Loretta Young

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Libertine
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Libertine »

Loretta Young... I like her as a comedian... not so much as a person. I do not know that much about her though. So, correct me if I am wrong with anything I'll say.

Of course I have also heard about the story with her swear-jar...I know this story with Robert Mitchum being the one telling her to f*** off... anyway, I found her to be a bit of a hypocrite. Having an affair with a married man, and even getting his child, then claiming to have adopted it. Well, I do not judge her, but it's like, hello? pretending to be all-so-good, etc, but then not living up to it? A person is not allowed to say a swear word while she's near, but she's having had an affair with a married man?! Ok, she got the baby... however I found that strange. Maybe she got over-religious later in her life? I don't know... I remember a quote by Marlene Dietrich who said, every time Loretta Young sins she lets build a church, and that is why there are so many Catholic Churches in Beverly Hills.

However, as said above I like Loretta in comedies. Café Metropole, Second Honeymoon, Love is News, A Night to Remember, Along Came Jones... she's ok in them. I do not mind her on screen, but I am not watching a movie just because of her.
[color=#400080][i]Perhaps I am mad. How should I know? I think I am normal.[/i]
~Tallulah Bankhead[/color]

I made myself a signature, but found out I can not use it.... world is cruel. :(
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movieman1957
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by movieman1957 »

The affair and child was with Clark Gable. For 1935 and with them being employees of MGM I doubt there was any other way it would have been handled. We weren't nearly as forgiving then and MGM wasn't going to have such big stars burdened by the kind of scandal. At least that's what I think.

Conversions later in life or spiritual awakenings aren't a bad thing.
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Ann Harding
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Ann Harding »

I agree with Movieman. In 1935, the morality clause for actresses made it impossible to have a child out of wedlock. I would say Loretta had the guts to keep the child rather than have an abortion (like many others faced with the same problem at the time). It was much easier for a male star to fool around and not having to face the consequences so to speak. So I will not be the one who would judge Loretta's behaviour in such a a difficult situation.
Libertine
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Libertine »

Nah, I do not judge her, she was not the only one who had affairs, but you know, what I mean is.. what she has done is hypocrisy.
[color=#400080][i]Perhaps I am mad. How should I know? I think I am normal.[/i]
~Tallulah Bankhead[/color]

I made myself a signature, but found out I can not use it.... world is cruel. :(
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moira finnie
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by moira finnie »

Libertine wrote:Nah, I do not judge her, she was not the only one who had affairs, but you know, what I mean is.. what she has done is hypocrisy.
I understand your point of view, Lib, but doing what you have to do to survive might be judged as hypocrisy today, but if Loretta Young had been open about it, her family would have been impoverished and Clark Gable's career would very likely have been destroyed as well. I don't think she had a choice, but did the best that she could under the circumstances. You might want to read Judy Lewis' book, Uncommon Knowledge about coming to terms with her mother's desire to shield her from the stigma of illegitimacy, which was real then, and Ms. Lewis' own evolving perspective on her father and mother. No "Mommie Dearest" here, the author, who bears a marked resemblance to both Young and Gable, wrote the book to help her understand her Mom's choices and clear the air. In the end, she forgave her and loved her mother, as her other children did too. Loretta Young actually sounds like she could be a fun lady and a remarkable person in many ways, with an extraordinary work ethic and a capacity to change with the times, even becoming an executive producer of her own television production company at a time when that was most unusual for an actor and a woman.

Loretta Young's children maintain a website about their mother and her legacy, with material contributed by Judy Lewis here.

Btw, I love Midnight Mary as well as tamer but no less entertaining fare, such as The Farmer's Daughter.
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Gary J.
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Gary J. »

It seems every major Hollywood actress from the silents right up to the 1960's
had to face the same exact dilemma that Loretta Young had to go through.
Many believe that Katharine Hepburn's niece was actually Kate's own daughter
who she allowed her sister to raise.

That sound like one of Warner's Bette Davis plots........
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Uncle Stevie
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Uncle Stevie »

This is interesting patter. I've said many times before that Hollywood was the creator of the divorce. If you take the most beautiful women in the world and put them with the most handsome and virile men and put them in a movie and tell them to make love with or without their clothes on and the temptation is just too much to handle. Infidelity runs rampant. But they all had a lot of fun doing it. I have read many stories of top movie moguls who would select a pretty extra or star of the day for their afternoon pleasure and do it day after day. It became the afternoon rest period. It may sound unreasonable but it did go on.

Hollywood became and still is the Father of the divorce and destruction of morals. The "casting couch" was a true story. It is hard to find a Hollywood star who not the victim of multiple marriages. It is no wonder.
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Libertine
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Libertine »

moirafinnie wrote:You might want to read Judy Lewis' book, Uncommon Knowledge about coming to terms with her mother's desire to shield her from the stigma of illegitimacy, which was real then, and Ms. Lewis' own evolving perspective on her father and mother. No "Mommie Dearest" here, the author, who bears a marked resemblance to both Young and Gable, wrote the book to help her understand her Mom's choices and clear the air.
I have the book in my shelf. I want to know more about it and her, but, I mean it's so typical that some people who claim to be so religious, in the end do things which are against the 10 commandments, but just come with their swear-jar as soon as you say f*** or s***. :roll: Brave to get the child, of course risky for the career, but then, think about it. Why even having an affair with a married man? It must have been against her religious believes. But that was not so important then, it seems, after all it was Gable. But... nah, I need to find out more about her motives, life, her religiousness.. ( I am not religious myself, you know, but hypocrisy... boy, I don't like it).
[color=#400080][i]Perhaps I am mad. How should I know? I think I am normal.[/i]
~Tallulah Bankhead[/color]

