Caroline Mead

[Glebb]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 11:20pm

or Dolly Merriweather?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 12:43am

Jane Darwell played Dolly Merryweather in Gone With the Wind and The Feed-the-Birds Woman in Mary Poppins.

She was living in a retirement home for actors when they were casting the movie. Walt tracked her down to play the part, and sent a limo for her every day, and "treated her like the queen she was."

[Glebb]

Posted: 12/24/04 at 7:57am

What a wonderful story about an extraordinary actress. Thanks PalJoey!

I love the bird woman in Mary Poppins, so I guess I will go with Dolly Merriwether (just checked the spelling with IMDB).

Mrs. Mead and Dolly have their separate great moments but Dolly's speech - "And did you know Caroline Mead that Captain Butler made a stupendous contribution to the association for the beautification of the graves of the glorious dead?" tickles me each time I watch GWTW.

[Glebb]

Posted: 12/25/04 at 10:10am

GWTW is on TNT right now!

[AndyHardy]

Posted: 12/25/04 at 4:07pm

There are moments of Jane Darwell's performance in the film Grapes of Wrath that if you don't cry it's because you are made of stone.

Love "Poppins" when seeing all those great old character movie actors - Arthur Treacher, Reginald Gardner, Elsa Lancaster, Ed Wynn, Darwell, et. al. Sorta like Walt was really listening to the message of Feed The Birds when deciding to cast these greats in such a high profile film. Fitting conclusions (or close to conclusions) for some pretty distinguished careers.