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Bette and Joan


GGGGerald
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Carol Burnett once said she was on Password once where the other celebrity was Elizabeth Montgomery, and the password was "tweet" and the contestant's hint to Burnett was what he thought was the past tense of the word, " t!!!w ----///t" (sorry, trying not to get it censored). Burnett was embarrassed she said, and Elizabeth laughed so much she was almost rolling around on the floor.

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When Game Show Network aired "What's My Line" years ago, it was always at 11pm or later. "Black and White Overnight" they called it. Then had to stop because they couldn't get sponsors. When Buzzr picked it up lately, they did the same thing.

 

But, Buzzr finally did the smart thing and did market research to find out what their fans wanted to see. Come to find out, the old black and white game shows are what  people were interested it in. And they didn't watch before because they were on too late at night. Now, they are prime time viewing. 

 

It seems that even in 2017, people are still interested in a bit of class in their entertainment.  

 

 

I think What's My Line ran at 10:30pm (EST) on Sunday nights. (at least in its final years)

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Gerald--

 

I grew up watching What's My Line on television every Sunday night. As a child, Dorothy Kilgallen became a kind of a role model for me. Everyone knew about her Showbiz column, but she was truly a legitimate journalist who in the last months of her life was seriously researching the assassination of President Kennedy.

 

A movie about her life would be interesting, not just in terms of her as an individual, but also in terms of how a woman in 1950s and 60's maneuvered her life in that kind of a public professional position.

 

You honestly had to have lived in the 1950's to know just how strait- jacketed women and minorities were in the American society at that time.

Dorothy Kilgallen's life was truly extraordinary for her era.

 

Last December legal analyst Mark Shaw released a book called:

The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What's My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen.

 

Apparently Shaw has come up with new information regarding this 50 years plus mystery and it would make a fine TV movie - - I have yet to read the book.

 

 

Yes, her death was "suspicious" and her research into the assassination mysteriously disappeared...

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BTW, Not watching tonite, so those of you who do, be sure to let me know what egregious liberties with the truth are taken.

 

Looking forward to seeing whether Joan engages in some obscene group act with the lighting crew to get better angles or Bette ends up in bed with Francis, the Talking Mule tomorrow morning!

 

(or maybe the USC starting line-up will show up, just like in HOLLYWOOD BABYLON!)

 

 

I recorded it, havent watched it yet but I peaked at some of it while it was recording. Looked like most of it involved Joan and Hedda's campaign (which I doubt really happened aside from Joan agreeing to accept for some of the nominees who were not there) to discredit/defeat Davis from winning the Oscar.

 

How many episodes are left? Wondering if it will end with Charlotte or not.

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I recorded it, havent watched it yet but I peaked at some of it while it was recording. Looked like most of it involved Joan and Hedda's campaign (which I doubt really happened aside from Joan agreeing to accept for some of the nominees who were not there) to discredit/defeat Davis from winning the Oscar.

 

How many episodes are left? Wondering if it will end with Charlotte or not.

 

Eight episodes total. Just started watching it, looks good! Back to it later today.

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I recorded it, havent watched it yet but I peaked at some of it while it was recording. Looked like most of it involved Joan and Hedda's campaign (which I doubt really happened aside from Joan agreeing to accept for some of the nominees who were not there) to discredit/defeat Davis from winning the Oscar.

 

How many episodes are left? Wondering if it will end with Charlotte or not.

According to an interview, the other day, the next episode is about Charlotte, #7 is (I assume) going to be about Hollywood giving both Bette and Joan the cold shoulder after a few years, and #8 is going to be about the waning years of the 70s including Crawford's death and ending at the in memorium sequence for Crawford at the 1978 Oscars.

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Now, I'm not saying the following call is official at all, BUT last night's episode just might have moved this series up above that 1966 Stephen Boyd movie on that list of people's "guilty pleasures".

 

(...it did for me anyway)

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According to an interview, the other day, the next episode is about Charlotte, #7 is (I assume) going to be about Hollywood giving both Bette and Joan the cold shoulder after a few years, and #8 is going to be about the waning years of the 70s including Crawford's death and ending at the in memorium sequence for Crawford at the 1978 Oscars.

