Olivia and Joan......
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charliechaplinfan
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Garbomaniac
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Thanks, Moraldo! It sure explains it. And, nice to know she got the part in The Women just when she needed it. All you need is one lucky break. It had to be destiny; she hadn't won her Oscar, yet! I think Joan Crawford had a similar story of giving up, but I think I remember she was actually on the train home when something happened to turn her around.
And, Charlie, I haven't seen Letter From an Unknown Woman. I suppose I should if you say it's that good. She made that one right after IVY, which is one of my all time favorites of hers. I guess that was when she was at Universal. I hope she didn't have short hair in that one. I like my women with long hair, or period costumes. As soon as they cut their hair I lose interest: Joan Fontaine, Lizabeth Scott, June Allyson, Gene Tierney, Veronica Lake, etc.
And, Charlie, I haven't seen Letter From an Unknown Woman. I suppose I should if you say it's that good. She made that one right after IVY, which is one of my all time favorites of hers. I guess that was when she was at Universal. I hope she didn't have short hair in that one. I like my women with long hair, or period costumes. As soon as they cut their hair I lose interest: Joan Fontaine, Lizabeth Scott, June Allyson, Gene Tierney, Veronica Lake, etc.
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moira finnie
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Letter From An Unknown Woman needs to be issued on an affordable dvd soon, (along with Ophuls' The Reckless Moment too), but if you'd like to see this movie (and it is--believe me--Joan's best performance), it can be viewed on youtube in its entirety, beginning here in a fairly good print too. Btw, it's also Louis Jourdan's best role.Garbomaniac wrote:I haven't seen Letter From an Unknown Woman. I suppose I should if you say it's that good. She made that one right after IVY, which is one of my all time favorites of hers. I guess that was when she was at Universal. I hope she didn't have short hair in that one. I like my women with long hair, or period costumes. As soon as they cut their hair I lose interest: Joan Fontaine, Lizabeth Scott, June Allyson, Gene Tierney, Veronica Lake, etc.
This film is one of the best to ever come out of Hollywood, sympathetically deconstructing the power of romance to delude and yet give meaning to our conventional lives. I have seen it about three times and always come away with something new to appreciate.
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Garbomaniac
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charliechaplinfan
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You will enjoy it, it was a quite affordable release when I bought it here.
Moira, I agree with all that you say, it's Louis Jourdan's best role, even better here than he was in Gigi (I'm a sucker for that movie too).
I must get around to watching The Women, I have it, I think I put it off because it is one of my must sees. You know wait until the kids actually go to sleep early so I won't be disturbed and I can watch it all the way through without interruptions.
Moira, I agree with all that you say, it's Louis Jourdan's best role, even better here than he was in Gigi (I'm a sucker for that movie too).
I must get around to watching The Women, I have it, I think I put it off because it is one of my must sees. You know wait until the kids actually go to sleep early so I won't be disturbed and I can watch it all the way through without interruptions.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Moraldo Rubini
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Tip: At least one of your viewings of The Women should be seen with the subtitles on. The lines are fast and furious. I'd seen it a dozen times before I caught it with subtitles, and was astounded by how much I'd missed.charliechaplinfan wrote:I must get around to watching The Women, I have it, I think I put it off because it is one of my must sees. You know wait until the kids actually go to sleep early so I won't be disturbed and I can watch it all the way through without interruptions.
Enjoy!
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charliechaplinfan
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Vecchiolarry
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Re: Olivia and Joan......
Hi Everyone,
In the last 2 days, we've seen both "the girls" in movies on TCM.
Olivia in "To Each His Own" (1946) and Joan in "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" (1956)...
I'd never seen either of these films, so settled down with my Diet Coke and butterscotch pudding and watched them.
Olivia was excellent in her film. From reading a synopsise of "To Each His Own" years ago, I thought it was just a melodramatic soap opera (and it was!), but I was quite surprised to see and hear all the very good performances in it. Everyone elevated it to "A" grade movie..
Olivia deserved her Oscar for "The Heiress (1949), but I'd always wondered why Hollywood gave her that one for 1946; but wonder no more, she did deserve it!!!
Joan's movie was not that good and she could have phoned in her role - all 4 scenes...
