Here are this week’s Friday Questions.
Ed leads off:
You’ve shared your thoughts on many female TV stars from the 50s (Lucy, Eve Arden, Audrey Meadows, et al). But what’s your opinion of Vivian Vance, commonly cited as one of the greatest second bananas and “reactors” in all of showbiz?
Quite simply, Vivian Vance was a goddess. Not only a great straight person for Lucy but so funny in her own right. And so adept at physical comedy. People forget that Ethel was part of that candy factory scene.
I’ve mentioned this before but I got the rare opportunity to see Vivian perform in person. She was a guest on an episode of RHODA and I happened to be in the audience that night.
It was like watching a masterclass in comedy. Knew every line and hit every joke out of the park. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Vivian Vance.
VHS Village (Formerly The Beta Barn) asks:
Can you do a future blog post about movies you couldn't get through? I once tried to watch 1941 but I gave up after ten minutes.
That was pretty bad, I grant you.
I suppose I should restrict this to movies in a theater I couldn’t get through. It’s so easy when watching at home. I’m sometimes gone in ten or fifteen minutes.
But in the theater — pretty much any Nancy Meyers movie. CALIGULA was not the sex romp I was led to believe it was. And I lasted maybe 45 minutes in SWEPT AWAY.
From Jeff:
Not that you would have first-hand experience, but when the cast of a mediocre sitcom does their table read, do they actually acknowledge the jokes are lame or do they just barrel through it for the paycheck?
It depends on many factors. Who’s the most powerful person in the room? If it’s the show runner like Chuck Lorre the cast will generally just power through and collect their paycheck. (Also, if the show is a hit they may just go along to continue riding the gravy train.)
If the star has the most power then you can bet Cosby or Roseanne will complain or even throw scripts out. And some stars are never happy no matter what script you put in front of them.
And finally, from Justin:
Ken, you often speak of your favorite Classic Hollywood stars (and first crushes). Could you list your top-5 actors and top-5 actresses of the era?
Cary Grant
Humphrey Bogart
Gene Hackman
Robert Duvall
Marlon Brando
Natalie Wood
Barbara Stanwyck
Rosalind Russell
Lauren Bacall
Eva Marie Saint
What’s your Friday Question?
from By Ken Levine
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