S01.E05: And the Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)

[ThatsDarling]

17 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

CZJ doesn't work for me as Olivia because of the voice -- Olivia's voice had a silky smooth quality -- the kind of voice you'd use to soothe a baby.  She spoke slowly -- more slowly than Jones -- and Jones' voice is higher than Olivia's.  (Olivia would have been great at audiobooks.)

(As much as I liked Bette-Joan, I don't plan to watch Charles-Diana.  The story's too well known and too tragic.  Apologies if this comment should have been in another thread.)

I agree with you about de Havilland's voice, and I also think CJZ is playing her a bit too coquettish. Olivia adopted a mature, conservative look and demeanor relatively early, while CJZ is very glamorous with lots of va-va-voom. If I didn't know better, I would think she was playing Lana Turner. 

I doubt CJZ would have allowed it, but it would have been more realistic if she had been padded and wore less makeup. This is a photo of de Havilland from 1977, one year before the majority of CJZ's de Havilland interview scenes take place. 

[tennisgurl]

Wow. I've always felt for Joan, but this was just so unbelievably petty and awful of her. I cant believe she actually did that, its just so ridiculously nasty and mean. Going around trying to passive aggressively insult Anne Bancroft and Geraldine Page while also attempting to bully them into letting her accept their Oscars, being mean to Patty Duke of all people, and just generally acting like she was the Queen of the Academy, when she wasn't even nominated! She did get snubbed, and that sucks, but this was just ridiculous. I did really love how the camera swung from Joan soaking up adulation at the end, to the actual winners all giving her "bitch please" looks. Yeah, this makes Joan look way worse than Bette, no matter how gutted Bette was by the loss. Everyone in Hollywood knows what's up.

Joan was lucky Anne and Geraldine were so gracious to her. Bette was awesome, of course, but Anne really was a great actress, so I cant be too pissed off that she won. And the actress playing her nailed Anne Bancroft. I had no clue that guy Geraldine was with was Rip Torn, even when she called him Rip! So weird to see him young and handsome here. Its generally super cool to see all these old Hollywood stars here, and seeing these classic films as the current Oscar crop.

Bette might have lost, and Joan had her moment in the sun, but at least Bette still has her nomination, and friends to vent to when she comes home. Joan got the applause, but it was really her applause, and she knew it. She just had an Oscar to see at home, an Oscar that wasn't even hers.

I was iffy at first, but I think SS is doing the better performance now. I think JL is a great actress, but she's playing Joan like she plays most of her AHS characters (aging beauty queen desperate to reclaim past glory), while Sarandon really does seem to be channeling Bette, even if she cant totally nail her. Joan and Bette were so iconic, and had such larger then live personalities, its hard to play these parts without falling into parody.

[theatremouse]

I appreciated the bitch please look from the crowd but I was confused/surprised the photogs would even bother wanting any photos of someone who accepted on someone else's behalf. I buy that Joan would've gone to the post-win-photo-room, but it was odd to me anyone would want to take any photos of her with not-her-statuette. I don't know if that part were real.

[qtpye]

I have been reading about Lange not knowing much about Joan and doing very little research on the role.  This makes sense.  Sarandon's performance is not amazing, but you feel like you understand Bette's motivations.  Lange is doing some weird Kabuki that makes Joan petty and pathetic, but really does not get anymore to the core of the person then Faye in "Mommy Dearest".

Why the hell did Hedda hate Bette so much?

[sugarbaker design]

JC kissed HH's ass and played her games, BD didn't.

[LilWharveyGal]

I must give a shout out to the signs on Hepburn's gate and the fact that they were her video representation.  That left me chuckling for a good five minutes.

[Josette]

Quote

I buy that Joan would've gone to the post-win-photo-room, but it was odd to me anyone would want to take any photos of her with not-her-statuette. I don't know if that part were real.

It was real.

A couple of examples:

Joan Crawford and Gregory Peck

Joan with the winners

 

And here's Joan delivering Anne Bancroft her Oscar during Mother Courage and Her Children.

[kiddo82]

Those photos are unbelievable.  The thing with the '63 Oscars for me is that, Bette Davis or no Bette Davis, the way Crawford schemed to slither in and jack Bancroft and/or Page's moment was just wrong.  Even if Bancroft wasn't going to show up anyway, to parade around with someone else's honor as if it was your own?  It's damn delusional.  Bette was no saint, and I've never cried myself to sleep over the fact that she didn't win for Baby Jane, but to best of my knowledge she never stooped to anything that desperate and wrong when it came to Crawford.  And add me to the list of those who were mesmerized by Serinda Swan as the young Anne Bancroft.  I only wish we got to see more of her. 