She looked good and was very well dressed but the film was Dana Andrews movie and he too 'slept walked' through it all.
I wasn't too impressed with the "full of holes" story either. Glad I've seen it, but won't bother again.
Also, I was impressed by John Lund in the first movie. Don't know much about him, but he was good and should have been developed better in better roles.
I had only seen him once before as Paulette Goddards husband in "Bride of Vengeance" (1949)...
Did anyone else view these two pictures? What did you think of them and "the girls"???
Larry
In the last 2 days, we've seen both "the girls" in movies on TCM.
Olivia in "To Each His Own" (1946) and Joan in "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" (1956)...
I'd never seen either of these films, so settled down with my Diet Coke and butterscotch pudding and watched them.
Olivia was excellent in her film. From reading a synopsise of "To Each His Own" years ago, I thought it was just a melodramatic soap opera (and it was!), but I was quite surprised to see and hear all the very good performances in it. Everyone elevated it to "A" grade movie..
Olivia deserved her Oscar for "The Heiress (1949), but I'd always wondered why Hollywood gave her that one for 1946; but wonder no more, she did deserve it!!!
Joan's movie was not that good and she could have phoned in her role - all 4 scenes...
She looked good and was very well dressed but the film was Dana Andrews movie and he too 'slept walked' through it all.
I wasn't too impressed with the "full of holes" story either. Glad I've seen it, but won't bother again.
Also, I was impressed by John Lund in the first movie. Don't know much about him, but he was good and should have been developed better in better roles.
I had only seen him once before as Paulette Goddards husband in "Bride of Vengeance" (1949)...
Did anyone else view these two pictures? What did you think of them and "the girls"???
Larry
Re: Olivia and Joan......
.
I have always preferred Olivia over Joan besides the fact that I think O can act circles around Joan standing still. Between Joan's squeaky voice, and pinched facial features, she reminds me of a blond mouse. Oh, how I would have loved to see Stanwyck, Vivian Leigh, or even Olivia as the second Mrs. De Witt. Maybe it's because Joan specialized in those mousy types she played in The Women, Suspicion, and The Locket that make me think of her as a kind of fill in when nobody else is available.
I do believe the oscar for The Heiress was another circumstance like Gable's oscar for It Happened one NIght as a 'make up' for being snubbed for GWTW. Olivia deserved the oscar much more for To Each His Own. Like Joan, Olivia often played a quiet, sub-dued lady, like Melanie, but somehow even in her meek moments, she seemed to have a stronger backbone, which usually shone through eventually. But Joan was usually as wimpy at the end of the movie as when it started out. How can someone be married to happy-go-lucky Johnnie Aysgarth and not have some of that fun feeling rub off on you? but . . . that's the movies!!!
.
I have always preferred Olivia over Joan besides the fact that I think O can act circles around Joan standing still. Between Joan's squeaky voice, and pinched facial features, she reminds me of a blond mouse. Oh, how I would have loved to see Stanwyck, Vivian Leigh, or even Olivia as the second Mrs. De Witt. Maybe it's because Joan specialized in those mousy types she played in The Women, Suspicion, and The Locket that make me think of her as a kind of fill in when nobody else is available.
I do believe the oscar for The Heiress was another circumstance like Gable's oscar for It Happened one NIght as a 'make up' for being snubbed for GWTW. Olivia deserved the oscar much more for To Each His Own. Like Joan, Olivia often played a quiet, sub-dued lady, like Melanie, but somehow even in her meek moments, she seemed to have a stronger backbone, which usually shone through eventually. But Joan was usually as wimpy at the end of the movie as when it started out. How can someone be married to happy-go-lucky Johnnie Aysgarth and not have some of that fun feeling rub off on you? but . . . that's the movies!!!
.
Anne
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Re: Olivia and Joan......
like Gable's oscar for It Happened one NIght as a 'make up' for being snubbed for GWTW.
Wasn't It Happened One Night before GWTW? I think IHON was in 1934, and GWTH in 1939.
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Vecchiolarry
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Re: Olivia and Joan......
Hi,
Yes Nancy, you're right about those years for those two movies.
But, I think Anne was referring to Olivia's not receiving the Oscar for "GWTW", not Gable.
