tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24181434.post8292576515999870927..comments2008-05-18T00:56:47.534-07:00Vertigo's Psychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17701774152300870403noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24181434.post-75423382458746426222008-05-18T00:56:00.000-07:002008-05-18T00:56:00.000-07:00Thanks you both for your kind, encouraging words. I hope to post more, but it would require me pulling my head out of the clouds (or someplace else) on a more frequent basis, so I can't make any promises (I'm hoping for a John Travolta "Phenomenon"-like experience to turn it around for me). I really must buckle down before your Madeline Kahn Appreciation Day arrives, Stinkylu, and get something posted for the special day (and Campaspe, not to be pushy, or maybe to be pushy, but <I>please</I> write about Kahn if you have time as I, along with many others, would LOVE to hear your take on her during the blogathon). I really admire the fact both of you continue to turn out great blog work amid your busy schedules.<BR/><BR/>Davis really was something in <I>The Old Maid</I>, and I should take a second, closer look at her work in the film. She sure digs deep into that woman's psyche.<BR/><BR/>I didn't catch <I>Mr. Skeffington</I> this time around, but the movie certainly caught my attention when I first saw about half of it on TV as a teen. When it finally arrived on DVD I watched the whole thing and found it engrossing and, paired with <I>Now Voyager</I> (can't honestly state I remember much about <I>Juarez</I>, the first time Davis and Rains were in the same film), it demonstrates what a great co-star Davis had in Claude Rains (and the movie must have a very special appeal for some- a couple years ago, I lent a slew of classic DVDs to a young coworker who was into classic cinema, and <I>Skeffington</I>'s the lone title I had to replace due to her not returning it). Davis clearly loved working with Rains, and he makes invaluable contributions to <I>Voyager</I> (forget Paul Henreid, Rain's Dr. Jaquith is the real romantic hero of the film, as he enables Charlotte to gain the courage to find her identity and tell her formerly domineering mother, "Sorry mumsy, I'm too sophisicated and fabulous now to care about your disregard towards me.") and <I>Skeffington</I>, wherein he makes you believe his Job Skeffington really does have the patience of Job, as he endures Fanny's vapid self-indulgence and endless flirtations over the course of several decades. However, I have to admit I prefer the third major Davis/Rains collaboration. Maybe Rains had enough of acting nobly while Davis had all the fun, as in <I>Deception</I> he gives Davis and Henreid a very hard time, and appears to be relishing the chance to illustrate Alexander Hollenius' every underhanded move. Davis' isn't as vivid as she sometimes is onscreen, but her star power is still incredibly formidable- I put <I>Deception</I> on the TV behind me as I typed up this response, and I wasn't really listening to it, until Davis' first line to Henreid- "I thought you were dead!" reverberated through my studio apartment like a shot out of a cannon, and I whipped my head around to find out what the hell Davis was doing. This is not a star to be ignored- ever.Vertigo's Psychohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17701774152300870403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24181434.post-22110543006889015832008-05-14T18:29:00.000-07:002008-05-14T18:29:00.000-07:00You're back with a bang with this splendid overview. I love your defense of "Of Human Bondage" which is often called hopelessly dated these days - I think you've totally nailed what Davis was trying to do. Part of the character's nature is endless self-dramatization and Davis understood that so well.<BR/><BR/>Davis, god rest her, had an enemies list to rival Richard Nixon's but you're right, Miriam Hopkins was way up there, even though Davis admitted her rival had great talent (something she never said about Joan). I agree, Miriam's famous scene-stealing doesn't much show on screen--judicious editing?--but we have the word of many costars that it was quite real. I love The Old Maid and don't think it would be nearly as good with a lesser actress opposite Davis. (I wrote up Miriam ages ago at my place; I'm taking the liberty of <A HREF="http://selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com/search/label/Miriam%20Hopkins" REL="nofollow">linking it here</A> if you want to see.)<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I hope you see Mr Skeffington (because I love it) and that this post heralds much more from you, now that you are safe and happily ensconced in new digs.Campaspehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13587505433284584391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24181434.post-34210514333529203702008-05-06T18:56:00.000-07:002008-05-06T18:56:00.000-07:00I'm so thrilled to see this post!<BR/><BR/>And I had no idea you'd moved! But I am thrilled to look forward to more LA-area movie adventures. (Plus, I get to LA a lot so perhaps we can undertake some movie adventuring in tandem.)StinkyLuluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765533714740641857noreply@blogger.com