The friendship between Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland didn't last as long as their feuds with, respectively, Joan Crawford and Joan Fontaine; but it did last far longer than many friendships in Hollywood - particularly between high-maintenance, two-time Academy Award-winning divas.
Despite her eternal identification as the saintly Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind (1939), we give Olivia major props for holding her own as Bette's co-star in three pictures; and as the deliciously bitchy Miriam in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), she gives as good as she gets - and walks off with some of the best lines. The classic moment, of course, is when Olivia's Miriam hauls off and slaps the bejesus out of La Davis's hysterical Charlotte.
One wonders how J.C. would have played the scene.
I'd love to see these parts acted out by a couple of your readers.
ReplyDeleteYour choice, of course.
joan would've simply stuffed some extra kleenex into her bra, thrust out her chest & won another oscar....THAT'S HOW SHE'D HAVE DONE IT!
ReplyDeletequestions?
Crawford would have worn brass knuckles (to match her balls) for the shoot. And Davis would have really killed Crawford in the film's climax. I don't doubt that for a second.
ReplyDeleteThere is a delicious picture now that I have to seek now...where to look...
Can you imagine Davis giving Crawford's eulogy at her funeral?
ReplyDelete"Today we gather to think of Joan Crawford. If Joan were alive at this exact moment she would be clawing to get out of her casket. Pity."
MJ - Peenee and Thombeau, of course!
ReplyDeleteMiss Desmond - LOL! "I kept running into them, like the Hollywood Hills!"
askthecoolcookie - "You should always speak well of the dead. Joan Crawford. Dead. Good!"
Found the picture and posted it:
ReplyDeletehttp://dhtinshakerheights.blogspot.com/2009/08/divine-feud.html
In 73, Crawford was asked about this scene at Town Hall. Her answer was a succinct "I never saw the film!"
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