I made myself a signature, but found out I can not use it.... world is cruel. :(
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movieman1957
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by movieman1957 »

We're just human.
Chris

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mrsl
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by mrsl »

.
Although I was born and raised in the Catholic religion, I gave it up over 45 years ago because I just could not accept some of it's beliefs and teachings. Now with that said, I will ask you Libertine, if you were ever watching a sad movie and felt tears slowly dripping from your eyes? That is called emotion. I learned long ago never to take a person down because of their emotional failings. We never know how we are going to react to certain situations. I adore my little granddaughter but on more than one occasion, when I'm hugging her, she will say, "Gramma stop, you're hugging me too hard". My emotions overcome my heart now and then, and that is just what happens to people who are put into impossible situations. Personally I never saw any great attraction in Clark Gabel, but I could never do a love scene with Robert Mitchum, then go home quietly, I'd fight you tooth and nail to stay. Most women don't think that way about him, but I think he's the sexiest man ever on screen, and apparently Clark affected Loretta in that way with no previous plan in place. Loretta was gorgeous and women fell at Clark's feet like bees to honey, so I would guess the lyric to that old song apply - - When an irresistable force such as you, meets an old immovable object like me, etc.
Anne


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Libertine
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Libertine »

OK, again, because I think I couldn't make it clear, I do not judge her for having had an affair, I am not judging her at all, I am not religious. Heck, I am a fan of Bankhead, Flynn, Dietrich and others, do you really believe I'd judge anyone because of an affair - or more?

I'll say it again, I do not judge her, but I had the impression that, she might well have been able to judge others because of such a "failure". If you already earn a - on her list because of swearing... I wonder how she felt if you'd have had a child out of wedlock. I've made experiences with religious people, and in the end, they were extremely religious at the outside, but having some kind of a double-moral. I wonder if in the end, Loretta was a bit the same.

Like I've said before I do not know enough about her personality, and life, so I was hoping somebody would be able to tell me about how religious she really was, if she really was very serious about her swear-jug, etc., because I like her in some way, and I am interested. As I have no time at the moment to read her daughters book, I tried to ask you here instead for now.
[color=#400080][i]Perhaps I am mad. How should I know? I think I am normal.[/i]
~Tallulah Bankhead[/color]

I made myself a signature, but found out I can not use it.... world is cruel. :(
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Uncle Stevie
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Uncle Stevie »

I do not think any of us are here to judge history or each other. We all just do research and offer opinions of what has happened. Most of our findings can only be revealations and exposure of the "sometimes" truth. This is Hollywood and I often find it hard to believe what I read. I was brought up by my family and friends to NOT believe everything I read. Fabrication is a fact of life. Truth is a secret that may never be revealed.
Uncle Stevie


"Great Marriages Are Made In Heaven,
So Is Thunder and Lightning"
Libertine
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Libertine »

I say it again, I don't judge... I simply want to know about her. :| Nah, nevermind.
[color=#400080][i]Perhaps I am mad. How should I know? I think I am normal.[/i]
~Tallulah Bankhead[/color]

I made myself a signature, but found out I can not use it.... world is cruel. :(
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moira finnie
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by moira finnie »

Libertine wrote:I say it again, I don't judge... I simply want to know about her. :| Nah, nevermind.
Understood, Lib. That's why I suggested the website and book. Hope you'll hang in here with your point-of-view, which is most welcome here. It's kind of remarkable that Young is relatively forgotten today considering how long she was around. One of the more interesting parts of Jeanine Basinger's book The Star Machine concerns classic and contemporary Hollywood's attitudes toward Young. Much of the chapter can be seen here. Here's a clickable thumbnail image from the cover of Bassinger's book.
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Vecchiolarry
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Re: Loretta Young

Post by Vecchiolarry »

Hi,

I hate hypocracy too and there was a lot of it in Hollywood...
But, we seem to be focusing on the woman here - even though it is on her thread; I acknowledge that - but what about the man...

I have heard a lot about Clark Gable from many who knew him in the early days.
1) How did he make his living when beginning at MGM in the 20's???
2) How did he treat his first two wives and why did he marry them?
3) What was input into the raising of his child and why only one bewildering meeting with her?

There's three questions I've heard lots about when I lived there.
Clue: I knew William Haines & Jimmy Shields very well and they loved to 'talk' about everybody... Also, I knew Betty Blythe very well and she adored 'talking, talking, talking' about everybody - and their dog!!!
Clue: Josephine Dillon was a good friend of Mae Murray and I knew Mae pretty well...
Clue: I knew Rhea Langham very well (she was a friend of my grandmother)...
Clue: I also know Judy Lewis quite well and she's still lumuxed by Clark Gable...

I do like Clark Gable as a movie star and have enjoyed him in all the films I've seen him in...
Never knew him, nor never met him; so can't say I can judge him personally. But, all that gossip??? !!!

Last comment:
Although I knew Loretta Young and all the Youngs, they were very Catholic - especially the mother, Gladys..
I was often taken to Church by Gladys in my younger days; but my grandmother put a stop to that around 1956, as she detested the Vatican and all priests.
I now don't believe in any religion.

Also:
Tom Lewis, Loreeta's husband and Judy's step-father was a complete "A...Hole", believe me...

Larry
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