2c4ee43219fbf09c6e3a6cd93b33/tumblr_orxk9yubkA1uxsnzdo1_500.jpg George W. Tushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13050905945846094987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-46471286860691856832017-07-31T00:53:38.274-07:002017-07-31T00:53:38.274-07:00Hello, Bella
Ah, so Roddy was your most likely sus...Hello, Bella<br />Ah, so Roddy was your most likely suspect! My first time seeing this film was so long ago, I don't recall which of the many likely suspects I considered to me the one most likely at the time. <br />But your summation of its attributes (Doris, Loy, McDowell), and detractions (Harrison) are and so in line with my own, I wouldn't be surprised f I'd felt the same.<br />I do find Doris Day's charm to sustain her even in films of which I'm not overly fond. She just has "something." <br />And though I don't think anyone has mentioned it thus far, she HAS always had the most amazing figure!! Often hidden by the boxy style of so many 50s and 60s fashions, but definitely a knockout physique.<br />I like that you appreciate Day in both serious and, if you will "silly" mode, for she's a consistent talent in all genres. It sounds like this is your first time seeing "Midnight Lace"? If so, thanks for sharing your 'fresh eyes' take on the film with us here. Thank you for reading, and I'm happy you enjoyed the review!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35523916030589911722017-07-30T17:48:11.043-07:002017-07-30T17:48:11.043-07:00As always, I enjoyed your review. This movie certa...As always, I enjoyed your review. This movie certainly held my interest - I suspected Roddy McDowell as the villain. I think there was not much chemistry between Doris and Rex which is completely understandable to me - he has a leering creep factor which I find distasteful. Doris, however, was always charming in whatever role she played, even when she got a bit shrill and overwrought. She was quite good in Love Me or Leave Me, though pairing her with Jimmy Cagney seemed really weird at first glance. I know lots of people think the Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedies were silly, but I enjoyed them and still get a laugh at the crazy antics of all the cast. Myrna Loy and Roddy McDowell were very good. John Gavin, as usual, was earnest and predictable.<br /><br />And has anyone mentioned the DD had a killer figure?Bellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15776944214996286021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43747595585218061162017-07-23T03:26:51.198-07:002017-07-23T03:26:51.198-07:00Hi Felix
Good idea not to allow your fun to be spo...Hi Felix<br />Good idea not to allow your fun to be spoiled by reading about a film you're interested in and have yet to see (especially a mystery thriller!), but yes, Doris Day really was a good actress often at odds with what was presumed about her appearance and image. <br />Everything you mentioned about her playing mothers is very evident in "With Six You Get Egg Roll" her last film. The story is pure sitcom, but she is always so dimensional and real.<br />And her more mature acting skills are definitely on display in "The Man Who Knew Too Much"...I too always liked that there was sort of an edge to that "perfect marriage" one suggesting Doris' character didn't give up singing entirely voluntarily. I'm not a big Jimmy Stewart fan, but Doris is great in that role, and there's something marvelously subversive in Hitchcock taking these two icons of homespun values and revealing a bit of the dark. <br />The eternal questions one has about Doris Days career are the "what ifs"...If the image didn't have so much a hold over her choices, what kinds of films would she have chosen. She was certainly one of the more versatile of the studio era actresses. <br />Hope you check this film out sometime. I'm certain it'll become a favorite! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your appreciation of Doris Day, the actress.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-29719247782978203312017-07-22T15:09:54.375-07:002017-07-22T15:09:54.375-07:00Hi Ken,
