Marilyn, Judy or Lucy

Isn't Romantic Comedy redundant?
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stuart.uk
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Marilyn, Judy or Lucy

Post by stuart.uk »

Lucille Ball understandably was the most famous comedy actress of her generation, but does that mean she was better than MM and Judy Holliday.

Lucy did the acclaimed I Love Lucy Show with it's in colour follow ups The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. she did good for a girl, who played very much a supporting role to Ginger Rogers in Follow The Fleet in 1936. mind you she looked so good in that movie it's a wonder then that we didn't realise her potential. she also got her on back on the still hugely talented Ginger, whose film career was then sadly over, by inviting her to be a guest on her show in the mid-60s! lol

unfortunatly the other two girls died young, Judy at 43 and Marilyn at 36, so who knows what they might have achieved in thier late yrs, but it's my guess if both had remained healthy that they would have been better than ever!

Judy played dumbblondes, or did she. she did Born Yesterday and was brilliant in It Should Happen To You with Jack Lemon. she showed that a blonde doesn't have to dumb as a successful buisness woman in The Solid Gold Cadilac. her last film was The Bells Are Ringing with Dean Martin

though i rate Lucy and Judy very highly, for me it's MM as the screens top comedy actress, thouh her comedy roles were limited as she was also IMO, due to her acting and singing, one of the screens great all round female entertainers. her comedy roles included How To Marry A Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch, The Prince And The Showgirl, Bus Stop and Some Like It Hot. i get a bit annoyed when folk say MM played dumb blondes, because apart from SLIH i don't think that was the case. i agree with Bus Stop director Josh Logan Marilyn was a cross between Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo
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MissGoddess
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Post by MissGoddess »

Hi Stuey! It's hard for me to compare them but of course MM is my favorite. I think she was a very funny actress, especially in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She cracks me up with the glasses and her refusal to wear them around men. Too cute. And she had that mobile, ever so expressive face that is perfect for comedy.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
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charliechaplinfan
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Post by charliechaplinfan »

I haven't seen Lucille Ball on screen (I know I intend to make up for my shortcomings) MM was my introduction to movies and movie stars in general, so I owe her a huge debt. However Judy Holliday is relatively new to me and I'm really liking her at the moment. I love It Should Happen to You and Born Yesterday.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

Miss G

when Channel 4 in the UK was first formed it showed the original I Love Lucy series. it was the first time it was aired in my lifetime and i'd already seen the coloured Lucy's growing up as a kid. however, MMs films stood out for me. however, i didn't know of Judy Holliday, but her reputation suggested she was the top comic actress, so i reserved judgement. now having seen Judy's work, i think she was great, only MM was better.

as i said earlier, i believe MM and Judy would have been great attractive middle-aged actresses, whose best yrs were still ahead of them. i think at the time of her death, MMs celebrity status, due in part to her friendship with the Kennedy brothers, had out grown her career as an actress. however, had she lived, i think it would have reversed itself. i find myself comparing her to Paul Macartney, who survived Beatlemainia and sustained a hugely successuful recording career. i was reading a book written by the photographer who did her last photo-shoot, where she said she still hoped to be rehired and finish Somethings Got To Give

i didn't mention Gentlemen Prefer Blondes because it was also a musical. if i remember it was 'Millionaire' that had the glasses gag.
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MissGoddess
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Post by MissGoddess »

Hi Mr Dundee, Scotland:

I must admit that I am not a fan of Judy Holiday at all. I have never thought her very funny or attractive. Maybe she is talented, but that never weighs much if the person holds no charms for me.

I have a rare photograph of Marilyn and Judy taken at Judy's apartment when she lived in the Dakota building here in NYC. You hardly even notice Judy, Marilyn outshines her so.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

High Miss Manhatten

Marilyn on this side of the pond is compared with Mansfield and Dors. i think comparison is unfair, as both MM and Diana Dors were far talented and better looking than Jayne Mansfield. i think Diana thought she was a better actress than MM and maybe she had the potential to be, but Hollywood didn't realise just how talented the british blonde bombshell was and wasted her, though she did to some good stuff when she returned to the UK. in the case of MM she had the classic movies on the board to prove how got she was. sometimes MM was compared to Jean Harlow, but Jean died at 26 way to young to even know what her potential was.
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MissGoddess
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Post by MissGoddess »

Hi Stuart,

Harlow and Marilyn have always seemed very different to me. Harlow was the original "platinum blonde bombshell" and that's the only thing I think they have in common.

The only actress I sometimes see having something in common with Marilyn is Rita Hayworth. Each seemed to project a similar sadness and vulnerability in their eyes in spite of their big, bright smiles for the camera.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

well hello Miss G (Leslie Phillips impression)

i think Ben Lyon helped MM early in her career as he did Jean in Howard Hughes's Hells Angels
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charliechaplinfan
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Post by charliechaplinfan »

I agree about Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe, they show the same kind of vulnerability.

I like Judy Holliday's style of acting, I think she was a more accomplished comedienne than Monroe but Monroe did shine as only she did. I have the impression that Marilyn always played herself. I may be wrong. I'm not a Marilyn expert. I do admire Marilyn, the way she tried to improve herself and tried for better roles.

Jean Harlow shares only her hair colour with Marilyn. She's much harder, much more worldly and wisecracking. Jean accomplished so much in her acting career, so many memorable films and she was only 26 when she died. How I wish she'd have lived longer.

If we are talking comediennes Carole Lombard has my vote for the best. :D
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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srowley75
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Post by srowley75 »

For me, the top comedienne of the era you're describing would be Thelma Ritter. Sure, she was a supporting player in most of her films, but she always made a distinct impression.

Of the three you named, however, Judy Holliday gets my top vote. She made some good films and could be very funny, especially in Adam's Rib, Born Yesterday, and The Solid Gold Cadillac. Marilyn's comedies were good, but I don't find Marilyn herself particularly funny in most of them. And while I still somewhat love Lucy, she's gone down in my estimation over the years. I can only take so much of her loud, shrill style, and there's very little wit involved with her schtick. I still hope for other television comedies of the 1950s like Our Miss Brooks (starring a very gifted comedienne, Eve Arden) and I Married Joan to be rediscovered. To me, they were as good as or better than I Love Lucy.

-Stephen
stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

i briefly saw about 20 minutes of Born Yesterday this morning and it was the first time in a long time i'd seen Judy Holliday in action. as i listened to her speaking i couldn't help but think 'Her voice reminds me of another actress' then he dawned on me it was Jean Hagen from Singing In The Rain when she said 'What do you think i am, dumb or something.'
from what little i saw of the picture i thought Judy was stunningly beautiful, (paritculary in her pant suit that she wore in her apartment) playing the dim-witted blonde, who was an intelligent woman bursting to get out.
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charliechaplinfan
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Post by charliechaplinfan »

Yes, the voices are the same. I noticed it was showing this morning but had other things to do.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
LadyEveSidwich
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Re: Marilyn, Judy or Lucy

Post by LadyEveSidwich »

I like Lucy, but I've never really cared for any of her movies. My personal favorite out of those three would be Judy Holliday. I also like Marilyn Monroe, especially in Some Like it Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: Marilyn, Judy or Lucy

Post by Rita Hayworth »

Lucy all the way for me ... to me, she is the greatest woman comedian of all time.
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