Jessica Tandy - A Classic Actress

[Rita Hayworth]

Jessica Tandy



In Driving Miss Daisy

Year Film Role Notes
1932 The Indiscretions of Eve Maid
1938 Murder in the Family Ann Osborne
1944 The Seventh Cross Liesel Roeder
1945 The Valley of Decision Louise Kane
1946 Dragonwyck Peggy O'Malley
1946 The Green Years Kate Leckle
1947 Forever Amber Nan Britton
1948 A Woman's Vengeance Janet Spence
1950 September Affair Catherine Lawrence
1951 The Desert Fox Frau Lucie Marie Rommel
1957 The Glass Eye Julia Lester
1958 The Light in the Forest Myra Butler
1962 Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man Helen Adams
1963 The Birds Lydia Brenner
1976 Butley Edna Shaft
1981 Honky Tonk Freeway Carol
1982 The World According to Garp Mrs. Fields
Still of the Night Grace Rice
Best Friends Eleanor McCullen
1984 The Bostonians Miss Birdseye
1985 Cocoon Alma Finley
1987 *batteries not included" Faye Riley
1987 Foxfire (1987 film) Annie Nations
1988 The House on Carroll Street Miss Venable
1988 Cocoon: The Return Alma Finley
1989 Driving Miss Daisy Daisy Werthan Academy Award for Best Actress[4]
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Silver Bear for the Best Joint Performance (with Morgan Freeman) - 40th Berlin International Film Festival.[5]
1991 Fried Green Tomatoes Ninny Threadgoode Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1992 Used People Freida
1993 To Dance with the White Dog Cora Peek
1994 A Century of Cinema Herself documentary
1994 Nobody Fool Beryl Peoples
1994 Camilla Camilla Cara

She is one of my personal favorites ... why? ... Being hard of hearing ... she speaks with a distinctive tone and her expressions on her face tells me what she is conveying to me. She is a superb actress and I will never ever forget her legendary performance in Driving Miss Daisy & Fried Green Tomatoes. She was equally well in "batteries not included", the two Cocoon movies, The Birds, and pretty much every single movie on this list.

She is an expert of using her expressions (her face, her body language, and mannerisms) to tell me how her character feels at this particular moment on film. I was deeply stunned by her facial expressions when she saw James Mason (In Desert Fox) when in the final moments of the film that she never, ever see her husband alive (Mason - played Field Marshal Erwin Rommel) in Desert Fox.

I have seen pretty much 70% of the movies on this list and wondering if any members here in Silver Screen Oasis have fond memories watching her films either on television and/or the silver screen?

[stuart.uk]

One thing I find interesting is that when she first became a star, she was more famous than her then character actor husband Jack Hawkins. Then in the 50s when her career was quiet her now ex husband Hawkins became a major star. Then after Hawkins died, Tandy's career took off again

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm glad you started this thread Kingme. I caught Jessica in September Affair last week, I was struck by her poise and beauty. I've always wondered what her Blanche was like, Vivien's is superb but I can't help feel a little sorry for her losing out on her role as Blanche because Vivien was bigger box office. I also have The Desert Fox to watch, one I think you recommended to me Kingme, as one of James Mason's best movies, I was pleased to see Jessica was in the film. I love to watch her husband Hume Cronyn on screen to, he's a unsung favorite supporting actor of mine.

[Rita Hayworth]

"batteries not included"

Here she's inspecting on little robot in the Kitchen


Here's photo that was used for the DVD cover shot


One of the funniest scenes in the movie


More cute little robots ... one of them is Weems (the middle one)


This is one of my sentimental favorite Jessica Tandy movie that also starred her husband Hume Cronyn & this movie came out in 1987 that made by Stephen Spielburg and Friends. I just love this movie and this is one's her best movies that she did seven years before her death in 1994.

Great Story, delightful comedy, so much love in this movie, its a good movie that teaches us to work together, and life itself. Steven Spielberg did a wonderful job putting it all together and most importantly made it real for everyone to believe in miracles. Jessica Tandy and her husband Hume Cronyn were fabulous together - I remember that they had a ball making this film together and commented to all their friends that they wished that they done it earlier. Even at her advanced age; she's able to use every capacity of her body to convey a message that she wants us to understand. I see this movie about once a year at my friend's place on his 60 inch television set because its the only way to see it.