The Bennett Sisters

I guess that all of you who stopped by in here are quite concious of the fact I am a classic cinema lover. Once on my Polish blog FilmWeb I started some topics on the movie people that influenced and still influence me. Later I deleted all of these notes, but I guess that here it would look lovelier to have it, so I'm starting.

I would like to discuss the topic of siblings in movie industry. The most famous classic movie era female siblings are undoubtedly Olivia de Havilland and her younger sister, Joan Fontaine. They are truly famous even until now, as they are still the only siblings who won Oscars as best leading actresses. Until today! But as a family union, I must say I prefer another one, truly. Those siblings are Constance Bennett and Joan Bennett.

Constance is the older one. I always considered her the very sophisticated lady. I think she had a real poise and beauty, and a real class. The way she looked, acted, the clothes she wore, the hairsyle she had - all made her look like a real dame. I guess she was one.

As every real movie star, Constance's life was often connected with some scandals. She married several times and four of those unions ended in divorce. One of her liasons, this with famous latin lover Gilbert Roland, was quite forced to legalize because of the famous article "Unamrried wives and husbands". She lived with Roland like his wife, but when it became highlited by public attention, they became bride and groom. The union produced two daughters but it lasted only 5 years.

Constance was a star in every meaning of this word during her lifetime. She was the leading lady of many famous stars, including Clark Gable. But, as for today, she is little remembred, especially here, in Poland. It is a great pitty. Constance passed away while still being not old (60 years old, just after completeing "Madame X" as Lana Turner's mother-in-law). She had a total number of five husbands, and she also had a natural son born after she divorced her husband. She claimed she adopted the baby, because she did not want her ex to participate in any rights to the boy. Clever she was, she had to make the secret come true when she was divorcing another husband, who wanted to have rights for the little one. She had to tell how it was in the court.

Joan Bennett was on the other hand close to become a legend in every meaning of this word, only if Vivien Leigh did not appear to steal the Scarlett O'Hara part with her intense master portrayal. There are still some footage prints of screen tests for Scarlett, and Melanie as well, including those with Joan (there were also some with Lana Turner, 17 years old only during the time, also Jean Arthur and Paulette Goddard). Joan became a star after some appearances in early talkies though she was quite experienced as she graced the screen with her unusual beauty and talent some time ago before the sound era.

She started as an ingenue, a blonde one. In the 40s she transformed into a femme fatale, appearing with success as brunette. In 50s she was quite forced to become a simple housewife on screen, and, rather more regullary, on television, which was taking its first steps, just as a toddler who was once to be a giant.

The younger sister Bennett had an intense private life, as well as her older sister. She became mother for the first time 8 days before her 18th birthday, being married at the age of 16. The union lasted barely a part of a short lifetime, and as a mother who brings up a baby alone, she had to work, and she had many opportunities to do so, as she succeeded with a natural, birginial image. She played Amy opposite Katherine Hepburn and Frances Dee in "Little Women" (1933), directed by the master George Cukor. Her career was severed much by the incident in which her husband shot her agent and lover as well. As there was a lot of publicity surrounding the case, the image of then 40-year-old Joan suffered quite a lot and one of her last most memorable roles is the one of Ellie Banks in "Father of the Bride" (1950) and "Father's Little Dividend", made one year later. Both were Spencer Tracy's vehicle, giving him best lines and moments on-screen, though Joan, portraying his wife and the mother of Elizabeth Taylor as well, managed to show her high sense of comedy and talent combined with grace and charm. She later transferred her talents to the television.

The Bennett sister were both considered extremely beautiful women and very good actresses of their era, though their screen personas never found such praise as the sisters mentioned in the beginning. Maybe also because the rivalry between them was not so intense as in de Havilland's and Fontaine's case. Maybe their relationship was not intensly close, but they managed to stay in friendly and warm terms until Constance passed away in 1965.

The French Poise

If my secret-now-becoming-public dream of becoming an actress would ever come true, I'd love to play in French movies. I have never been to this country, though I just have my own receipt of this spectacular aura. Some time ago I read in Marlene Dietrich's memoirs the famous maxima: "You can't die before you see Paris". Maybe I will succeed and live to see it?

Please do not think of me as about a poor teenager who is looking at lovely MTV videoclips dreaming about some Photoshop-modeled idols!!! I do use Photoshop though I definetely do not watch MTV, despite the fact I can watch it straightly in my room and in my bed! I always had a dream to succeed on a British stage. I wondered if I ever would be able to master the British accent as well as possible to play a part on stage. But, I would also like to make some movies there, also in telvision, because I adore British TV series, I mean not the long ones, but the movies made especially for TV and also mini-series, with up to 4 episodes. Have you watched the new Miss Marple series with Geraldine McEwan? I love it! Tomorrow I'm going to see next episode and simply can't wait!

