I Just Watched...

[Lorna]

apologies for the watermarks (especially on the last one!!!!!) but I just HAD to share these images of ANGELA LANSBURY filming DEATH ON THE NILE:

[Lorna]

also,

I have to GRIPE that searching for IMAGES or DELETED SCENES for DEATH ON THE NILE 1978 on most SEARCH ENGINES clogs my results with images from the unfortunate (RECENT) remake which I would rather not discuss because, believe it or not, but I'm trying to be less of a b!tch, at least for the moment.

HOWEVER

I did find this WONDERFUL STILL which (for me) suggests they filmed a scene between MRS OTTERBOURNE and ROSALIE similar to the one for MRS VAN SCHUYLER and BOWERS (and THE LAWYER) where they read the news about the couple honeymooning in EGYPT and decide to try an ambuSh

NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM SORRY THEY CUT IT

[Lorna]

I WILL ALSO THROW OUT THAT I LOVE THE CORAL COLORED GOWN WORN BY OLIVIA HUSSEY SO DAMN MUCH, IT IS SERIOUSLY THE ESSENCE OF TIMELESS CHIC, CONGRATULATIONS TO ANYONE FOR LOOKING THIS GOOD AT ANY TIME DURING THE 1970S.

YOU COULD PUT ON EITHER ONE OF THESE GOWNS TODAY AND PROVIDED THE FIT WAS RIGHT, YOU COULD OWN THE MOMENT.



PS- THE CLUTCH TOO!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!! Say what you will about THE MOTHERING SKILLS OF SALOME OTTERBOURNE, she kept that girl DRESSED TO KILL IN SOME ABSOLUTE HIGH END ROSE-tinted FANTASY.

Also, the name ROSALIE is surprisingly lovely and tasteful, I wonder if her father talked SALOME out of naming her God only knows what...

[Lorna]

Also, the name ROSALIE is surprisingly lovely and tasteful, I wonder if MR OTTERBOURNE talked SALOME out of naming her God only knows what...

Eros? Phylandrea? Trellis? Vanity? Clytemenstra? Amaryllis? Apple? would love to have seen her list.

[Lorna]

I'll shut up about DEATH ON THE NILE after this (and SPOILERS hereafter)

But if I could change ONE THING about the film, it would be to rewrite the scene where OLIVIA HUSSEY finds out that her MOTHER has been shot- as it is it's a tight two shot with her and JON FINCH and she underplays it criminally- almost to a degree where you feel like they didn't trust her to pull off a GENUINE reaction. I know the film is something of a ROMANTIC FANTASY, but it does not completely untether itself from human emotions- witness PETER USTINOV'S excellent reaction at the end when MIA FARROW asks if his character is bothered by his discovery that she is in fact a heartless murderer- his voice breaks and his eyes betray great sadness.

i wish they had worked PETER USTINOV into the scene TO BE SYMPATHETIC, because it bothers me how afterwards during the "all is revealed" scene ROSALIE is sitting there calmly as he includes her on the suspect list which, y'know, I get that POIROT is a little NEURODIVERGENT, but c'mon dude, this lady's mom had her brains blown out like 20 minutes ago- don't be a dick right now.

Had ROSALIE reacted with a mixture of genuine grief, shock and (yes) relief, then tearfully insisted on attending the denoument, then it would be a better film.

it's a misfired chance right at the end and i think it hurts the momentum at a crucial moment.

also, if during the disembarking scene at the end, POIROT had gotten the JON FINCH CHARACTER to reveal he was really AN ENGLISH BARON it would've been one more twist, and a pleasant one.

i really do wonder WHY they left that out???

[Hibi]

apologies for the watermarks (especially on the last one!!!!!) but I just HAD to share these images of ANGELA LANSBURY filming DEATH ON THE NILE:

LOL. Thanks for those. How did she not get an Oscar nomination for that role?

[Hibi]

also,

I have to GRIPE that searching for IMAGES or DELETED SCENES for DEATH ON THE NILE 1978 on most SEARCH ENGINES clogs my results with images from the unfortunate (RECENT) remake which I would rather not discuss because, believe it or not, but I'm trying to be less of a b!tch, at least for the moment.

