Ill Used Ladies of the Films

[ken123]

If Linda Darnell was not at Fox I believe her career would have been more noteworthy. RKO and Fox ( to a lesser degree ) miss used Maureen O " Hara. Joan Bennett needed Fritz Lang Direction to show her true talent. Ann Dvorak, perhaps because of her temperment, career was most disappointing. This list could go on and on. Any addition and/or corrections ?

[Ayres]

I've never felt that Warner Brothers employed Joan Leslie up to her potential. In addition to being a good dancer and pretty good singer, she was very good at subtle acting, but many of the roles she got after proving that were in silly offerings like Janie Gets Married. (Although I have to admit that I love Joyce Reynolds in the original Janie--a charming movie that shouldn't have had such a lame sequel.)

[mongoII]

I think that Joan Leslie hit the jackpot in her career. Co-starring opposite James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy", Gary Cooper in "Sergeant York", Bogart in "High Sierra", Henry Fonda in "The Male Animal", Ida Lupino in "The Hard Way", Fred Astaire in "The Sky's the Limit", etc.

[Hollis]

Let's not forget Joan Leslie appearing as herself in "Hollywood Canteen" where she was the object of a young GI's affections. She struck me as an actress who didn't let her position go to her head and remained a "down to earth" sort of person. I'm surprised that she didn't achieve a greater level of "stardom" (if that's the right word) given her good natured, wholesome appeal. She was definitely the type of girl you'd want to "bring home to meet mom!"

Hollis

[Ayres]

I think that Joan Leslie hit the jackpot in her career. Co-starring opposite James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy", Gary Cooper in "Sergeant York", Bogart in "High Sierra", Henry Fonda in "The Male Animal", Ida Lupino in "The Hard Way", Fred Astaire in "The Sky's the Limit", etc.

You're absolutely right. What I wrote didn't quite make sense; I meant to say that after these initial very promising beginnings, WB stopped putting her in such great material. For her career to have been effectively declining by the time she was 19 (in 1944) is just such a shame. Her movie with Fred Astaire is my very favorite film.

[feaito]

RKO and Fox ( to a lesser degree ) miss used Maureen O " Hara.

Talking about the lovely Maureen O'Hara, today I watched a lesser known film of hers: "The Forbidden Street" aka "Britannia Mews" (1949) a Fox drama filmed in England I believe, in which he plays a young society girl who falls for a no-good alcoholic "artist" (played by Dana Andrews with an English Actor dubbing his voice). Andrews plays a dual role, since he appears later in the film as an American who befriends the character played by miss O'Hara. This film also features the legendary Dame Sybil Thorndike in one of her rare film performances as an unpleasant hag who blackmails miss O'Hara. A fine movie.

[SSO Admins]

I suppose that it depends on what you mean by "ill-used." Clara Bow was one of the most popular stars in the world, but because she had no control over her image, she was put in far worse films than she was capable of carrying. The rationale was that a Bow picture would make money regardless, so why waste top notch material on her.

It's a shame, because she really was a fine actress.