Edited April 5, 2017 by kiddo82

[Corgi-ears]

As horrible as Joan acted this episode, I'm at least glad that Ryan Murphy did not (re)write the Oscar incident to fit his overall thesis: that somehow Joan and Bette were enemies because the men around them manipulated them into being so, and "all this time they could have been friends." It's a thesis that has bothered me more and more as the series has gone on -- because, despite its feminist inclinations, it's one that simultaneously deprives two women of their smarts and agency -- so it was at least nice to see Joan being an out-and-out scheming Cruella de Vil in this instance.

[TaurusRose]

Mamacita is still killing it.  That is all.

[GreekGeek]

I loved the photo of Joan presenting the Oscar to Anne. I wondered whose idea it was to have the moment take place when Anne looks like an old peasant woman and Joan is still in full star regalia.

[txhorns79]

Quote

I loved the photo of Joan presenting the Oscar to Anne. I wondered whose idea it was to have the moment take place when Anne looks like an old peasant woman and Joan is still in full star regalia.

It looks like it was done during a curtain call for Anne's play, so maybe it was thought it would be a nice moment with a lot of people and easy access for the cameras?  The whole thing looks bizarre.  Joan looks like she is presenting a prize as part of some Soviet game show.     

[qtpye]

I think Joan looks like a delusional nut in all those pictures and I would not be surprised if she planned it in a way to make sure Anne looked as horrible as possible in comparison.  Holy crap, Anne looks older then Crawford.  It could have been a curtain call for a play and they announce, as a surprise that Joan Crawford is there to present the Oscar.  Anne looked thrilled and shocked.  She probably did not realize that that was when they are going to be taking the publicity shots.

[sugarbaker design]

I don't think Anne Bancroft would've cared about all that stuff that BD and JC cared about.  She most likely didn't care that she was still in character when JC presented her with the Oscar.  I'm sure Mother Courage got some extra weeks of performances thanks to the Oscar win and all the hoopla surrounding it.

8 hours ago, Corgi-ears said:

m at least glad that Ryan Murphy did not (re)write the Oscar incident to fit his overall thesis: that somehow Joan and Bette were enemies because the men around them manipulated them into being so, and "all this time they could have been friends." It's a thesis that has bothered me more and more as the series has gone on -- because, despite its feminist inclinations, it's one that simultaneously deprives two women of their smarts and agency

I disagree that this was RM's thesis.  JC and BD weren't enemies because of the men around them, they were enemies because they were professional rivals, because BD was an actress first and and a star second, and JC was the polar opposite.  There were many other factors, it certainly didn't help that the powerful men around them manipulated them, but it surely wasn't the sole reason these two women were feuding.

[enoughcats]

I would guess she didn't sweat the small stuff, and most of the Crawford stuff could be interpreted to be small stuff.

Anne Bancroft married Mel Brooks the year after she won the academy and they were happily married until her death in 2005..

"In a 2010 interview, Brooks credited Bancroft as being the guiding force behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theatre. In the same interview, he said of their first meeting in 1961, "From that day, until her death on June 5, 2005, we were glued together." "

[iMonrey]

Quote

how could Bette Davis believe her acting in WHTBJ, a horror picture, would beat Anne Bancroft's acting in such a serious, moving, powerful movie?  I'm a fan of BD but geez...what was she thinking to expect she could top an actress who teaches a deaf/blind young child to communicate? 

I think this episode did a good job showing how political and personal the Oscars were/are. Lee Remick was dismissed as a "TV actor" and the academy wouldn't give the Oscar to Hepburn because she snubs the awards ceremony. That really only left Bancroft and Page as genuine competition for Davis. There seemed to be a prevailing sentiment that Davis was a shoe-in for the award so she herself probably bought into the hype. If we're to believe what this episode was telling us, it was the machinations and arm-twisting of Hedda Hopper and Crawford who got enough members to change their votes to deny her the award. Otherwise she might well have beaten Bancroft.

Quote

Joan's escort wasn't Cukor, it was Cesar Romero. Now why didn't we see that?

Possibly because the message carries more weight from a high-powered producer like Cukor, who rightly pointed out what Crawford was planning would backfire and sink her career. And it appears to have done just that. Davis might not have won the Oscar but she went on to do some very high profile projects, even if some of them were on TV. Crawford never really did. 

