Sue Sue's TCM Film Festival Tidbit Travel Blog

[Sue Sue Applegate]

The Vanity Fair party, 2013. The big hit of the evening? When Lulu sang "To Sir, With Love."

In April of 2011, I was fortunate enough to meet Jane Withers, Anne Jeffreys and the late Ann Rutherford at the Vanity Fair party after the Gala screening of An American in Paris. Jane Withers and I chatted for quite awhile about our families and our rings, and how much fun we were having.



This year, I found myself having an extended visit with the gal who started out taunting Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes, and had a featured role in the George Stevens epic Giant. Jane Withers' faith in God and humanity has seen her survive Hollywood, a severe bout with rheumatoid arthritis which led to her featured role as Vashti Snythe in the screen version of the popular Edna Ferber novel, and allowed her good health to attend the Vanity Fair party after the Gala screening of Funny Girl on Thursday, April 25.

Withers, supportive of the effort of Turner Classic Movies to continue to broadcast films and original programming without commercial interruption, exclaimed that "I am so thrilled that these people at TCM continue to air classic films, and I want you to tell everybody how grateful I am to them for what they have done and accomplished. They are all so wonderful, and they have been so good to me." (Her eyes were tearing up when she said this.)

Miss Withers was also elated about the reissue of several of her films from the 1930s and 1940s. Her starring role opposite Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes(1934) was secured after Director David Butler had auditioned thirty young girls, but when he heard Jane Withers imitation of a machine gun, he chose Withers to play nasty Joy Smythe.

Jane's last role was as the gargoyle in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and she had to take over the role following actress Mary Wickes death in 1996, imitating her voice exactly. She reprised the role in 2002 for the sequel.

Jane Withers and Anne Jeffreys at the TCMFF 2013 Vanity Fair party, bidding each other adieu as Anne had to leave a little earlier than Jane.

Jeffrey's last role was as Susanna in 2012's Sins Expiation, and she and Jane have known each other for quite a while. Jeffreys, Amanda Croft on Falconcrest, Marion Kerby in the Topper series, Irene Buchannon on Baywatch, and the Duchess of York in 2008's Richard III, has also had a busy and varied career.

More about Hollywood Presbyterians, Diana Lynn, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and George Stevens a little later....

All photos courtesy of Sue Sue.

[JackFavell]

Ahhh, Christy, I am SO glad that TCM brought Withers out so we could show our appreciation! She's a tremendously talented woman and deserves to be feted and gushed over. I'm so glad you got to talk to her, and that she and Jeffreys have been able to keep working. Wonderful to see your writeup on these two stars who probably didn't get near the attention they deserved in Hollywood's heyday.

[Rita Hayworth]

I sure love reading about Jane Withers on your thread. She is so underrated as an actress and she is a darling to be ... I just wanted to say thanks.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Thank you, Rita and Jackie! I had so much fun talking to her. We were able to visit for about an hour or more.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

PART II


During her introduction to Giant in The TCL Chinese Theatre with host Ben Mankiewicz, Jane Withers talked a great deal about James Dean and her activities on the set of Giant in Marfa, Texas. Evidently she had a house, and would have parties almost every night with food, cards, Monopoly, and bridge, and "almost everybody" from the crew would come and enjoy the evening. She said that Rock Hudson came most of the time, but Elizabeth Taylor only came once because she liked to go to a country club about sixty miles away. The only night she did drop by, she said how much fun it was, and why didn't she come by more often.


But Withers did seen to form a bond with James Dean. One night after almost everyone else had left, she went into her bedroom, and he was lying down with his hat over his head. "Is that you, Jimmy?" Withers asked. She wanted to know why he hadn't come through the front door, and he said he didn't want to see all those other people, that he came just to see her. Well, Withers claimed she always carried a tool kit with her, and took her hammer, and nailed the window shut while Dean was watching so that the next time he came, he had to come through the front door.

When Withers left California for Marfa, Texas, she knew that she might be gone for over a year, so she brought lots of books to read, as well as her tool kit, and Dean would come over and read books from her makeshift "lending library," and they would read aloud to each other, many times it would be plays. One night she was reading The Bible and quoted Matthew 21:22 to him, and told him that she tried to live by that verse: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. She repeated this verse to me during our conversation, and said that it was one of her favorites.

Long before Withers ever signed a contract for Giant, she suffered a debilitating case of rheumatoid arthritis, and had to be hospitalized for a lengthy stay. While she was cared for at the hospital, she became friends with a young orderly, and he invited her to his graduation. Once Withers was well enough, she was able to attend his graduation ceremony, and after the ceremony, a man tapped her on the back, and as she turned around, director George Stevens introduced himself, and said that he had wanted to talk to her about a part in his next movie, Giant. Well, the next week, Stevens called, but Jane was busy fixing lunches for her children to take to school, and said, something like, "right, you are George Stevens. Well, I have to finish fixing these lunches. I can't talk right now." Later the next day, Stevens secretary called and told her that Stevens wanted to take her to lunch to discuss with her a part he had in mind for her. It turned out to be Vashti Snythe, the quintessential no-holds-barred Texas gal from Giant. And she again stated how she knew God had a hand in her career and her life.

