Ona Munson/Una Merkel

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:26pm

Do you prefer one to the other and why?

Updated On: 4/13/08 at 05:26 PM

[cturtle]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:29pm

i like them the same. and it's LOTS of fun to introduce them to each other at a party ...

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:36pm

Introducing them at a party would be a real coup! :)

* Edit to add Ilka Chase

Updated On: 4/13/08 at 05:36 PM

[BT]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:38pm

Which is which?

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:40pm

Top Ona, bottom Una?
Hard to recognize Una without a smile and Ona without bells hanging from her ears.

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:41pm

Oy now it looks as if the bottom pic has that look like when Rhett slams the door. So maybe it's Una on top and Ona below.

[cturtle]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:45pm

actually, i do prefer ONA. i'm a GWTW freak.

Updated On: 6/26/05 at 05:45 PM

[BT]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:48pm

Glebb - your second guess was correct! Una is on top and Ona is on the bottom. Ona didn't make nearly as many pictures as Una, did she? I have to admit to not seeing nearly as much of Ona as Una. Una got to Shuffle off to Buffalo, afterall!

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:53pm

I enjoyed Una in 42nd Street.
AndyHardy will be able to rattle off a few of her other pictures.
Ona of course was perfection as Belle. What did you think of Ann Margret as Belle?

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:55pm

"I've never seen hair that color before in my life. Do you know a dyed haired woman?"

"I wish I knew that one. She'd get my money for me."

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:55pm

"Move out of the way, trash!"

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:58pm

"What's done come over this here town?"

"Yankees. That's what."



I'm going to have to quit. I could keep this up from first to last frame. "Savannah would be better for ya."

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 5:59pm

"And Miz Wilkes, if you see me on the street you don't have to say hello."

[BT]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 6:00pm

I didn't watch "Scarlett" - I will have to give it a viewing on a rainy afternoon.

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 6:01pm

It's perfect when you have absolutely nothing else to do.

[BT]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 6:02pm

And (channeling NYAdgal) you have a glass of bubbly!

[Glebb]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 10:22pm

Love Una Merkel in "42nd Street".
She and Ginger Rogers have good chemistry.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 10:28pm

Love, love, love Una Merkel in "Born to Dance" with Eleanor Powell and Jimmy Stewart.

But Ona Munson's Belle Watling is a great performance.

And how about Ona in Josef Von Sternberg's SHANHGAI GESTURE, playing the ultimate in Magnificent Bitches: MOTHER GODDAMN!

[cturtle]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 3:40pm

now HOW did i miss the recent posts on this thread??

never never never watch SCARLETT. to give attention to that ripley trash would be a sin against margaret mitchell's grave. don't settle for anything less than the ORIGINAL.

"she's a mighty proud woman prancing around atlanta like she owns it."

[justme2]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 3:58pm

Una Merkel...

Top notch "buddy comedian" of Joan Blondell and also a celebrated cook.

Don't have time to list all the movies you must see....

[justme2]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 6:08pm

ok, now I have time. My personal Merkel favorites are:


Dangerous Female: the original version of the Maltese Falcon, AS A COMEDY...Una play Effie to great effect.

Private Lives: She plays the second wife of Robert Montgomery in this wonderful version of the play (movie)

Red Headed woman -the saucy roomate of skanky Jean Harlow.

Bombshell -Again, with Harlow, as her secratary in this fantastic "behind the scenes of moviemaking" movie.

Riffraff -again, with Harlow, as a poor girl working at a cannery in a seasside town..Sidekick role to Harlow, which she did exceedingly well.

On Borrowed Time -for some dramatic Una, see this fantastic movie about Lionel Barrymore trapping death up in his apple tree. Una is pretty good in the movie as live in help to the elderly couple.

Destry Rides Again -old tiem west dance hall girl Una gets in some great cracks against Marlene Dietrich.

And, of course...the obvious ones....

42nd street
Broadway Melody of 1936
This side of Heaven
Baby Face HArrigan


Good luck locating any of these movies (outside of 42nd street). I've seen all of them and more, and Una Merkel was one of the best wisecracking Pre-code dames (Blondell, Farrell, Harlow, notwithstanding).

[cturtle]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 6:30pm

UNA in WICKED!

ha ha ... 1931

i always liked her in disney's THE PARENT TRAP.

[justme2]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 6:41pm

Yeah, Wicked was an OK pre-code movie, but it did not utilize Una to her best advantage.

We should start a thread titled "Una in Wicked?" and see how many Wicked fans show up to argue the point and wonder when she will start!

[wildcat]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:00pm

Did you know that Ona started off performing in several Broadway musicals and ultimately comitted suicide?

And that Una only did one Broadway musical (TAKE ME ALONG) and died peacefully at age 83?

Conclusion: Broadway musicals can be hazardous to your emotional wellbeing.

[The Ninth Show]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:01pm

Una Merkel was amazing as Geraldine Page's mother in Summer and Smoke. She should have gotten the Oscar that year.