 

 

I see. OK. A lot of ground to cover. Thanks.

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A couple of my favorite scenes from last night's episode (SPOILERS):

 

Joan leads best director winner David Lean through the maze backstage at the Oscars - including going through the men's room where she puts a hand on a guy's shoulder while he's at the urinal!

 

Anne Bancroft tells Joan that her performance is what made WHATEVER HAPPENED... work.  Joan wants someone to appreciate her talent.  We get that from seeing the expression on Joan's face.

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She was one of the few people to interview Jack Ruby. He was a fan of WML

 

Or as her fellow WML panelist Bennett Cerf used to call him..."Jack Wooby".

 

Well, he used to introduce the program's host with the line, "And heahs ou'ah panel modawatah, John Chawels Daley" at the beginning of every show just like that, now didn't HE?!

 

(...and yeah yeah people, I know it's not nice to make fun of how some people talk, but the dude's long gone now, RIGHT?!...and so this sure isn't gonna hurt HIS feelings anyway, RIGHT?!) 

 

LOL

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I recorded it, havent watched it yet but I peaked at some of it while it was recording. Looked like most of it involved Joan and Hedda's campaign (which I doubt really happened aside from Joan agreeing to accept for some of the nominees who were not there) to discredit/defeat Davis from winning the Oscar.

 

From what I've read Bette Davis believed that Joan Crawford actively campaigned against her for the Oscar for BABY JANE.

 

One thing that struck me as odd on the latest FEUD episode was the portrayal of Geraldine Page as nervous when Joan Crawford called. Page was certainly never in awe of "Hollywood."  

Did Crawford really think that Page based her portrayal of Alexandra Del Lago in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH on Crawford as was indicated in FEUD during the Crawford/Page phone call?

 

I think Sarah Paulson did a pretty good job of capturing Geraldine Page's voice.

 

The actor who played Rip Torn in that scene certainly portrayed him as "jittery."

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Or as her fellow WML panelist Bennett Cerf used to call him..."Jack Wooby".

 

Well, he used to introduce the program's host with the line, "And heahs ou'ah panel modawatah, John Chawels Daley" at the beginning of every show just like that, now didn't HE?!

 

(...and yeah yeah people, I know it's not nice to make fun of how some people talk, but the dude's long gone now, RIGHT?!...and so this sure isn't gonna hurt HIS feelings anyway, RIGHT?!)

 

LOL

Bennett may have had an accent, but I never had any trouble understanding what he was saying--that was part of his charm.

 

From what I understand he was quite brilliant and a Random House editor.

 

I have a wonderful DVD of What's My Line featuring Lucy and Desi and, of course, Bette Davis when she was on Broadway.

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From what I've read Bette Davis believed that Joan Crawford actively campaigned against her for the Oscar for BABY JANE.

 

One thing that struck me as odd on the latest FEUD episode was the portrayal of Geraldine Page as nervous when Joan Crawford called. Page was certainly never in awe of "Hollywood."  

Did Crawford really think that Page based her portrayal of Alexandra Del Lago in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH on Crawford as was indicated in FEUD during the Crawford/Page phone call?

 

I think Sarah Paulson did a pretty good job of capturing Geraldine Page's voice.

 

The actor who played Rip Torn in that scene certainly portrayed him as "jittery."

 

 

Yes, I know Bette thought that, but I've never read anything that confirmed her opinion. I just think it was paranoia on Bette's part. I mean how much influence could Joan have on Academy voters? She was lucky to just be working.

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What stood out to me was how flat out beautiful Catherina Zeta-Jones looked playing Olivia DeHavilland.

 

Since Olivia lived in Paris,  she was very Parisian in style and known for wearing Dior gowns,  but not like how Zeta-Jones looked.     

 

As for the Oscar ceremony shown;  why were Davis and Crawford back stage instead of in the audience?    Didn't the winners come from their seats in the audience or did they all the nominees hang out back stage?      Ok, I can see why Crawford might be back stage since she just gave out the award for Best Director but not Davis.    Did Davis NOT wish to be seen and I missed where that was explained?

