For the last post of 2016, I'm going back to the same well that's been a source of enjoyment for many of you over the last several weeks, another collection of celebrity quotes with photos to go with. So, so much going on both at work and socially over the holidays... I hope I will be back soon in 2017 with more to chit-chat about and observe. It's just been too nuts at the moment to get much done. Anyway, I hope you like these and I doubly hope that you have a fun and happy New Year's Eve!
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| I always liked working with (four-time costar) Paulette. She was not a brilliant actress, she had no sense of timing and everything about her playing was mechanical and contrived. But nobody knew it better than she did, and she was completely honest about it; she is the most honest actress I ever knew. She worked her ass off trying to give it all she had, and in the end, her performances were quite all right. - RAY MILLAND on PAULETTE GODDARD |
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| He was the first person to teach me to enjoy acting. He never throws a tantrum, never gets into a snit. - CANDICE BERGEN on ELLIOTT GOULD |
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| She'd murder you. I remember once I got her angry on the set. She stormed over and said, "You know why I'm doing this picture? I thought they said Dan Duryea!" - DAN DAILEY on BETTY GRABLE |
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| I learned many things working with Cary Grant (in two films.) He has such tremendous concentration. Many actors do not have the courage to stand still. Cary Grant know how to concentrate, how to look directly at you, but always with great relaxation. SOPHIA LOREN on CARY GRANT |
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| They are trying to show he's a great lover, but they'll never prove it to me. ZSA ZSA GABOR on CARY GRANT |
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| A more charming, talented and gracious person I shall never know. - RUDY VALLEE on JANE GREER (whose marriage to him was basically over after 3 months.) |
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| He cut my part (in The Scapegoat, 1959) into such shreds that my appearance in the final product made no sense at all. This is an actor who plays by himself, unto himself. In this particular picture he plays a dual role, so at least he was able to play with himself. - BETTE DAVIS on ALEC GUINNESS |
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| When you're on top, you get a sense of immortality. You feel you can do no wrong, that it will always be good no matter what the role. Well, in truth, that feeling is death. You must be honest with yourself. - GENE HACKMAN |
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| You know, she never wore underclothes and she was walking past the guys on The Public Enemy (1931) one day and Cagney said, "How do you hold those things up?" and she said, "I ice them." And she was very serious. - JOAN BLONDELL on JEAN HARLOW |
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| When it comes to doing anything dangerous on the set, he's usually found flat on his back. I'm a far better cowboy that he is. But then, to be fair, I'm a younger man. And I'm prettier. And I have more hair than he has. - OLIVER REED on RICHARD HARRIS (whose only shared film was Gladiator, 2000, during which Reed passed away.) |
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| In the fullest possible meaning of the word she is so nice. - PETER SELLERS on GOLDIE HAWN |
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| Anyway, Henie was very difficult to work with (during their two films.) She wouldn't listen to you, and she would rather do what she wanted to do. Anytime she got into a good spin, she would stay in it for 5,000 years... I think everybody thought that her real reason for stalling was that the next day we would be going into overtime and she was already getting a fortune, and this way she'd get even more. I think she was the highest-priced star at the studio, in the country even - Choreographer HERMES PAN on SONJA HENIE |
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| Miss Hepburn, I've just seen Roman Holiday (1953) and although I wanted to hate you [because I was contractually prevented from doing it] I have to tell you that I wouldn't have been half as good. You were wonderful. - JEAN SIMMONS to AUDREY HEPBURN |
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| I can't imagine Rhett Butler chasing you for ten years - Producer DAVID O. SELZNICK to KATHARINE HEPBURN (during the casting of Gone with the Wind, 1939) |
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| Susan Hayward was an ice queen-very like Grace Kelly that way. When we'd be standing ready to shoot our scenes (during The Lost Moment, 1947) she was so silent and remote. It was so different from working with an actress like Barbara Stanwyck who, when we were waiting to go into our scenes for The Bride Wore Boots (1946) would whisper, "Come on, Bob. You know you'd like to fuck me. Admit it." - ROBERT CUMMINGS on SUSAN HAYWARD (and BARBARA STANWYCK! Admittedly, this was on the sets of two incredibly different types of films.) |
More fun quotes! they were all interesting and once again nothing I had read before. Zsa Zsa was a little rough on Cary Grant and I figure she probably knew a gay man when she saw one (will we ever know about Cary?). Her recent passing inspired me to look up an article in Vanity Fair, written in the last decade. So kooky! that husband of hers (the fake Prince) was robbed by a gang of lesbians (according to him) and tied up naked and left in his car, only to be photographed by tipped off paparazzi. Jean Simmons in "Roman Holiday", I can totally picture it. While it would have been possibly less charming it seems like it wouldn't be a shocking difference, like Truman Capote wanting Marilyn Monroe for "Breakfast At Tiffany's" This was a fun read. Happy New Year Poseidon. I look forward to more fabulous posts in 2017.
