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Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

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#5

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

I had huge crush on her after I saw Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Marilyn Schmarilyn!
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be enbered with your old nonsense. ~ Emerson
#7

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

Totally glam. And I agree lildogs - I'd love to meet this beautiful lady. OH - the stories she could tell.....
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mamie4 5/14/03
#10

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

That video's awful.
"Writing is like prostitution. First, you do it for love, then you do it for a few friends, and finally you do it for money." ~ Moliere
#12

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

Saw Jane in COMPANY, too, at 19, and was devastated going in to learn Stritchie had left. But what a surprise. Even playing with Larry Kert's unmemorable understudy (last week of August 1972? Or do I mean 71?) She was remarkable, spot on with the role. To me, she just looked like Joanne.

PalJoey: Remember seeing the wonderful Marian Hailey as Amy? And I think Cynthia Harris as the karate wife.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
#14

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

I remember her bra commercials....but she's always had class, even if she was so SMOKING hot Howard Hughes couldn't resist and she hawked controlling her ginormous ta-tas on national TV.
just keep swimming along, don't rise to the....
#15

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

(Love Cynthia Harris. Played a great Sabina in SKIN OF OUR TEETH once at Baltimore's Center Stage...)

But Russell was another example of Hal Prince's insteresting casting intincts. Reading about the Alexis Smith auditions for FOLLIES reminded me of how quirky he could be, going out on a limb with a very complex view of a character. Smith could barely sing before she got Phyllis, and had to come back and try a couple of times. And wasn't landing in the role in the Boston tryout. Prince stuck by her. And many people said he was told to fire LuPone in EVITA. She wasn't the phemom-slash-diva when the show premiered in LA; some people thought she didn't sing it well enough (I know, sounds crazy now.)

Anyway, instead of finding someone who'd do Joanne like Stritch, he went for a very different approach with Russell, with great results. I wonder if it was hard for her, the dancing, the schedule, etc.; she'd only done summer theater before.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
#17

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

I did a tour of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" which went to her hometown for a night, and she came to see it. The company manager acknowledged her from the stage after the curtain calls and had her take a bow; she then came up to meet with the cast, pose for pictures, chat, etc.--she was incredibly patient and seemed good-naturedly amused at all the fuss being made over her. Two special moments--after the walk-out music, as the orchestra was packing up, Jane and a female companion walked past the pit. The companion stopped for a moment to say something like, "You were all so wonderful" to the musicians--"Move it!", Jane growled, giving the woman a hearty shove.

Later, while the pictures were being taken, she directed the various shutterbugs not to photograph her from the knees down, because she was clad in a silver-trimmed, sky-blue pantsuit--and a pair of ratty sneakers. She explained, "I couldn't wear my high heels tonight, it was raining!"

Ya still got it, kid!
I ask in all honesty/What would life be?/Without a song and a dance, what are we?/So I say "Thank you for the music/For giving it to me."
#20

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

She's amazing. Always.

"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."

Updated On: 2/25/08 at 11:47 PM

#22

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

I sat right behind her this past Thursday at the Liza concert in Santa Barbara. Liza introduced her from stage. Some queen behind us loudly said he thought she was Bea Arthur. Tab Hunter was also there. He also looked very good.
HUSSY POWER! ------ HUSSY POWER!
#25

re: Wow. Jane Russell at Last Night's Oscars

yeah, as if any egocentric queen could distract from La Liza's attention-gathering....
just keep swimming along, don't rise to the....

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