 

 

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What stood out to me was how flat out beautiful Catherina Zeta-Jones looked playing Olivia DeHavilland.

 

Since Olivia lived in Paris,  she was very Parisian in style and known for wearing Dior gowns,  but not like how Zeta-Jones looked.     

 

As for the Oscar ceremony shown;  why were Davis and Crawford back stage instead of in the audience?    Didn't the winners come from their seats in the audience or did they all the nominees hang out back stage?      Ok, I can see why Crawford might be back stage since she just gave out the award for Best Director but not Davis.    Did Davis NOT wish to be seen and I missed where that was explained?

 

I haven't watched the whole episode yet, but sometimes when nominees are also presenters, they hang about backstage, if they are nominated. I think Bette presented Best Screenplay awards that year. So if that preceded Best Actress, she might have hung about backstage for her own nomination.

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I really enjoyed the last two episodes of Bette and Joan.  Last week, when Stanley Tucci at Jack Warner was an absolute s****, I thought, how can any human being behave worse than that?  Then, that actor who played Sinatra was absolutely right on the money with his voice and looks, and wow, if Sinatra behaved that badly, I don't know how anyone would give him a role in a movie.  Just goes to show that if a woman behaves badly, she's a witch with a "B" or a hag, but a man is star power.  I also enjoyed Mamacita rooting for Pauline's script and felt saddened when it was rejected.

 

I really enjoyed the Oscars.  I think Lange was at her best this week as she played Joan begging to accept an Oscar for an actress.  However, I felt the actress who played Ann Bancroft was completely miscast.  I hope the real Olivia was watching in Paris because Catherine Zeta Jones was an absolute knockout.  While deHavilland remained a handsome woman even in her later years, she was never that gorgeous.  If someone chooses to depict me in a film, I would choose Zeta Jones any day.  I wish there had been some conversation between the two women about their both choosing to "strike" and refuse roles at Warners' in the 30s and 40s,  ultimately resulting in the DeHavilland Act.  Apparently, this is one of the reasons these two ladies bonded.

 

Yes, Sarandon looked better than Bette did at that age -- the cigarettes and liquor took their toll, plus Bette never cared that much about her appearance.

 

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I really enjoyed the last two episodes of Bette and Joan.  Last week, when Stanley Tucci at Jack Warner was an absolute s****, I thought, how can any human being behave worse than that?  Then, that actor who played Sinatra was absolutely right on the money with his voice and looks, and wow, if Sinatra behaved that badly, I don't know how anyone would give him a role in a movie.  Just goes to show that if a woman behaves badly, she's a witch with a "B" or a hag, but a man is star power.  I also enjoyed Mamacita rooting for Pauline's script and felt saddened when it was rejected.

 

I really enjoyed the Oscars.  I think Lange was at her best this week as she played Joan begging to accept an Oscar for an actress.  However, I felt the actress who played Ann Bancroft was completely miscast.  I hope the real Olivia was watching in Paris because Catherine Zeta Jones was an absolute knockout.  While deHavilland remained a handsome woman even in her later years, she was never that gorgeous.  If someone chooses to depict me in a film, I would choose Zeta Jones any day.  I wish there had been some conversation between the two women about their both choosing to "strike" and refuse roles at Warners' in the 30s and 40s,  ultimately resulting in the DeHavilland Act.  Apparently, this is one of the reasons these two ladies bonded.

 

Yes, Sarandon looked better than Bette did at that age -- the cigarettes and liquor took their toll, plus Bette never cared that much about her appearance.

 

Great write up.    Yea,   when Olivia was talking to Bette about fighting Hollywood I was really hoping Bette would say that it really was Olivia that changed the contract system.    Yea,  Bette started the fight by going to Britain but it was Olivia that prevailed in court.

 

Yea,  Zeta-Jones!   When I saw here come out in the white gown I looked up at my Olivia pictures on my wall and said 'sorry Olivia, but while I will always love you,,, you didn't look that hot!'.

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