The kindness of Angela Lansbury

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mrsl
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The kindness of Angela Lansbury

Post by mrsl »

I know we've touched on this subject before, but I'm not sure if it was here on SSO, or over on TCM.

The subject is how often Murder She Wrote had older actors as guests on the show. I still watch it nearly every day on the Hallmark channel, and fin it to be quite a good show. It reminds me of a mini Sherlock Holmes, or Inspector Poirot wherein the detective gathers all the suspects together, and pieces out the clues to give the final perpetrator. Often the real detectives like and respect her, but more often, the detectives spend most of the show trying to get rid of her, which causes a lot of comic relief.

More than anything, I love the way older actors are showcased. I'm sure in some cases it was just for fun like with Dinah Shore, and June Allyson, but in others I wonder if it was not a case of attempting a come-back, but a ono-charity was of offering financial help in times of need. Some of the people are completely from left field such as Gale Storm, and Dane Clark. Others had been in retirement for years.

These are people who have been on, only in the past two weeks:

Jean Simmons, Jeanne Craine, Ruth Hussey,
Van Johnson, June Havoc, and the people I have already named above.

I just think for this reason alone, the show should receive more respect than it does.

Anne
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Sue Sue Applegate
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Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

I remember reading about what she did for Ms. Rhue, and thinking how kind and considerate she must have been to help someone in need. I love Murder, She Wrote simply for the fact, like mrsl, stated, that you can see so many of our "classic" actors employed in so many episodes.....
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Post by pktrekgirl »

Wow! I had no idea about this! I remember watching and liking that show as a child, but I wasn't into classic film then, so I didn't know any classic film actors. In fact, for many years the only thing I associated with Angela Lansbury herself was MSW. :lol:

I was stunned when I saw GASLIGHT for the first time, very early in my classic film watching career, and recognized her! Because before that, I thought that MSW was it!

Good to know that she was watching out for others. It's always nice to see when those who are successful are humble enough to realize that 'there but for the grace of God go I....' and help people who are willing to work.
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Post by pktrekgirl »

^ Yes. I agree. You know, even once I know about her movie career, I *still* didn't know about her Broadway career for a while. I only found out about that when I watched her Private Screenings.
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Post by mrsl »

The funny thing about it is, if you only know her from MSW, to see her in her prime as a young girl in things like Gaslight and especially The Harvey Girls, is a real shocker to realize how lovely she was.

Maybe being so nice is what has kept her on top for so long!!!???

Anne
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Vecchiolarry
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Post by Vecchiolarry »

Good Morning Everyone,

Yes, Angela is one of the nicest folks around and she has known nearly everybody in show business for over 60 years.

Her mother was a hoot and a great treat for everyone, especially a young kid like me. She knew all the old English musical songs and some were quite risque and then she'd hoot and declare, "Oh, aren't I naughty?!!".... At many a dinner party, I always insisted sitting next to Moyna MacGill... She'd call everybody 'love' and 'ducky' or 'ducks'...

Once when my grandmother got out one of her tiaras, Moyna borrowed one the next day from MGM and came over to see us wearing it.
She told us she was 'the Duchess of Ducks' and insisted that I bow and Nell curtsey. Nell looked askance and declared, "Oh, you silly old cow!!"..
And, Moyna exclaimed, "No deary, it's ducks not cow - ducks - now come on, Nell, bend the knee, bend the knee!!".......


Two stars who didn't appear on 'Murder, She Wrote" but were asked:
Hedy Lamarr and Greer Garson....

Larry
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Post by pktrekgirl »

mrsl wrote:The funny thing about it is, if you only know her from MSW, to see her in her prime as a young girl in things like Gaslight and especially The Harvey Girls, is a real shocker to realize how lovely she was.

Maybe being so nice is what has kept her on top for so long!!!???
One would like to hope.

But you know - I was stunned the first time I saw THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. I mean I knew she was a good actress, but it was only then that I realized HOW good.

I mean, when all you've seen her in is nice roles like Jessica Fletcher (and the maid in Gaslight), you find yourself mesmerized by her performance in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. You can't BELIEVE she can be that evil! :lol:
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Sue Sue Applegate
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Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

Thanks for sharing a great story, Larry.

Pktrekgirl, Lansbury was something else in The Manchurian Candidate.
Just pure, cool evil...
( think she was only about six years older than Laurence Harvey at the time.)
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Post by sandykaypax »

Angela Lansbury is my idol.

A consummate actress and professional.

Sandy K
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mrsl
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Post by mrsl »

I pulled this old thread up because of something I saw on Wednesday night. I catch re-runs of Murder She Wrote because it was on while I lived in Vegas, and usually worked nights, so they're not re-runs to me. Anyway, since it was on early enough, and I had already had dinner, I was able to sit and watch the whole movie of the Picture of Dorian Gray. Now the connection to Murder She Wrote is that Angela played two parts, that of J.P. Fletcher, and also an English music hall lady named Moyna MacGill, obviously a play on Angela's mother's name, that of Emma MacGill. Also, as Moyna, she sang the Little Yellow Bird song from Dorian Gray, and (three guesses) who the guest star was; Hurd Hatfield, the gentleman who played Dorian Gray. As I've said before, the fun of watching this show is not for the story, or plot, but to see the Golden Age of the Movies as they were in the late 1980's and early 1990's, not only by calendar years but also by ages, and in many cases I'm sure were final performances in front of the screen.

Anne
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Moraldo Rubini
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Post by Moraldo Rubini »

I'm glad you revived this one, Anne, as I missed it the first time around. I think it was Treky that you responded to about seeing her in her prime in Gaslight and Harvey Girls, but I think Lansbury is one of those whose "prime" came later. Certainly to see her in the early MGM films is to find her in the rosy bloom of youth, but she really came into her prime in the 1960's and 1970's. Like a fine wine, she is...

For the kids out there who are seeing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street , they should try to imagine Lansbury in Helena Bonham-Carter's role of Mrs. Lovett, though Burton's gal pales in comparison.
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Post by Lzcutter »

Moraldo,

You have seen her in Rick McKay's "Broadway, the Golden Age" right?
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