MUSINGS, PONDERINGS, RUMINATIONS AND FANCIES

[Intrepid37]

Another weird memory from that city: A drunken Aldo Ray propositioned me as I was waiting for a downtown bus. I was flattered but turned him down.

Offered you a role in a movie, did he?

[Swithin]

In the 1970's I saw Ron Moody backstage in his underwear after a performance as Fagin in OLIVER. (Los Angeles) He was not particularly friendly.

Another weird memory from that city: A drunken Aldo Ray propositioned me as I was waiting for a downtown bus. I was flattered but turned him down.

I was once propositioned by Susan Tyrrell (I think), around 1981. That was bizarre!

[BagelOnAPlate]

I agree that Edith Evans should have won that year. Re: Barbra, whom I'm not fond of on film: One of the great cinematic mistakes: not casting Carol Channing in the film of Hello, Dolly!

While I love Carol Channing as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (one of my favorite movies), I'm glad that native New Yorker Barbra Streisand had the lead in the movie adaptation of Hello, Dolly!

Streisand's interpretations of the songs are amazing!

[Swithin]

I agree that Edith Evans should have won that year. Re: Barbra, whom I'm not fond of on film: One of the great cinematic mistakes: not casting Carol Channing in the film of Hello, Dolly!

While I love Carol Channing as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (one of my favorite movies), I'm glad that native New Yorker Barbra Streisand had the lead in the movie adaptation of Hello, Dolly!

Sreisand's interpretations of the songs are amazng!

I'm afraid that's an example of why I would have preferred Carol Channing in the film. By being the "song stylist" that she is, I feel Streisand does the character a disservice. Also she (and the arranger) take liberties with the melody, particularly since Dolly is a period piece (end of 19th century).

I prefer Carol's straightforward rendition, which mirrors the music of its time.

[txfilmfan]

I agree that Edith Evans should have won that year. Re: Barbra, whom I'm not fond of on film: One of the great cinematic mistakes: not casting Carol Channing in the film of Hello, Dolly!

While I love Carol Channing as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (one of my favorite movies), I'm glad that native New Yorker Barbra Streisand had the lead in the movie adaptation of Hello, Dolly!

Sreisand's interpretations of the songs are amazng!

I'm afraid that's an example of why I would have preferred Carol Channing in the film. By being the "song stylist" that she is, I feel Streisand does the character a disservice. Also she (and the arranger) take liberties with the melody, particularly since Dolly is a period piece (end of 19th century).

I prefer Carol's straightforward rendition, which mirrors the music of its time.

Streisand's interpretation has a Mae West quality to it (I'm thinking of the cash register line here), maybe mixed with a little Sophie Tucker? Bette Midler's was somewhere between Channing's and Streisand's, but closer to the original stage production. The tempo of the song in both the film and the latest revival is quite a bit faster than the OBC recording.

[Swithin]

I'm sorry that this song was not used in the movie:

[Hibi]

I think some of you would enjoy Matthew Kennedy's ROAD SHOW!: THE FALL OF FILM MUSICALS IN THE 1960s. Can you think like a producer? For instance, John Woolf, producer of OLIVER!, originally wanted to cast Elizabeth Taylor as Nancy, Richard Burton as Bill Sikes, and Laurence Harvey as Fagin.

And could you guess what role these actresses were considered for, but not cast? List A (and this was probably the A List): Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn, Julie Christie. List B (probably not the A List): Polly Bergen, Ann-Margret, Mitzi Gaynor. What role could Polly Bergen and Ann-Margret both be considered for?

Hint: consider the title of the book. Confess, haven't you always wanted to see a Julie Christie musical? Hint#2: Who knows, Julie Christie might have been as good a singer as the woman chosen for the role.

SPOILER BELOW:

Scroll down again while you're thinking . . . .

Guinevere in CAMELOT, played by Vanessa Redgrave.

I wonder why Andrews wasn't cast and non-singer Redgrave got the role? Was she too busy doing other films? Did Jack Warner hold a grudge? Were her salary demands too high?

I did read Road Show and really enjoyed it but don't remember why in this case.

I think I remember part of the reasoning in casting Redgrave was they thought she'd bring in the younger audience (didn't happen). But not sure why Andrews wasn't cast. Did she turn it down or what?

[Hibi]

Speaking of Redgrave, she told the press after the Barbra/Kate tie win that she could've been the tie breaker as she didn't vote in that category as she hadn't seen all the performances. (that's assuming she'd have voted for one or the other).

[Swithin]

Speaking of Redgrave, she told the press after the Barbra/Kate tie win that she could've been the tie breaker as she didn't vote in that category as she hadn't seen all the performances. (that's assuming she'd have voted for one or the other).

There might have been several others who did not vote in that category, for the same reason, so I wouldn't put it just on Redgrave.

I wonder, though, whether the number of votes Hepburn and Streisand received were exactly the same, or just within a range where they consider it to be a tie.

[Hibi]

Speaking of Redgrave, she told the press after the Barbra/Kate tie win that she could've been the tie breaker as she didn't vote in that category as she hadn't seen all the performances. (that's assuming she'd have voted for one or the other).

There might have been several others who did not vote in that category, for the same reason, so I wouldn't put it just on Redgrave.

I wonder, though, whether the number of votes Hepburn and Streisand received were exactly the same, or just within a range where they consider it to be a tie.

I know. But she was the only member at the time I remembered saying something like that to the press.

[HoldenIsHere]

Speaking of Redgrave, she told the press after the Barbra/Kate tie win that she could've been the tie breaker as she didn't vote in that category as she hadn't seen all the performances. (that's assuming she'd have voted for one or the other).

There might have been several others who did not vote in that category, for the same reason, so I wouldn't put it just on Redgrave.

I wonder, though, whether the number of votes Hepburn and Streisand received were exactly the same, or just within a range where they consider it to be a tie.

Barbra Streisand and Katherine Hepburn received the exact same number of votes that year: 3,030 votes each.
It was the first exact tie in a principal Oscar category.

When Fredric March (for DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE) and Wallace Beery (for THE CHAMP) tied for the Best Actor award in 1932, Beery had actually received one less vote than March. The rules at the time stated that if any nominated film or artist came within three votes of winning in a principal category, the result would be considered a tie.
The rules had been amended by the time that Streisand and Hepburn shared the Best Actress Oscar to require an exact number of votes for a tie to be declared.

[Swithin]

Speaking of Redgrave, she told the press after the Barbra/Kate tie win that she could've been the tie breaker as she didn't vote in that category as she hadn't seen all the performances. (that's assuming she'd have voted for one or the other).

There might have been several others who did not vote in that category, for the same reason, so I wouldn't put it just on Redgrave.

I wonder, though, whether the number of votes Hepburn and Streisand received were exactly the same, or just within a range where they consider it to be a tie.

Barbra Streisand and Katherine Hepburn received the exact same number of votes that year: 3,030 votes each.
It was the first exact tie in a principal Oscar category.

When Fredric March (for DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE) and Wallace Beery (for THE CHAMP) tied for the Best Actor award in 1932, Beery had actually received one less vote than March. The rules at the time stated that if any nominated film or artist came within three votes of winning in a principal category, the result would be considered a tie.
The rules had been amended by the time that Streisand and Hepburn shared the Best Actress Oscar to require an exact number of votes for a tie to be declared.

That's very interesting. How many votes did the other ladies receive? Is that information available? I was actually rooting for Patricia Neal that year. (Even though her 1960s hairdo as a 1940s Bronx housewife was inaccurate.)

[Hibi]

Interesting. I hadn't known that either about the Best Actor tie win.