Part of Jane Withers' interview with Ben Mankiewicz can be viewed here under the heading 4/27:
http://filmfestival.tcm.com/about/video-gallery.php

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Family friend Ryan Lakich wrote this lovely article about the Austin Film Festival for Austin Culture Map: http://austin.culturemap.com/author/rya ... /articles/

Here's an excerpt:

Paramount’s Summer Classic Film Series has a scope and depth that must be experienced. Film Programmer Stephen Jannise certainly had his work cut out for him when curating this year’s selection of cinema.

“I think when you’re programming a calendar of films as long as this one, you have to treat it like a puzzle that requires a number of varied pieces to fit together perfectly,” says Jannise. “After you put a first draft of a schedule together, you can look at it as a whole and realize that maybe you have too many films from a particular genre or too few of another category.”

The lineup features a nearly perfect blend that caters to multiple preferences, whether it’s a big screen epic like Lawrence of Arabia projected in 70mm, a classic westerns like Shane, a Breakfast at Tiffany’s event complete with martinis and manicures, or a full week devoted to Hitchcock.

“I don’t stop tinkering with the schedule until I feel like I’ve put something together that would satisfy the wonderfully diverse audience that is Austin," Jannise continues.

Not only will the Paramount screen time-honored films, many of them will be shown in their original 35mm prints alongside the series’ other digital screenings. Though film fans lament the rise of digital cinema, Jannise is more than happy to screen both the past and present of cinema side-by-side.

[CineMaven]

(( Sigh! )) Show off.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Ah.. EXCUUUUUUUUSE ME!

Who has a web-based series? Who was a GUEST PROGRAMMER on TCM? Who has encylopedic knowledge of classic film actors, actresses, directors, etc. and hardly ever has to look anything up? Who has tons of international pals to schmooze with at the festival?

I am so wistful about all the fun we had!

[JackFavell]

Sue Sue, I just loved the second part of your writeup on Jane Withers. Those stories of how she got the role of Vashti and of her friendship with James Dean really were great! I love her in Giant, she's such a presence, even though she's not on screen all that much. She adds a lot of character to the film. I think she's just about the best thing in it.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Thanks, Jackie. I had so much fun talking to her, and she is a little energizer bunny. She is also frank about sharing her faith, and how much she loves her grandchildren, and how proud she is of them and their accomplishments.

I was completely taken away by her energy and her willingness to talk about her experiences. Yesterday, after I had written this last entry, I was flipping through the channels and ran across her episode of Murder, She Wrote (1991) which also starred Betty Garrett (who was really cute in this installment, BTW), Janet Blair, Terri Moore, Margaret O'Brien, and Marie Windsor!

[CineMaven]

Ah.. EXCUUUUUUUUSE ME!

Who has a web-based series? Who was a GUEST PROGRAMMER on TCM? Who has encylopedic knowledge of classic film actors, actresses, directors, etc. and hardly ever has to look anything up? Who has tons of international pals to schmooze with at the festival?

I am so wistful about all the fun we had!

Oh.

Uhhhhhhhmmmmm...never mind.

I LUV Texas and all you have to offer.

Where do I send the Tequila?

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Just bring it when you come to visit!

Margaritaville, you know.

And I don't make them with ...."HUNNNNNNNNNNEYYYY" like Bunny Bixler, Muriel Peuce, or Claude Upson.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

In honor of Ride the High Country (1962) just being aired on TCM, a small homage
to the actress who portrayed Elsa Knudsen with Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea....


Just had to add this adorable photo of stunning actress Mariette Hartley and her husband,
Jerry Sroka, as they were leaving the Vanity Fair party. They were both so cute and so much
fun, and Hartley's husband kept laughing at everything she said. Hartley, known for her acting
in films and popular television programs like MASH, Polaroid commercials with James Garner,
and her recent stint on The Mentalist as Elise Vogelson, is currently involved with stage work,
acting for film and television, charity work and enjoying her life with Sroka. Hartley still
keeps in contact with former actress, current nun Dolores Hart, who sometimes advises
her in spiritual matters. Hartley's best-selling biography, Breaking the Silence, was the
basis for her one-woman show, If You Get to Bethlehem, You've Gone Too Far.

Back to our regularly scheduled interview a little later...

[moira finnie]

Oh, I love Mariette Hartley. She projects such serenity and intelligence, and has one of the loveliest speaking voices around. Her autobiography was quite well written, proving that the "serenity and intelligence" she radiates was hard-won. Her family background was most interesting (her grandfather was the highly influential psychologist John B. Watson, founder of "behaviorism").

I am so glad that you noted her presence at the TCM Festival---especially since she appears to be doing well. Thanks so much for posting that picture. And I hope you don't mind my saying so, but her husband looks like a genial teddy bear!

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Omigosh, he was! They seemed so happy, and chatting and laughing all the way. She has an excellent sense of humor, as does he, and they were both charming.

I felt lucky to spend a few moments talking to them. It was sweet!

Evidently, her father committed suicide, which she revealed many years later, and one reason she was drawn to acting is that there was no hugging or cuddling in the family due to Grandfather Watson's strident, and erroneous, beliefs. I think she also founded some sort of charity for suicide prevention. Both of her children are involved in the arts, and she is also enjoying being a grandmother.

Smart AND gorgeous, an unbelievably happy situation...

I believe in BIG HUGS!

And I adore your new Pert Kelton avatar, BTW...