[ennui]

On 4/3/2017 at 5:00 PM, mochamajesty said:

That Oscar gown did Lange's figure no favors. 

I was distracted by Jessica's arms. And I felt guilty about that. But I think this is what happens when you hire a 60-something to portray a 50-something. 

Jessica worked on her voice for Sweet Dreams, but I feel she's too soft and breathy for Joan.

[Mindthinkr]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

think this episode did a good job showing how political and personal the Oscars were/are. Lee Remick was dismissed as a "TV actor" and the academy wouldn't give the Oscar to Hepburn because she snubs the awards ceremony. That really only left Bancroft and Page as genuine competition for Davis. There seemed to be a prevailing sentiment that Davis was a shoe-in for the award so she herself probably bought into the hype. If we're to believe what this episode was telling us, it was the machinations and arm-twisting of Hedda Hopper and Crawford who got enough members to change their votes to deny her the award. Otherwise she might well have beaten Bancroft

IHedda Hopper campaigned (as they still do...more so in advertising than gossip tho it still has its effects) to get BD out of contention. True, that certain movies don't get Oscar recognition, like the examples above stating horror wasn't a widely embraced genre. I genuinely felt for BD but have to say Miss Bancroft did do an outstanding job in the MW.  How many has Ms Streep won? Doesn't she hold the record now for most won? Sorry. Didn't mean to go off topic. 

[ennui]

16 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

How many has Ms Streep won? Doesn't she hold the record now for most won?

Katharine Hepburn still holds the record, with four. Streep is in the mix with 40 other top winners. Streep apparently has the most nominations.

[GreekGeek]

Katharine Hepburn holds the record for the most Oscars (4 to Streep's 3) but Streep has been nominated more often (19 to Hepburn's 12).

eta: I see Ennui just made the same point!

Edited April 5, 2017 by GreekGeek

[Scott]

On April 4, 2017 at 3:33 AM, SWLinPHX said:

Academy Awards are not engraved when handed out on stage, but are soon after engraved -- at the governor's ball -- before the winners take them home.

Was that true in 1963, though?  I thought they just started that within the past 10 years or so.  As I recall, back then, the winners had to temporarily return their Oscars to the Academy for the engraving.  

[blaase]

3 hours ago, ennui said:

Their faces, yes, but probably not their bodies. As someone mentioned, Jessica is heavier that rail-thin Joan.

Side by Side,

Jessica is 8 years older, but I think the fillers in her face has made her look like a drag queen, Joan even though she had a lot of wrinkles in her neck, was such a stunning woman in the face, Jessica doesn't really compare IMO. The same styling as Joan does not suit Jessica.

Edited April 6, 2017 by blaase

[lilwhitelion]

1 hour ago, Scott said:

Was that true in 1963, though?  I thought they just started that within the past 10 years or so.  As I recall, back then, the winners had to temporarily return their Oscars to the Academy for the engraving.  

According to wikipedia, engraving them at the Governor's Ball began in 2010.

To prevent information identifying the Oscar winners from leaking ahead of the ceremony, Oscar statuettes presented at the ceremony have blank baseplates. Until 2010, winners were expected to return the statuettes to the Academy after the ceremony and wait several weeks to have inscriptions applied. Since 2010, winners have had the option of having engraved nameplates applied to their statuettes at an inscription-processing station at the Governor's Ball, a party held immediately after the Oscar ceremony.

[formerlyfreedom]

A reminder - this is to discuss the episode; discussion of the 'future careers' of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford belong in the Hollywood History topic. Some posts have been moved; please stick to episode and episode adjacent conversation (episode adjacent would be the conversation about engraving on the trophies, for example).

Thank you.

[Growsonwalls]

Jessica just has a more endomorphic bone structure than Joan. Joan was all lean angles -- so much so that she needed those famous shoulder pads and stuffed bras. Jessica's not heavy in any way, but she doesn't have the same bone structure as Joan. Also by the time WEHTBJ was filmed Joan had been living off a diet of vodka and cigs for many years, so she looked even bonier. 

[caracas1914]

What was touching (and true) in this episode  was that Olivia De Haviland flew out from Paris to be with Bette for what was thought to be her big triumphal moment.  Olivia was a well respected actress and a two time Oscar winner herself, and she was a close friend of Bette, so again that spells out that Bette didn't necessarily view other actors as competition.  Bette certainly always praised Katherine Hepburn through out  her career (openly stating she thought her own  '35 Oscar win was a consolation prize for not being nominated the previous year for "Of Human Bondage" and that Hepburn should have won for "Alice Adams".

