“I’ve never been to South America.”
Remember the web
Here’s an interesting Barbara Stanwyck site. It’s got lots of info and vids and screen caps, but what the most impressive thing about it is how stuck it is in web design. It reminds me of 1998 and those who were on the geocities kick. Nice. Frozen in time. Like Miss Stanwyck, one for the ages.
Adventures From My Netflix Queue:Lady of Burlesque
The movies that I really wanted to see over Memories of Murder starred Barbara Stanwyck. The latest one is Lady of Burlesque.
From the sound of the title it would’ve had to take place when burlesque was big. Early on in the thirties. Yet, as Miss Stanwyck makes her appearance, I expected the pretty, young thing, but it was the mature Miss Stanwyck. I found out that this movie was made in 1943! A few years from Lady Eve and just before Double Indemnity. So this is how some of her non-classic films were like. It’s a B movie! Yet, guess again. It was nominated for an Oscar in the song category “Take it off the E String. Play it on the G-string” which Miss Stanwyck sang. WooHoo!
The plot centers around the backstage shennanigans of a burlesque grind house, and then the ladies get involved in a murder straight out of a Scooby Doo mystery. “I would’ve gotten away with it, except for these meddling ladies of burlesque.” The murder mystery was pretty thin. As was the plot.
The funniest part of watching it was that I was expecting a pre-code movie. Of course, being made in 1943, it adhered to the code of ethics of the day. Just imagine how much “burlesque” they could show. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. For Miss Stanwyck’s song and dance, she did some bumping and grinding. Or at least that was what was hinted at. Cut to the audience. She shakes it, but only in your imagination.
Lady of Burleque isn’t bad, but it’s only for those hardcore Stanwyck fans.
3 of 5 stars.
The Stanwyck Proxy
In 1941, Barabara Stanwyck played a part in four movies, Meet John Doe, The Lady Eve, Ball of Fire, and You Belong to Me. I’ve seen two of the four. In fact, The Lady Eve lead me to believe that she was the most exciting actress EVER to have graced the silver screen. They’re pretty good movies, and each one has earned praise and reknown from critics and fans alike. I wonder what the other two of her films were like. Ball of Fire is being released next month on DVD, so I am eagerly waiting its appearance.
You don’t believe me that she’s one of the most exciting actresses EVER?
Check out Anthony Lane’s Stanwyck appreciation piece in The New Yorker.
Check out The Lady Eve. She has Henry Fonda tripping over herself. It’s a movie on AFI’s list of 100 comedies and 100 passionate movies. You’ll mainly laugh at her hijinxs.
Check out Meet John Doe. She fast-talks the editor of the newspaper into pulling off the hoax of the year. And this is where the title of this post comes in. I believe that the coen brothers were looking for a Stanwyck type when they wrote The Hudsucker Proxy. It is a direct riff on many of the films she’s appeared in. The Hudsucker Proxy seems to have gotten lots from Meet John Doe. Smitty. “That gag’s got whiskers!” I loved Hudsucker Proxy, a personal favorite coen brothers movie, but love it even more knowing that Jennifer Jason Leigh seems to have been channeling Barbara Stanwyck.
She’s just groovy.
Sugarpuss
I don’t actively search these things out, but they seem to show up by chance. If you’re in the NY area check out theBarbara Stanwyck retrospective. It’s a good sampling of her movies. It is missing though “Lady Eve.”
Deftly Quotable
Best monologue from a screwball comedy that I have seen so far. It’s a genre of film that can get into.
Not good enough… I said they’re not good enough for him.
Every Jane in the room is giving him the thermometer and he feels they’re just a waste of time. He’s returning to his book, he’s deeply immersed in it. He sees no one except – watch his head turn when that kid goes by. Won’t do you any good, dear, he’s a bookworm, but swing ’em anyway.
Oh, now how about this one. How would you like that hanging on your Christmas tree? Oh you wouldn’t? Well, what is your weakness, brother? Holy smoke, the dropped kerchief! That hasn’t been used since Lily Langtry. You’ll have to pick it up yourself, madam. It’s a shame, but he doesn’t care for the flesh. He’ll never see it.
Look at that girl over to his left. Look over to your left, bookworm. There’s a girl pining for ya. A little further. Just a little further… There! Wasn’t that worth looking for? See those nice store teeth all beaming at you. Oh, she recognizes you! She’s up, she’s down, she can’t make up her mind. She’s up again. She recognizes you! She’s coming over to speak to you. The suspense is killing me. “Why, for heaven’s sake, aren’t you Fuzzy Oathammer I went to manual training school with in Louisville? Oh you’re not? Well, you certainly look exactly like him, it’s certainly a remarkable resemblance… But if you’re not going to ask me to sit down, I suppose you’re not going to ask me to sit down… I’m very sorry, I certainly hope I haven’t caused you any embarrassment, you so and so.”
“I wonder if my tie’s on straight. I certainly upset them, don’t I? Now who else is after me?”
Ah, the lady champion wrestler, wouldn’t she make a houseful? Oh, you don’t like her either. Well, what are you going to do about her? Oh, you just can’t stand it anymore, you’re leaving. These women don’t give you a moment’s peace, do they? Well, go ahead! Go sulk in your cabin. Go soak your head and see if I care!