Barbara Bel Geddes (1922 - 2005)

[vecchiolarry]

Hello Everyone,

 

The news services today are announcing the death of actress Barbara Bel Geddes on Monday, August 8th... She was 82.

 

I remember Miss Bel Geddes in the movies "Vertigo" and "By Love Possessed". She had a small role in each.

 

Of course, she was Miss Ellie, the matriarch of the Ewing family on TV's "Dallas"... I always thought she went through this series acting with her eyes closed; she was capable of so much more.

 

"SPOILER"

However, the best part she ever had was in an Alfred Hitchcock TV show called "Lamb to the Slaughter"...

In it, she feeds the police the murder weapon - a frozen leg of lamb that she then cooks and offers for dinner!!!!!

Typical Hitchcock and the best show of his series and her career, I think.

 

R.I.P. Barbara

Larry

 

[lux0786]

vecchiolarry,

 

... adding a little darkness to the common phrase "...under our very noses," when looking for something. Another great Hitchcock episode (my favorite) in the same vein (haha) is "Specialty of the House." Remember that one!

 

I remember her best in the scene where she tells a joke that offends Stewart and then tries desperately to recover. We've all been there.

[path40a]

Sad news, condolences to her family.

 

Besides her Emmy winning performance on the TV Series "Dallas" as Miss Ellie, one shouldn't forget her terrific Oscar nominated Supporting Actress performance in "I Remember Mama (1948)" with Irene Dunne, airing on TCM next Friday (early) AM, 2:30 ET, an EXCELLENT film which Bel Geddes also narrates.

[bansi4]

 

It's surprising that Miss Bel Geddes is only credited with a dozen movies, of which I enjoyed the film-noirs "The Long Night" with Henry Fonda and "Caught" with Robert Ryan. Of course she was just fine in "I Remember Mama" and in "The Five Pennies" with Danny Kaye.

And "Lamb to the Slaughter" is among my top ten favorites from the Hitchcock TV series.

 

May she rest in peace.

 

Mongo

 

 

 

[Guest]

always loved her in Vertigo and in I Remember Mama---2 of my favorite films.

[crawdaddy56]

I liked her in Bloon on the Moon with Robert Mitchum. May she R.I.P.

[crawdaddy56]

Of course, I meant Blood on the Moon.

[Guest]

yes I remember liking that one too but haven't seen it in a long time.....even as a kid I always liked Barbara Bel Geddes..... like Julie Harris, Lee Grant, Colleen Dewhurst and others she should have had a much bigger film career.

 

I remember seeing Vertigo when I was like 9 and always remembered her character (Midge) making the blunder with Jimmy Stewart and saying "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Such a small thing and yet it always stayed with me.

 

Nice that she ended up in Northeast Harbor, Maine..... beautiful spot!!!

 

 

 

 

[twtpark]

When Howard Hughes bought RKO studios, he was touring with his advisors and they asked Mr Hughes did he have any suggestions for improving RKO, He said "Only two" "Paint it and get Barbara Bel Geddes off the contract list!" He thought she was the homeliest and most un=attractive actress he had ever seen! No glamour girl at all!