Jane Withers was a wonderful talent with a 70 year career. From delightful childhood roles to memorable character roles, to her philanthropic efforts, she brought much joy to the world.
Rest in peace, Ms. Withers. Thanks for the memories.
One of my earliest memories is of seeing Josephine the Plumber on those Comet cleanser commercials--at the time, she seemed to be the only woman on TV who wasn't a housewife, but actually had a job, and a non-traditional one. I remember making two big circles of stains in the sink, using dirt, so I could clean them with Comet just like Josephine. I guess I was the only three-year-old who enjoyed cleaning the sink.
She was great as the nasty, bullying girl in Bright Eyes, opposite Shirley Temple. She made lots of films as a child; I hope TCM will show some of them. She appeared in a TCM interview, along with other child stars--Dickie Moore, etc.--to talk about her experiences as a child star. Unlike some of the others, she seemed to have mostly happy memories of her experiences. I hope TCM will re-air that, too. R.I.P.
"Movies are the enemy of the novel because they are replacing novels. Novelists shouldn’t write for the movies, unless, of course, they discover they’re no good at writing novels." - John Irving
Post by phantomparticle on Aug 17, 2021 11:18:39 GMT
Always loved this exchange from Bright Eyes (1934)
Anita Smythe: You must practice your piano. You won't have to practice again until after Santa Claus comes.
Joy Smythe: There ain't any Santa Claus!
Anita Smythe: Don't say ain't, darling, say isn't.
Joy Smythe: Ain't, ain't, ain't!
J. Wellington Smythe: What's all this noise about?
Joy Smythe: Mama wants me to practice, and I don't wanna!
J. Wellington Smythe: You must do as your mother says.
Joy Smythe: No, I ain't gonna!
J. Wellington Smythe: Now, see here ...
Anita Smythe: Now, darling, remember what the psychoanalyst said. The child mind must never be coerced. One must use reason and persuasion. Now, dear, practice your piano and Mama will buy you something nice.
Joy Smythe: What?
Anita Smythe: Anything you like. What do you especially want?
She has to have been among the last living actors to get starring roles in the 1930s and 1940s. One idea that I've thought about is creating an objectivly ranked list of the biggest stars of those two decades still alive. The scoring system would be 3 points per top billing, which is determined by looking at the original movie poster (biggest fonts, top of the page, picture of said actor). And 1 point if your name merely appears on the poster, but not more than a supporting role.
For example, Joan Evans debuted and starred in Roseanna McCoy (1949), so that's 3 points in total. Unfortunately, it's quite time-consuming to check every poster for those who appeared in a large number of films. But I suspect that Marsha Hunt, Margaret O'Brien, Angela Lansbury, Jimmy Lydon, June Lockhart, Darryl Hickman, Glynis Johns, Robert Blake, Mirtha Legrand, Cora Sue Collins, Ann Blyth, Ted Donaldson, etc. would be the top contenders.