Monday, February 27, 2017

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Suspiria (1977)

Madame Blanc: I must tell you what I have to say very quickly... Because those gentlemen are waiting for me. Something terrible, truly horrible, has happened. One of our students, Pat Hingle, who was expelled just yesterday for improper conduct, Was murdered last night by some madman. It's a frightening story. But I always warn our students, Don't I, Miss Tanner? I tell them to be careful, not to get involved with questionable friendships. 

I hope Luca Guadagnino keeps the dialogue for his Suspiria remake as stilted and Babelfish-translated as the dialogue in Dario Argento's original sounds, because it's got a wonderful one-of-a-kind weirdness to it, and I think  (I know) that Tilda Swinton (who's playing this character) will make quick magic of it.

Anyway the great Joan Bennett was born on this day in the year 1910. Here's are my two favorite fun tidbits via IMDB:

"She made five films for Fritz Lang, more than any other American actor or actress who worked with him (many actors disliked working with Lang)."

"She was a popular target of disdain in Hedda Hopper's gossip column. To get her point across Bennett mailed Hopper a skunk as a Valentines Day gift in 1950 with a note that read, "You Stink!"
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3 comments:

Paul Outlaw said...

All hail Joan Bennett, queen of the original Dark Shadows!

joel65913 said...

Quite a day for legendary actresses births! Not only the estimable Miss Bennett but Elizabeth Taylor and Joanne Woodward too! How cool it would have been to see the three in a film together.

I love Joan Bennett so much, she's woefully underappreciated and was so even in her day. Another great talent that never received an Oscar nomination despite giving at least three worthy performances, Scarlet Street, The Macomber Affair and The Reckless Moment, and surely more. She was apparently a down to earth, no nonsense straight shooter which enabled her to work harmoniously with Lang who was a tough nut.

Lili Palmer was one who did have trouble with him when they were filming Cloak and Dagger and sought out her friend Joanie's consul knowing that she had worked successfully with him. Joan told her when she arrived on set in the morning to say "Good Morning you old sonofabitch!" and give back as good as he gave since that's how she dealt with him. That wasn't Lilli's way though and she struggled through the film hating every minute.

Laramie Dean said...

I'm a huge fan of the original DARK SHADOWS series, which Joan Bennett starred in (you know, until a vampire kinda took over). Total grand dame.