While the episode does make Hedda Hopper a first class bitch, I still feel it overplays, understandably for dramatic effect, her influence in somehow denying Better her Oscar.  I suspect alot of HW people loathed Hedda, and those who were prone to vote for Bette would have still done it.  Bette wasn't really an outsider, from most accounts the industry respected her as one of their top actors/icons.

You look especially throughout the 50's and 60's and you get a lot of "outsiders" or theater people who won Oscars.  Again the episode makes it seem almost a foregone conclusion that Bette was a shoo-in to win.  However both Geraldine Page was already a multiple nominee and "The Miracle Worker" had a lot of critical acclaim and a "can't lose" subject.   When you look at the film,  Anne Bancroft's "Anne Sullivan is almost  a  tailor made role that the Academy loves to reward.

While it seems like a minor point, but was George Cukor really such a good friend of Joan's up to the 60's?  

Edited April 6, 2017 by caracas1914

[ennui]

In that side by side, they both look manly. I think it's the eyebrows.

I did enjoy the army of stylists who prepared Joan; all so calculated. It seems different today, when most stars look like they rolled out of bed and put on a dress.

[qtpye]

14 minutes ago, ennui said:

I did enjoy the army of stylists who prepared Joan; all so calculated. It seems different today, when most stars look like they rolled out of bed and put on a dress.

Most stars today have an army of stylist to pull off "I just rolled out of bed with no make and naturally look this way" look.  I remember there used to be line of products to give you the perfect messy "bed head".

[enoughcats]

3 hours ago, ennui said:

 

In that side by side, they both look manly. I think it's the eyebrows.

 

The evolution of makeup is something I don't know much about.  I'm pretty sure that in Elizabethan England, faces were made paler by certain toxic powders, but men playing women's parts in Shakespearian plays would use much stronger colors to appear somewhat female in the less-than-well-lit stages there.

Then painted ladies were neither Victorian houses (sorry) nor ladies, but paint was used. (Going by the fuss about Scarlett's make up in Gone with the wind, vs. Belle Watling) 

We were watching some silent movies last night (The Blue Bird and Last of the Mohicans) and the make up was understated, the lighting in the latter (early Clarence Brown) was coming into its own. 

At the same time on stage, chlorines were dancing in reviews and what became accepted as dark eyebrowns and yellow-white hair seem to have been introduced and it stuck.  Joan didn't have black eyebrows then.  They seem to have been brown.  But stage makeup needed to be more strongly colored than movie makeup (which was going to be seen closeup).  

I think you could do a time line of Joan Crawford's career just based on her eyebrows.  
Bette Davis.....seemed a lot less make up dependent. 

(Joan Crawford would have loved Hunger Games for the eye makeup alone.)

[ennui]

1 hour ago, enoughcats said:

Bette Davis.....seemed a lot less make up dependent. 

The only two things I've heard about Bette was that she used Vaseline as shadow primer to make her eyelids shiny, and that she didn't like to wear a bra, which gave costume designers a real challenge. I was looking for a photo of the shiny eyelids, but I think it's mostly visible in the films and not stills. ran across this though:

[Milburn Stone]

On 4/3/2017 at 0:37 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I have a hard time with Catherine Zeta-Jones as Olivia de Havilland. Zeta-Jones just comes across as too big to be de Havilland, who just seems more petite.

And, she said "emnity" instead of "enmity."

[NutMeg]

5 hours ago, ennui said:

The only two things I've heard about Bette was that she used Vaseline as shadow primer to make her eyelids shiny, and that she didn't like to wear a bra, which gave costume designers a real challenge. I was looking for a photo of the shiny eyelids, but I think it's mostly visible in the films and not stills. ran across this though:

The quote is delightful, thank you Ennui!

[JakeyJokes]

"I was the Melanie Wilkes and she was Scarlett O'Hara. Except I really *was* Melanie Wilkes."

"I hear she uses the Oscar for Dangerous as the doorstop for her bathroom. The poor thing has to watch her go to the toilet!"

The long shot of Joan escorting David Lean to the press room had a cinematic, Goodfellas vibe to it. Well done.

[benteen]

On ‎4‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 0:20 PM, enoughcats said:

I would guess she didn't sweat the small stuff, and most of the Crawford stuff could be interpreted to be small stuff.

Anne Bancroft married Mel Brooks the year after she won the academy and they were happily married until her death in 2005..