I'll tell you upfront that I did not ...Hi Ken,<br /><br />I'll tell you upfront that I did not read this review, as I have not yet seen "Midnight Lace" (one of my mom's favorites) and prefer to walk into movies knowing as little as possible. I did, however, skip down to your comments on Doris Day's performance, as I always love to see positive notes on her acting. I've not seen much of her work, only "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and the flawed but interesting KKK drama "Storm Warning" in their entirety, most of "Calamity Jane," and pieces of her 60s comedies, but I agree with you that she always seemed so committed in her acting. People often stereotype her as being a product or groomed starlet of the studio era, and while that may be true in some respects, she definitely worked hard to be a true ACTOR and not just a glamorous star. I find her so appealing especially when she plays mothers, because she seems to embody the very real mix of love, frustration, exasperation and concern that mothers experience. She might have looked like June Cleaver, but she acted like a real mom. One of the things I really enjoy about "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is that there's just a hint of darkness lurking beneath the sunny veneer of Day and Stewart's marriage. They were probably the poster children for old fashioned apple pie Americana in the 1950s, and Hitchcock smartly (and subtlely) subverts that at key points, such as the infamous tranquilizer scene. Day's acting is nuanced enough to make these various shades believable. Meanwhile, outside of Hitchcock, Stewart was also exploring his darker side in a series of westerns for Anthony Mann, particularly "The Naked Spur."Felix Gonzalez, Jr.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34326625233175644782017-07-12T22:12:23.865-07:002017-07-12T22:12:23.865-07:00Hi Chris
Guilty pleasure is pretty much the perfec...Hi Chris<br />Guilty pleasure is pretty much the perfect description for the "I shouldn't like it, but I do" camp delights of MIDNIGHT LACE. It's always intriguing to me when an overabundance of style and ornamentation contribute to making one take a film less seriously than perhaps the filmmakers would like, but MIDNIGHT LACE does seem to veer to camp whenever the camera trains on Doris and her outfits. It's a good thing she's such a compelling actress (you're right, her onscreen breakdowns may have been few, but they clearly were her specialty!) otherwise we'd have to rely on the supporting cast fro drama, and you know where I stand on Harrison and Gavin.<br />For it's faults, it IS a very watchable movie, isn't it. I'm glad to hear it's a favorite of yours as well. Oh, and thanks for calling attention to the gauze used in some of the more glamour shots of Doris Day. When grabbing screencaps for this post, a couple of images were so hazy I thought my eyes were going out on me.<br />Thank you VERY much, Chris! Terrific reading your take on this movie.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-8848504072956955832017-07-11T10:24:06.676-07:002017-07-11T10:24:06.676-07:00Yayy, Ken, this is one of my all-time favorite gui...Yayy, Ken, this is one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures...not because it's a bad film at all, as you note it's very well done, slick and classy. But the camp elements are undeniable, from the gauze that Miss Day is shot through, to the over-the-top Irene gowns and David Webb jewels (Thank you, Ross Hunter and his production designer hubby Jaques Mapes!), to the absolutely overwrought performance of Doris Day as the terrorized heroine....which I ADORE though I bite my nails and wring my hands through the whole movie!(Julie has the same effect on me--it bothers me when people make Doris sob abd moan and cry! Man Who Knew Too Much has a great Doris-nervous-breakdown, scene, too. It was one of her specialties, obviously!) <br /><br />John Gavin's lousy Cockney accent also makes it difficult to suspend the disbelief. But I LOVE Myrna and Rex and Herbert Marshall and Roddy...<br /><br />Ha! Thank God I own this one, Ken, I am definitely popping it into the DVR between now and the weekend!!<br /><br />Thanks again for this delicious treat, your sparkling writing is as entertaining as the film--maybe even more so!<br />-Chrisangelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-76012968135047838752017-07-08T12:24:28.347-07:002017-07-08T12:24:28.347-07:00Hi Ron
Strangely enough, "Glass Bottom Boat&...Hi Ron <br />Strangely enough, "Glass Bottom Boat" is one of the more watchable of her 60s comedies. Like my other favorite "With Six You Get Eggroll," it works for me precisely because it it IS so sitcom-like and silly. Paul Lynde in drag and De Louise being his fey comic self...they're hilarious. it shouldn't work, but it does.<br /><br />Harder to take were those so-called sophisticated sex comedies where you couldn't imagine what Doris Day (with all that hairspray) or the deadly dull Rock Hudson would even do in bed, let alone the tedium of them talking around it for 90 minutes.<br />I don't know what it is, but Doris Day has a certain something that can put across even the weakest material. As you say, you never feel she is phoning it in.