ReplyDeleteIf Bette Davis said that Mother Theresa was a brazen tramp who secretly ran a brothel with orphans turning tricks, I would believe it. She can do no wrong by me.
ReplyDeleteAs for David O. Selznick's quote about Ms. Hepburn, I heard it before and laughed my ass off and when i reread it just now I laughed my ass off again. Of course, Ms. Hepburn gets the last laugh because Spencer Tracy did chase her for ten years while he was cheating on his wife.
I should have said it by now and it's long overdue. I have read your posts for years and I love nearly all of them. I can tell this is a labor of love for you and it shows. So many actors and movies I have loved for years you also love which I find amazing. You do God's work, but I don't think God has your sense of humor and that's a shame.
I sort of love Ray Milland's comment about Paulette Goddard. I've tried liking her but something about just never clicks with me. The only time I found her interesting was in Bob Colacello's book about Andy Warhol, Holy Terror. Apparently Liz Taylor (I think) started an "international rumor" about ol' Paulie giving some oral attention to a gentleman at a club. Goddard was paranoid about the rumor and always asked people if they heard it (but would never tell them if they hadn't heard it). She went completely insane when someone finally told Warhol and Colacello the details and they asked her about it!
ReplyDeleteIt's really hard to imagine sweet little Betty Grable being mad at anyone!
Did Zsa Zsa ever have a good word for anyone? I actually like Grant and didn't think too much about the gay rumors, but then there's that shadowy, romantic shot of him lighting (I guess) Randolph Scott's cigarette and now I don't know what to think!
I love Bette Davis! She always had the best mean comments about people!
The quote about Susan Hayward doesn't surprise me. She was always so mechanical and weird - a good actress to be sure but I don't think she ever quite masked her aloofness and detachment. I'm not sure I believe ol' Bob's comment about Barbara "Missy" Stanwyck though. His memory was, shall we say, a little on the speed laden side. For some reason, I get him confused with Gig Young!
Happy new year, everyone!
Gingerguy, it's strange that Zsa Zsa's last (and weirdest?) marriage turned out to be the longest of all. The (phony) prince was involved in so many head-shaking incidents (including at one point claiming to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's orphaned baby!!) I must say that despite all that, he SEEMED to be very devoted to Zsa Zsa during her daisy chain of illnesses and afflictions. I hope somehow he made her happy throughout all of that. I, too, can see Jean Simmons doing "Roman Holiday," but she did seem to be missing that one extra bit of magic that Audrey had for audiences.
ReplyDeletePetercox, so funny about Bette and Mother Teresa! As for Kate and Spence... I don't know if he so much chased her as allowed her to be there for him during his rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, benders, depression and whatever else! That's a relationship we may never fully understand from the outside looking in. Your remarks/compliments to me in your comment for this post were so kind and SO appreciated!! Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoy my blatherings!
DevilYouKnow, I have never been able to get into Paulette myself, though those who like her LOVE her! I always felt a little bad for her over the Scarlett O'Hara thing - during the screen tests they seemed to be picking at her and giving her endless criticism, yet I didn't really see her mastering the part (and of course, for me, no one can top Vivien!) Maybe I've just never seen the right movie of hers for me to fall for her (I've seen precious few!) I read a bio of Grable one time and she could be tough (and difficult) when she wanted to be! Nevertheless, it was also hard to endure the machinations of the studio bosses, so one had to be tough to succeed at all. I believe it's Randy who's got his hand on Cary's cig in the picture. I personally feel that Grant was a homosexual who tried very hard not to be, thus he led a very difficult, conflicted private life with the only really, truly happy times coming when he was allowed to be what he was (with Scott) and then later as a father. But that is only my own conjecture. All of these quotes, including Bob Cummings', are not necessarily the TRUTH, just what they said or what their perception was. You never really know what is absolute fact, fiction or exaggeration. But I find them fun regardless... Thank you!!