"In a 2010 interview, Brooks credited Bancroft as being the guiding force behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theatre. In the same interview, he said of their first meeting in 1961, "From that day, until her death on June 5, 2005, we were glued together." "

Anne and Mel had a son, Max Brooks, who wrote the book World War Z, which was later adapted into the movie with Brad Pitt.  There's a dedication at the end of the book stating "I love you, Mom."

Edited April 7, 2017 by benteen

[qtpye]

58 minutes ago, benteen said:

Anne and Mel had a son, Max Brooks, who wrote the book World War Z, which was later adapted into the movie with Brad Pitt.  There's a dedication at the end of the book stating "I love you, Mom."

It is so refreshing to actually see a happy Hollywood family.  Anne was an extremely talented and beautiful woman.

 

14 hours ago, ennui said:

The only two things I've heard about Bette was that she used Vaseline as shadow primer to make her eyelids shiny, and that she didn't like to wear a bra, which gave costume designers a real challenge. I was looking for a photo of the shiny eyelids, but I think it's mostly visible in the films and not stills. ran across this though:

That quote from Bette gave me life...it was awesome.

[Maccagirl]

On 4/2/2017 at 11:01 PM, Growsonwalls said:

Damn Joan. I knew what happened but it was still brutal to watch her do that to Bette. 

By the way here is the actual footage of Joan accepting the award. They really got her outfit, makeup and ensemble right.

Great episode. 

Thanks to your link, Growsonwalls, I stumbled upon this comparative viewing

[Milburn Stone]

Maybe just me, but this side-by-side does no favors for Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, the guy who plays Maximillian Schell, or even the guy who plays David Lean. They had faces then!

[Florinaldo]

JC's stunt at the Oscars was cheap-minded and transparent, but I still relished the execution, at least in the context of this show. BC is depicted as ungrateful, unable to resist the temptation to push JC's buttons and especially exploit her insecurities. So it came across as if she deserved what she got, especially since the first episode presented her casting as the result of JC's packaging the initial proposal for the movie.

Backstabbing and shenanigans are a long tradition the theater. In past centuries, Europeans actors sometimes hired groups of spectators who were tasked with clapping and cheering to artificially boost the image of a hit; they could also be dispatched to a rival's performance to provide boos, catcalls and other disruptions. And 17th century playwright Corneille is reputed to have, in his waning years, bought out all seats in the early performances of younger rival Racine's new plays, only to leave them empty and make it appear like they were flops. One could argue that in comparison, JC's stunt was rather benign.

Anne Bancroft came across as the classy dame I once heard her husband Mel Brooks describing her to be, fully understanding JC's situation and motivations, and empathizing with her. How close to the truth is that depiction of her reaction (and Geraldine Page's) may be hard to assess.

I wonder if the fact that Victor Buono also got an Oscar nomination for his contribution to WHTBJ contributed to JC's bitterness, since he was a "nobody" while she had been ignored, despite her long and successful career. But the episode did not even mention VB's nomination, or else so fleetingly I did not catch it.

Hopper's involvement in the anti-BC campaign may have been exaggerated by the writers, but it is consistent with her past behaviour; many credit her with fanning the flames of the Citizen Kane controversy, which Hearst and Parsons (a Hearst employee) seemed prepared to let slide without too much foofarah.

On 2017-04-04 at 2:39 PM, ThatsDarling said:

I agree with you about de Havilland's voice, and I also think CJZ is playing her a bit too coquettish.

As I posted previously, CZJ is portraying what I think is an idealized version of de Havilland, sort of like the stereotypical version of what a European aristocratic grande dame should look like and how she should comport herself (she had been living in France for some time, and her husband was editor of the glamour magazine Paris Match). She also was a tad plumpier than CZJ; not quite a double chin perhaps but at least a chin and a half. And she bore it with no apparent complex as to her maturing appearance.

[hippielamb]

On 4/4/2017 at 10:09 AM, txhorns79 said:

I think they've shown nuance.  For example, we saw Bette being kind of a crappy parent to her daughter, and there are certainly times when she's been hostile towards Joan.  This particular episode is just about a situation where there wasn't much nuance to be had.  Joan acted really badly, and there's no equal action by Bette to even things out. 

I think both characters have shown good and bad qualities. Joan is mean spirited to a disastrous degree, and it all stems from her insecurity. When we first see her scheming with the gossip columnist she seems so damn petty. Then when she explains how unwanted she feels, I sympathize with her. Bette may come off better but she's no saint either. She has a brashness that can be offensive, particularly in that time period. I'm a fan of Sarandon's but there are times I really feel for Joan. 