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2650228388772275312017-07-08T09:34:06.069-07:002017-07-08T09:34:06.069-07:00I've been a big fan of Doris Day since childho...I've been a big fan of Doris Day since childhood (My parents were big fans,too). I liked (but didn't love) Midnight Lace. Unlike you, I always loved her 60's comedies (though I can understand why they don't appeal to everyone). My favorite movie of hers is "The Glass Bottomed Boat." Don't ask me to justify it. It's a lamebrained romantic comedy with little grounding in real life. I guess it's just that Doris Day gives it her all (and those who can't enjoy the antics of Paul Lynde and Dom Deluise simply have no soul). My favorite part of THAT film is Rod Taylor's fevered vision of Day as Mata Hari (it's hilarious). But that's what makes her so watchable, right? No matter how poor the material, you never feel she's just phoning it in. Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-22497604686175397312017-07-06T08:37:02.890-07:002017-07-06T08:37:02.890-07:00Oh, I get that--one of things I find interesting a...Oh, I get that--one of things I find interesting about your blog is that most of the movies you talk a about are either things I love (or at least have a strange fascination with, like The Sentinel) or films I'd never think of watching. No middle ground. The write-ups are always fun, though, and I'll often laugh out loud as I'm reading.<br /><br />MDG14450https://www.blogger.com/profile/01123092027299291617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75429353629522503072017-07-06T07:13:56.440-07:002017-07-06T07:13:56.440-07:00Hi Michael
You and Joel make a good case for the o...Hi Michael<br />You and Joel make a good case for the ofttimes elusive (to me) onscreen charm of Rex Harrison. Especially in his younger, light-comedy roles. Upon hard reflection I do seem to recall enjoying the way he put his teacup on his head in "My Fair Lady," but I'm afraid that exhausts it.<br />Your observations on "Midnight Lace" are on the money, several of them quite a hoot: Your wife's take on Doris' Midnight Lace "garment." Those are the kind of remarks that one looks forward to when sharing a film like this with the unversed.<br />In all, it seems "Midnight Lace" is one of those films that no one gets too worked up about (it's too harmless to hate, and too affectless to full-out adore), appreciating Doris Day's professionalism while recognizing the vehicle as a whole is somewhat lacking.<br />I'm glad that garage sale DVD beckoned and you answered the call good-naturedly. Thoroughly enjoyed your contribution here, and thank you for reading the post!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-42287880158043706922017-07-06T00:39:33.986-07:002017-07-06T00:39:33.986-07:00Ken,
I found a copy of this movie on DVD at a gar...Ken,<br /><br />I found a copy of this movie on DVD at a garage sale a few days after reading your review so I guess the universe wanted me to watch it. Great write-up, as usual, and some really insightful comments from your readers. First off, I have to say I like how the appreciation of outlandish hats is becoming a semi-regular feature on your blog. Movie hats can be weird and wonderful and it’s nice to find a place where that is recognized. <br /><br />Midnight Lace is quite an odd movie, or at least it appears so to my 2017 eyes. It’s not hip and young but it’s not really a stodgy, old-school melodrama, either. Doris Day seems to be performing in a slightly different movie than the one that is being made. As you pointed out, her acting when she is terrified or breaking down is visceral and real and doesn’t have the arch, glossy artificiality of the rest of the production. (Don’t get me wrong, I love arch, glossy artificiality.) But Day is grittier than the movie. For an actress who is sunniness personified in the popular imagination, she could play dark surprisingly well. The Ruth Etting biopic Love Me or Leave Me is another film where she plays a driven, threatened character to great effect. On the other hand, Doris Day’s personal life was pretty horrific so who can blame her for not wanting to make bleak movies.<br /><br />Like you and most of your commenters, I find the appeal of Rex Harrison a bit baffling, at least in this movie. But I think if you watch The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, some of what audiences saw in him back then comes through. In that, he was imperious, roguish, a bit of a cad and completely charming. Perhaps to 1960s audiences, that Rex Harrison was still fresh in their minds. After all, they didn’t have the specter of Dr. Dolittle and The Honey Pot haunting their memories like we do.<br /><br />I was surprised to read that the costumes were such a big deal in 1960s. My wife thought they were almost unbearably frumpy. She said that Rex Harrison probably decided to murder Doris Day the moment she showed him the midnight lace garment. (I just don’t feel right describing it as lingerie.) If that was her idea of honeymoon wear, that was not destined to be a long marriage.