HOWEVER

I did find this WONDERFUL STILL which (for me) suggests they filmed a scene between MRS OTTERBOURNE and ROSALIE similar to the one for MRS VAN SCHUYLER and BOWERS (and THE LAWYER) where they read the news about the couple honeymooning in EGYPT and decide to try an ambuSh

NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM SORRY THEY CUT IT

YES, too bad!

[Hibi]

Also, the name ROSALIE is surprisingly lovely and tasteful, I wonder if MR OTTERBOURNE talked SALOME out of naming her God only knows what...

Eros? Phylandrea? Trellis? Vanity? Clytemenstra? Amaryllis? Apple? would love to have seen her list.

LOL! Apparently sanity prevailed. I have a cousin named Rosalie. She's older than me. It's the kind of name that's not so common anymore. (except maybe in England).

[Lorna]

Also, the name ROSALIE is surprisingly lovely and tasteful, I wonder if MR OTTERBOURNE talked SALOME out of naming her God only knows what...

Eros? Phylandrea? Trellis? Vanity? Clytemenstra? Amaryllis? Apple? would love to have seen her list.

LOL! Apparently sanity prevailed. I have a cousin named Rosalie. She's older than me. It's the kind of name that's not so common anymore. (except maybe in England).

it should be though! it's a lovely name.

as for LANSBURY not getting an Oscar nomination- she and MAGGIE SMITH and USTINOV were up for BAFTAS and I think LANSBURY won the NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW for BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS for DEATH ON THE NILE- MAGGIE SMITH of course won THE OSCAR that year, but for CALIFORNIA SUITE- and she deserved it even though I don't like anything AT ALL about ANYTHING ELSE in that movie.

TO BE FAIR, LANSBURY's is a BROAD PERFORMANCE in a very STAGEY and CLASSIC FILM ACTING STYLE- two things that were not big with OSCAR VOTERS in the 1970s, who tended to go for more gruff realism and methody stuff. (SMITH certainly doesn't give a restrained performance in CALIFORNIA SUITE, but it's still rooted in reality to a degree)

[Lorna]

also, I hate to speculate, but FANTASTIC AS SHE IS, I get the sense the role came very naturally to LANSBURY and she had A BLAST doing it- the 1970s were kind of the beginning of the whole "you need to suffer and be miserable and lose or gain 60 pounds in order to get a nomination" trend

[Hibi]

also, I hate to speculate, but FANTASTIC AS SHE IS, I get the sense the role came very naturally to LANSBURY and she had A BLAST doing it- the 1970s were kind of the beginning of the whole "you need to suffer and be miserable and lose or gain 60 pounds in order to get a nomination" trend

Yes, probably true. I'm not sure who else was up that year. I was surprised at the time she didn't get one (nomination). Yes, it's broad and over the top, but just what the role called for.

[Hibi]

it should be though! it's a lovely name.

Yes, I like it too. A fancier version of Rose or Rosy.

[kingrat]

What I think of as "old lady names"--names that no woman under 60 had when I was growing up--are back in fashion. Hannah, Emma, Sophie, Eliza, Amelia--a friend has high school students with these names. I know people who have named their little girls Mabel and Millie. Rosalie is much worthier of revival than any of these. If Hannah and Emma are now considered chic, is there hope for Bertha and Gertrude?

[Lorna]

also, I hate to speculate, but FANTASTIC AS SHE IS, I get the sense the role came very naturally to LANSBURY and she had A BLAST doing it- the 1970s were kind of the beginning of the whole "you need to suffer and be miserable and lose or gain 60 pounds in order to get a nomination" trend

Yes, probably true. I'm not sure who else was up that year. I was surprised at the time she didn't get one (nomination). Yes, it's broad and over the top, but just what the role called for.

absolutely.
GOD, can you imagine GLENDA JACKSON in the part, all DOUR and HUMORLESS?

[Lorna]

ONE OTHER FUN THING they could have done in the disembarking scene at the end of DEATH ON THE NILE would have been to have POIROT and RACE inform ROSALIE OTTERBOURNE that she has AN AIRTIGHT WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM against THE ESTATE OF SIMON DOYLE which could well result in her becoming the prime beneficiary of THE RIDGEWAY FORTUNE, and at that moment, JON FINCH'S eyes turn to DOLLAR SIGNS and a brief refrain of "WE'RE IN THE MONEY!" starts to play on the soundtrack as they walk down the gangplank.