Greatly entertaining as always Poseidon!!
ReplyDeleteI like Paulette but I don't think she was really all in to being an actress once she lost out on GWTW. I've seen those test of hers for Scarlett and sorry something is missing, I prefer what Joan Bennett was doing in hers but no one would ever best Vivien Leigh. I've seen most of her films, she's another one on my list (only two left!) and she could be sprightly so it's funny that Ray Milland said that about her timing since she's strongest in her comedies. Aside from Kitty the best I've seen her in are The Lady Has Plans, Suddenly, It's Spring, Standing Room Only and Hold Back the Dawn only the last of which is a drama. She a hoot in DeMille's florid Reap the Wild Wind as Southern Belle Loxi Claiborne complete with honeychile accent with Susan Hayward as her cousin Drusilla Alston. Most of her later films where holy horrors though, I may never recover from seeing Gypsy Rose Lee and she in Babes in Bagdad!!
Love Betty Grable and from what I've read most of the time she was a sweetheart but being a star of her magnitude had to be stressful at times and it's great she could be cutting without being cruel along with it. That Dan Duryea line is perfect.
That Jean Harlow story sounds like her. Most of the comments I've seen by those who knew her said basically the same thing, she was a nice woman but a straight shooter who left you no doubt where she stood or where you stood with her.
Conversely I've often read that Sonja Henie was very "difficult" and often downright bitchy. I guess she was a better actress than she seemed since she exuded an niceness onscreen.
I can also completely see Jean Simmons in Roman Holiday and she would have been very good but it would have been a different film. I love her very much but her radiance was a different, quieter type than Audrey's. There is no question though that Hughes screwed her over when he had her under contract because she wouldn't bend to his will and cost her several films that would have made her a bigger star.
I've heard such varying things about Susan Hayward, from her being terribly remote to how helpful and warm she was (one of the people who saw her that way was Agnes Moorehead who was also in Lost Moment so maybe it was Cummings she wasn't fond of) so perhaps it depended on the person she was interacting with also her first marriage, which she would have been in while making The Lost Moment, was a stormy mess and that was sure to make some difference. Plus I know she hated The Lost Moment referring to it derisively as "The Lost Hour and a Half".
Joel, sorry to be so late in responding to this. Lots going on, as usual. Someday I must expand my Paulette Goddard viewing range. I've never even seen, believe it or not, "Reap the Wild Wind!" Henie's turned up nose seemed somewhat cute at first, but then as she aged it began to get a little "Child Catcher"-ish! She has a bad reputation from the things I've read over the years (but smart!) And I cannot see Hayward and Cummings hitting it off AT ALL. I remember her now calling the movie "The Lost Hour and a Half!" Hilarious!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyed the article and comments.
ReplyDeleteI rather like Goddard, and I think she's a perfect foil to Bob Hope in 'The Cat and the Canary'- a great film.
My mother was a massive fan of Simmons,whom she still refers to as a lady that made Elizabeth Taylor look rather common!
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Hi, PDJ! I need to see "The Cat and the Canary." I've hardly seen any of Bob Hope's non-1960s movies (which are considered his worst!) Love the Jean Simmons remark...! I have a close friend who has a strong aversion to Simmons and I could never figure it out. I'm fine with her, but he just can't bear her at all! LOL
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I always thought that Bob Cummings was gay...but he married five times!!! Not that it means anything, bit obviously he liked being married!
ReplyDelete2 Sticks, I always thought that Bob read totally gay myself, too, whether he was or not... Something about the way he modulated his voice and carried himself. He was REALLY into vitamins and fitness and yet also carried on an almost lifelong addiction to drugs. Fascinating contradictions.
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