As far as Olivia is concerned, my listing of her best movies are from 1 to 6: - "The Heiress", "The Snake Pit", "Gone with the Wind", "Hold Back the Dawn", "The Light in the Piazza" and "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte".....
Joan's are: - "A Letter from an Unknown Woman", "Rebecca", "The Constant Nymph" and "Ivy".....
"Suspicion" I never liked; I thought it was stupid...
I agree, Anne, Olivia is the better actress, but that's because she was career & script & production oriented. I don't really think Joan gave a damn; it was just a job...
Just my opinion, since I never knew either one - saw Olivia once at the '63 Oscars, she smiled at me as she swept by - - end of story!!!
Larry
Yes Nancy, you're right about those years for those two movies.
But, I think Anne was referring to Olivia's not receiving the Oscar for "GWTW", not Gable.
As far as Olivia is concerned, my listing of her best movies are from 1 to 6: - "The Heiress", "The Snake Pit", "Gone with the Wind", "Hold Back the Dawn", "The Light in the Piazza" and "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte".....
Joan's are: - "A Letter from an Unknown Woman", "Rebecca", "The Constant Nymph" and "Ivy".....
"Suspicion" I never liked; I thought it was stupid...
I agree, Anne, Olivia is the better actress, but that's because she was career & script & production oriented. I don't really think Joan gave a damn; it was just a job...
Just my opinion, since I never knew either one - saw Olivia once at the '63 Oscars, she smiled at me as she swept by - - end of story!!!
Larry
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charliechaplinfan
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Re:
charliechaplinfan wrote:My favorite Joan picture is Letter From An Unknown Woman it's a wonderful picture. For Olivia, it's her pairings with Errol every time.
I've changed my opinion on Olivia, aside from GWTW her best movies are The Snake Pit and The Heiress.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Re: Olivia and Joan......
Last year (Page 1), Moraldo wrote that he'd "never see a John Payne picture" and I agree - I enjoy many of his films (CROOKED WAY, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL) but "see them for John?" Nope. I just like them. He's fine in those and other films, but "nebbish" in that same Dana Andrews way. And Dick Powell, too. Interchangeable.
But this is a quality I also feel towards Joan Fontaine in a way. I really enjoy her looks a lot more than Olivia, but Olivia's film career has more sparkling definitions to her character. Joan's been rather Payne-Dana-Powell for some odd reason. Sort of 'replaceable', almost generic. Strange. Because I think her looks are remarkable and, in recent years' photos, I have enjoyed their now-faces as well as their younger ones, too. Both are great looking donations to the human race.
But this is a quality I also feel towards Joan Fontaine in a way. I really enjoy her looks a lot more than Olivia, but Olivia's film career has more sparkling definitions to her character. Joan's been rather Payne-Dana-Powell for some odd reason. Sort of 'replaceable', almost generic. Strange. Because I think her looks are remarkable and, in recent years' photos, I have enjoyed their now-faces as well as their younger ones, too. Both are great looking donations to the human race.
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feaito
Re: Olivia and Joan......
I like both ladies and I might agree that Olivia could be the better actress overall, but Joan starred in two of my favorite pictures of all time (in my top ten list) -and both masterpieces in my opinion: "Letter from an Unknown Woman" (1948) and "The Constant Nymph" (1943).
She also starred in one of my relatively new discoveries: "Ivy" (1947)
She also starred in one of my relatively new discoveries: "Ivy" (1947)
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Vecchiolarry
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- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Re: Olivia and Joan......
Hi Fernando,
Yes, I wish TCM would play "Ivy" for us...
I haven't seen it in years, but I remember that it contained more of an actressy Joan Fontaine, as she had to play a conniving schemer in it...
Another movie in which she is a b-i-t-c-h is "Serenade" (1956) but that's more Mario Lanza's film. Joan just stands around sort of commanding everyone, but looking good....
Larry
Yes, I wish TCM would play "Ivy" for us...
I haven't seen it in years, but I remember that it contained more of an actressy Joan Fontaine, as she had to play a conniving schemer in it...
Another movie in which she is a b-i-t-c-h is "Serenade" (1956) but that's more Mario Lanza's film. Joan just stands around sort of commanding everyone, but looking good....
Larry