<br /><br />But I enjoyed seeing Myrna Loy and Herbert Marshall, two of my favorite actors from Hollywood’s golden age. I would have loved to hear those two talk between takes. I wonder what they thought of John Gavin’s accent and his awkward pipe handling? Loy was such a class act she most likely kept any uncharitable thoughts to herself, but still. I also like the way you referenced Night Watch. I enjoy putting together double bills and this would be a great one. I think watching Midnight Lace first would double the impact of Night Watch. I’ll have to try it on some unsuspecting friends and see what they think.<br /><br />Michael<br /><br />Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63514722349074125522017-07-05T15:59:56.067-07:002017-07-05T15:59:56.067-07:00I don't find Harrison attractive but he can be...I don't find Harrison attractive but he can be appealing on screen at times. The obvious is Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady but in that case it's because he's supposed to be an insufferable ass and from his reputation that box was checked before he was cast. But he's quite marvelous in The Reluctant Debutante, sly funny and knowing but then his part didn't require any sort of romantic appeal. He and Kay Kendall, who is utterly sensational in the film, are happily marrieds already and his role is reactive to the various situations she manages to entangle them in. He's very fine in the wild imaginings of Unfaithfully Yours, though again why the ravishing Linda Darnell is so hopelessly in love with him isn't clear. And he was a facile comic actor in things like Blithe Spirit but in something like this or The Four Poster where he's the object of romantic affection and called on for nothing else he's just the wrong actor.joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-59305151926711366792017-07-05T15:12:59.827-07:002017-07-05T15:12:59.827-07:00Hi Joel
Yes, Doris and her immovable hair are very...Hi Joel<br />Yes, Doris and her immovable hair are very entertaining. Even as the film they occupy challenges credulity at regular intervals.<br />I enjoyed reading your comments, as they take in the small things that make you scratch your head (Loy's hats, Gavin's non-presence), as well as the general appeal you find in both Doris Day and Myrna Loy as actresses.<br />Rex Harrison is a bit of a hard article. Perhaps if I knew even one person who thought he was an attractive or appealing screen presence, I'd have some insight as to his charm (as you do with your alternate take on my apathy towards McDowall), but as it is, I'm left with my own reaction to him, which is plenty of nothing.<br />I really had forgotten how many striking women he'd been married to.<br />Natasha Parry does indeed exude a Dana Wynter vibe. I hadn't thought of it before, but I certainly see it.<br />I watched the film "Julie" while writing this post, and it is SUCH a melodramatic mess. The flat, B & W photography doesn't help either, but I certainly appreciated seeing Louis Jordan (another actor I tend to think of as always delivering identical performances, film after film) doing something different.<br />Thanks for commenting Joel, and contributing the visual description "upside down flower basket"!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-11021990722571036932017-07-05T14:48:05.668-07:002017-07-05T14:48:05.668-07:00
But that’s often the point I address in my posts,...<br />But that’s often the point I address in my posts, and is most certainly the overriding thrust of this blog. In writing enthusiastically about a film, I’m expressing a wholly subjective experience (hence the personal info and biographical contextualizing I often include). It’s never an endorsement of a film or a call to others that they are guaranteed of having a similar experience.<br />Telling people what they “will” or “should” like may be the cornerstone of professional film criticism and rating sites that use percentages to gauge whether a film is good or bad…but it’s all subjective.<br /><br />If you’re inspired by something I’ve written to explore a particular film, that speaks more to what you’ve gleaned from the piece, and what you seek in the films that you watch.<br />If congratulated you, it was for your risk taking. Your liking a particular film doesn’t really enter into it for me, because what you feel about a movie belongs to you and you alone…it is no reflection of the quality of the films themselves, nor is it reflective of anything other than your subjective experience.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-56355882090863683292017-07-05T12:24:20.445-07:002017-07-05T12:24:20.445-07:00>>Lastly, congrats on extending beyond your ...>>Lastly, congrats on extending beyond your movie comfort zone and taking a chance on films that might otherwise not hold much interest for you.<br /><br />Well, I didn't say I liked them. Actually, I thought Bonjour Tristesse was well acted and beautifully shot--just not my kind of story.<br /><br />I liked everything about What's Up Doc? except the relationship between two leads--I didn't get why she glommed onto him initially and why we were supposed to feel they were destined to be together.<br /><br />I've got Filmstruck as well, but still using it about 2/3 if the time to revisit things I've seen before. MDG14450https://www.blogger.com/profile/01123092027299291617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-69794571477312659432017-07-04T20:28:07.855-07:002017-07-04T20:28:07.855-07:00Hi Ken,
Oy this movie!! I LOVE every overstuffed ...Hi Ken,<br /><br />Oy this movie!! I LOVE every overstuffed inch of it while being completely aware of its preposterous excesses. <br /><br />Doris and her immovable hair are highly entertaining as she rather quickly unspools for our viewing pleasure and Myrna-usually so chic and she is for the most part here but why….why…why did she let them turn a flower basket upside down on her head?-is a graceful steadying presence. Those two ladies alone would be enough for me to watch this but it does offer sumptuous clothes and surroundings and some nice views of midcentury London. <br /><br />As to her costars aside from Myrna I’ve never quite gotten the whole Sexy Rexy thing associated with Harrison who comes across as slick and oily in this leading me to wonder what a lovely seemingly sensible girl like Doris sees in him. There must have been something about him off-screen, though I’ve often read what an ass he was to be around, I mean he managed to have Lilli Palmer, Kay Kendall and Rachel Roberts all fall enough in love with him to marry and Carole Landis commit suicide partly because he wouldn’t leave Lilli for her. Puzzling.<br /><br />I like Roddy McDowell more than you. He wasn’t a gigantic talent but he could twist his unctuousness to suit the role and could come across as sweet and vulnerable (though as the years passed that was rarer) or a conniving little worm with equal dexterity. Because of his notoriety he works well here making more of his small role than there seems to be because of the audience’s familiarity with him.<br /><br />In between viewings I forget that the neighbor lady is Natasha Parry and expect Dana Wynter to show up. That’s not meant as a condemnation, I love Dana Wynter, Parry just reminds me of her quite a bit.<br /><br />I got a chuckle with your note about John Williams! It is a near identical role but he plays it about as well as anyone could.<br /><br />John Gavin was so handsome and so very limited! How he had a semi important career is beyond my understanding. A beautiful himbo whose every line reading (especially here with as you mentioned an appalling accent) is clunky and dull. <br /><br />But I don’t care about any of that with Doris doing her time as Scream Queen in one ultra-luxe number after another while Myrna frets and offers sympathy on the edges I’m happy to wallow for a snappy 100 minutes or so. And as nutty as it is this picture simply has nothing on Dodo’s other foray into the woman in jep sweepstakes “Julie”. That picture is one wacky mess of celluloid!joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-64957565623431209012017-07-02T07:57:13.022-07:002017-07-02T07:57:13.022-07:00You're right, managing to remain friends with ...You're right, managing to remain friends with "the wife" AND "the other woman" is discretion defined.<br />And love your McDowall anecdote! You're a wonderful writer...you could write a biography of McDowall and use that as the preface. Although I suspect you'd need the sleuthing skills of Poirot and Miss Marple to get any facts about the man's discreet life.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-19829656069671977902017-07-01T10:30:35.133-07:002017-07-01T10:30:35.133-07:00Hi,
I think Roddy's capacity for discretion w...Hi, <br />I think Roddy's capacity for discretion was epitomized when he managed to stay on good terms with both childhood pal Elizabeth Taylor and close friend Sybil Burton during the Cleopatra scandal.<br /><br />I told my brush with Roddy McDowall on Poseidon's blog, but I'll repeat: when the actor/photographer was promoting the last of his celebrity photo books, Roddy was doing a signing in one of Chicago's big bookstores, Rizzoli's, I think. There was a huge line, and I approached, hesitantly. When he looked up, Roddy gave me a look worthy of the Big Bad Wolf. I, being much shyer then, probably looked like Bambi in the headlights...and got the hell out of there!<br /><br />Rickhttp://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/https://www.blogger.com/profile/14243899548141583461noreply@blogger.com