daddysprimadonna

Hehe, Antar, I tried to tell ya that this person(a juvenile,I'm inclined to believe,from the antagonistic and belligerant posts)had an agenda,in another thread,I saw it WAYYYY back,and I've seen it before,and I knew where it was leading.These boards are disrupted with childish and irrelevant posts because this person is bitter that black actresses weren't accorded the chance to shine in Hollywood of times past,and to "even the score",she feels that she must tear down white actresses acknowledged as beutiful women. Of course everyone will have their own ideas and taste about that,but it doesn't mean people have to tear down a famous and widely accepted actress-as-beauty,simply because others are unknown.That commonly-used phrase,"white standards of beauty", is a dead giveaway. That's why she insists that Lena Horne or Dorothy Dandridge aren't REALLY beautiful,people just say they are because they "conform" to the "white standard of beauty". Hey, beautiful is beautiful,to one degree or another,and is even universally agreed-on,as studies have shown,even amongst different cultures-I mean,certain criteria are independently and universally reached all over the world,amongst people who are unaware of the larger "culture". After a certain point,it becomes subjective,but only after that point is passed. Know what I mean?

I always thought that "Mrs. Miniver" showed the quiet courage and grace underfire for which the British were known. And Greer Garson seemed to be such a classy and gracious actress. I read somewhere that she was one of the few actresses for whom Louis B Mayer had a modicum of respect.

I agree,ClassicsFan,I'm so over blockbuster movies.They seem to be afraid to let a movie stand on its own merits,and hype it up until you're sick of it without even ever seeing it.

Just to be nitpicky,she could have used a little more of a brighter or deeper lipstick at the Oscars.But other than that,she looked great:)Her acceptance speech was nice.

Norma Shearer,only I wouldn't want to go out like she did,not knowing anything or anyone and blind.

Bggalaxy,I liked Crawford as a silent star,and in the early Thirties,but not much after that. Myrna Loy,who was a pal of Joan's,said that Christina Crawford made up and exaggerated a lot of that stuff in that book as revenge for being cut out of Joan's will.

I can't remember what classic film hooked me,I've loved them all since I was a child,and even then hated modern movies. I'd bet it was a musical though. Right now I'm in love with "Kiss Me Kate",it's been raining buckets here for a week,so one day I watched it three times in a row!It's so witty,and the dancing and singing,and acting-all entrancing. I go around humming "Wunderbar,wunderbar",without knowing it.And I replay Ann Miller's dance number "Too Darn Hot", and "Always True To You In My fashion" over and over. Bob Fosse looks so young in this movie!

When I wanted a fellow fan to enjoy and discuss classic movies with, I set my sights on my 17 year old niece. She's a "girly-girl" like me, so I knew just how to hook her.I had her watch "These Glamour Girls"-a black and white film,no less,to a teenager- with me,and she took the bait.Then it was "Zeigfeld Girl". Now she adores Lana Turner,and is going through the "Marilyn" stage. And she'll watch almost any classic with me-even silents,I got her with "Our Dancing Daughters". Strategy,strategy,hehe. I still haven't gotten her into Westerns,but the day will come,if I can just get her to sit through "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon". It was an acquired taste for me,too,but that's the movie that did it:)

I will look at it:)

Heck I'd vote for Lewis Stone for President,his character as Judge Hardy is my hero!

That's what I meant by "climate"-the social "climate"-blacks at that time weren't being given an equal opportunity. Look, I don't know every Chinese or French actor from that time(or the present one,to be honest),that doesn't mean that I and millions of others are any less movie fans. The big names are the ones we know,because they are the big names. There are lesser known names that I'm interested in,because something about them got my attention,as the actresses you named did for you,but I wouldn't expect anyone to validate them for me by insisting that if they'd never heard of them,something was wrong with them,or that they weren't "true believers".Fact is, I'm just a fan. Now,until I get around to seeing them for myself, I'll take your word for it that the actresses you named were cosmically gorgeous.But I won't discuss anything here at TCM as a social issue-race or other. If others want to,fine.Myself, I'm sick of race and politics by the time I come here. But I'll discuss classic movies all you want,especially the silent ones:)

Ok, "Roaman" was unintentional, but it'll pass as a Freudian slip:)

Hey, if Hollywood can honor Roaman Polanski, they can honor Leni. I've seen "Triumph Of The Will", and a film in which she acted("mountain play", or something like that,those films were called),and they were awesome.

MovieJoe,I second your post also,the first one.

Can I cosign your post?

They're not spoken of because we just don't know about them,not because we don't care. They may have been GREAT beauties,but as I've said before,the climate was wrong.It's not their fault. There are MANY people who may have been gorgeous who didn't get a chance. But you STILL didn't have to say"so-called white beauties"-a sweeping statement,not confined to whatever specific white actress/actresses you felt they could have given a run for her/their money.You dismissed them all, because they're white. Oh well, nevermind. Let me go find TCM forums.

No, I disagree. If it had been strictly on merit,then we wouldn't have had the sneaky little barb about "so-called white beauties",making it a black/white issue.I've agreed with her elsewhere about them not getting their due,but I STILL don't come to TCM to get a lecture on whites' past trangressions.

Why not just compare them on their MERITS, as we have been doing,instead of making it a black/white thing? I get SO tired of seeing race brought into EVERYthing,in a competitive way,as if people have some personal stake in it,with the insults.

OK, I really am stopping:) I just get tired of seeing things framed racially.

But I can't help asking a question-how offensive do you think it would have sounded if I'd said,in order to "elevate" a white actress,"so-called black beauty"?

OK I'll stop right here because I come to TCM forums to discuss classic movies in a relaxed atmosphere free from all the bull elsewhere. But I guess it's not to be.

So, the phrase "so-called white beauties" was necassary to simply elevate a black beautiful actress?

Read my post above-I've seen this before,and I've seen where it always leads.

So-called white beauties? What are you saying here? That because they were white,they weren't REALLY beautiful and if things had been all fair,they just would have looked like chopped liver next to your examples? See, your veiled insults aren't really THAT subtle. Why not just have stopped with saying that the examples you offered were beautiful,and you liked them,and that's your opinion,and leave the whole race thing out of it on a forum devoted to classic movies,not race issues?

Oh for goodness sake does race have to be brought up in a classic movie forum TOO?