On 4/4/2017 at 10:07 PM, LilWharveyGal said:

I must give a shout out to the signs on Hepburn's gate and the fact that they were her video representation.  That left me chuckling for a good five minutes.

That cracked me up, especially the one that said "please go away". 

[CherithCutestory]

Quote

 But something that has bugged me all along is--how could Bette Davis believe her acting in WHTBJ, a horror picture, would beat Anne Bancroft's acting in such a serious, moving, powerful movie?

Because she was such a legend and because her performance was genuinely better. (I'm a huge Anne Bancroft fan but Bette Davis does something no other actor would have done with Jane. She made her likable and sympathetic.)

Oldtime favorites of the Oscars are always major contenders. It was the same reason Joan's lack of a nomination was genuinely felt as a snub. Even though it was a genre picture and her role was generally passive.

Quote

"In a 2010 interview, Brooks credited Bancroft as being the guiding force behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theatre. In the same interview, he said of their first meeting in 1961, "From that day, until her death on June 5, 2005, we were glued together." "

He was on WTF with Marc Maron last year and he was asked if he ever thought of remarrying. And he just said no he had a wife and it was Anne (paraphrasing.) It was very sad but sweet.

Quote

So it came across as if she deserved what she got, especially since the first episode presented her casting as the result of JC's packaging the initial proposal for the movie.

I don't think there was anything that even remotely suggested she deserved what Joan did. At all. At no point in this did Joan not return and escalate whatever Bette may have thrown at her. Joan is the one who put her back out intentionally. Joan is the one who spread gossip about her in the tabloids (something Bette refused to do even after it was done to her and Hedda came to her house.) Joan is the one who continually pressed on Bette's insecurities about her looks (something she clearly knows is a sore spot even if Bette attempts to play otherwise.) In all of that they were tit for tat. I'm not saying Bette is the victim in any of that as she gave back but it was clearly equal if not Joan going a bit too far with Hedda.

Bette is also the one who told Joan she thought that when she was good she was damn good. Which is all Joan had wanted to hear from anyone and especially Bette. And was clearly sincere, as everything Bette says is sincere.

Nothing Bette did deserved this escalation. Except genuinely being better at her job. That's all Joan was pissed about. She wasn't upset at something Bette had said or did. She was upset that Bette really did deserve it more.

Edited May 14, 2017 by CherithCutestory

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This is the juicy kind of stuff I've been waiting for! On a practical level, I feel bad for many of the real people involved: Bette for being disappointed by losing, Olivia at watching her friend crumble, Joan for being so petty and insecure that she would do something so awful and so public, etc. But from a tv audience point of view, this is the deliciously bitchy soap opera kind of drama that is glorious to watch unfold (I feel slightly less awful about enjoying it by pretending these are tv characters while I watch the episode).

I couldn't figure out why the actress who played Anne Bancroft looked familiar. When I checked IMDB, I realized it was Paige from Graceland!

I loved the image of Joan reclined on her staircase while on the phone campaigning. It harkened back to ye olden days (ahem, as late as the 80s) when you had to have a phone with a really long cord if you didn't want to be stuck sitting right next to wherever the phone was installed. The little JC on her phone was a hilarious touch. OF COURSE she would have a monogram on her own phone.

LOVED the contrast of the total OH NO YOU DIDN'T faces on the other Oscar winners when someone asked if Joan would mind being in a photo with them and then all of the winners standing in front of the cameras smiling.

One thing that amused me was Joan demonstrating that sometimes if you just demand something, people will give it to you. First  she essentially demanded that she present an award at the ceremony and then mentioned she would need them to pay for her hair, makeup, car, and chauffeur. When the Academy guy said that they don't do that for presenters, she just said, "You will for me," and he didn't protest. Later when she turned the green room into her own little party, the Academy tried to tell her that it was against the rules and her response was to ask him to light her cigarette and then tell him to have a nice night.

On 4/3/2017 at 9:30 AM, BingeyKohan said:

The distorting plate that Lange held over her face to protect her make-up while her hair got silvered was a brilliant touch.

I remember seeing pictures of the cones that the aristocrats used to hold over their faces while having their wigs powdered. Joan's clear face shield reminded me of that!

 

 

On 4/3/2017 at 3:49 PM, peacheslatour said:

In my book it goes: Gregory Peck

                                   Cary Grant

                                   Clark Gable

For me, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck are tied for first!

Edited January 7, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo