Marie Dressler in DINNER AT EIGHT- Page 2

[Mamie]

Posted: 1/12/09 at 11:47pm

I just remembered this old Marie Dressler pic from the old Angels thread:



I should see if I can find Kay Francis.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/12/09 at 11:51pm

Of course I know, PJ. You took me to see it for the first time at the late, lamented Theater 80 St. Marks, where I saw many must-see's for the first time: "The Thin Man," "Les Enfants du Paradis," "Regles de jour," "The Women," "Anna Karenina" (Garbo), "Ninotchka" . . .

[Mamie]

Posted: 1/12/09 at 11:53pm

[justme2]

Posted: 1/13/09 at 12:12am

Yes I am a fan of that movie, Reginald. I will watch Kay Francis in ANYTHING, and have...from the fantastic Trouble in Paradise to the terrible "My Boy Bill" and "Always in my Heart". Kay Francis was a STAR and the two books recently published about her prove it. Check them out if you can.

Also try to see...Mandalay, where she plays a whore named "Spot White" and In Name Only, one of her later films after WB F'd her over. I just recently caught "Stranded" on TCM, where she played a kind of "Triple AAA travel agent" to George Brent's architect of the Bay Bridge. Wonderful footage of the Bay Bridge being built in that film!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/13/09 at 12:15am

I love Stranded! I love Kay Francis! I love Mamie's beautiful pictures.

I love everything tonight. I just came from the Little Night Music benefit, and it's like I'm high. I've been smoking Sondheim.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 1/13/09 at 12:35am

Kay Francis looks like Drew Barrymore in that photo.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 1/13/09 at 1:05am

And if it weren't for the Actor's Strike of 1917(?), she might never have made any movies.

She was a very vocal and active in the founding of Actor's Equity and, in doing so, pissed off the Broadway Producers who proceeded to blackball her.

Not getting cast in ANY shows, and she was a star, she started doing movies and the rest is history.

[justme2]

Posted: 1/13/09 at 1:18am

... and thank god she did. We now have her fantastic performance in "The Patsy"! Talk about a scene stealer! And Min and Bill! and Tugboat Annie! There were also some silent movies that are HIGHLY un PC that she did with Polly Moran as well. Their sound movie partnership was just as funny, and much more "acceptable" PC wise.

[Mamie]

Posted: 1/13/09 at 9:12am

Today would have been Kay Francis' 104th birthday (1905), and Gwen Verdon's 84th (1925). It's also the birthday of Sophie Tucker (1884) and Charles Nelson Riley (1931).

It was a good day for the theatre!

Updated On: 1/13/09 at 09:12 AM