As for France, I'd love to master the language so it would be possible to enter any academy, and so on. During last months I read the debut book of Anna Gavalda entitled "I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere" (originally, "Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part"). I decided I want to make it into a movie and I want to make in France. Keep your fingers crossed!

By the way, I think that French women are simply the most sensual women in the world. I mean it. Look at Isabelle Adjani. She was about 40 when playing Queen Margot but she played a woman/girl and she was convincing. Not because she was looking veeeeery young. It was because she had IT. And look at Emmanuelle Beart. She is petite. She has freckles. But is like chameleon. She can easily switch from whore to saint, from saint to whore. Look at Marion Cotillard. She played a murderess in "Un long dimanche de fiances", but she could easily go on and kill with her eyes only.

Yes, they were born with IT. But they were brought up in magic. Maybe I will be able to contract this magic once I'm older and luckier.

The Trends of Our Lives

I often smile to myself (oh, sounds like schizophrenia!!!) while hearing all those people who are soooo disgusted with trends. But there are trends we cultivate ourselves, aren't they? It's a trend to say all good about dead people. Once they are away we tend to write: "Oh, she was a great writer" while we hardly know any book of the person mentioned, and so on. Men tend to send all women to the kitchen with no right to turn her back even to go pissing. On contrast women call men chauvinist, but can't wait to get some fucking from one. We often say that fast foods are bad, bad, BAD! But McDonald's would not last for so long if no one eats there! Everyone says that women should have some curves, not to be too slim. The truth is that the women who tell so are on and on on a diet and men who claim the same would not even look at a curvy girl.

I found the movie scene in "Blow-Up" with David Hemmings taking pictures of the legendar model Veruschka truly electryfing. I discovered a discussion on a message board on FilmWeb, with all the people shocked with Veruschka being skinny as she was looking like an anorexia sick girl. I looked at her pictures and for some time thought - "Indeed, she does not looks ok". But now I change my mind - she looks great! What the hell we have to tell about anybody's private things? She wants to look like a bag of bones covered with skin - let her go ahead! Yes, teens are looking - so what???!!! If "Bravo" is still available in quiosque, why should we forbide being skinny? At least we should have the mind of our own to call ourselves HOMO SAPIENS!!!

"Rhett Butler's People"

It's a shame on me that as a true, faithful lover of "Gone With The Wind" (the book and the movie, as well) I did not know that there something new I should take notice of immediately when it came out to appear in public!

"Rhett Butler's People" is a novel fully authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate. The book emphasizes on Rhett Butler rather than Scarlett O'Hara. Maybe because the first attempt to bring the sequel to life (Alexandra Ripley wrote it in the early 90s) was not worth the original. Maybe also because it was entitled "Scarlett" and it was mostly about the leading female character. From the book by Mitchell we know almost all on Scarlett, but there is so much to to find the anwers on Rhett. He was always the kind of man I'd love to have in my life. A tough lover, as in the title of Etta James' song. A man who would fight for you but who would also eagerly kick you in the ass and made you begging for more... Though lover, yeah, yeah, yeah, tough lover, ouuuuh...

This new book is another attempt to make appear an original-worthy GWTW sequel. I truly count on Polish publishers so they would publish it in Poland in our language, though I must say that I'm not sure if I want be disappointed. I will try to wait a little bit, but I'm not the first patient one in here, so it's quite likely I will purchise the one in the original language.

Want to learn more? Click here.

Kay Francis - she could have not waited to be forgotten

It's somehow interesting, frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time to read a story like this from Kay Francis. The actress who was Warner's box-office no. 1 in early 30s ended her career most likely hating the way of life she chose. But on the other hand I doubt she would change this choice, either.

I'm definetely not going to tell you about her life. Read it yourself by clicking here. The cruelty she experienced from people she made existing (after all, Mr. Warner would not have his comfortable office without his profitable stars) is unquestionably disgusting, but after you read it, please tell me - did it surprise you?

I often say I prefer animals, essentially cats, to people. And here you will find an answer why.

I'm waiting for TCM to give us some piece of Miss Francis work. She made lots of it, unfortunately most of it a complete trash, though it would be lovely to stare at those beautiful blue eyes, with sadness written in them and with this aura of black short-cut hair. Would you believe she was petite? Indeed, she was! Warners did everything to save money so after the days of Kay were gone, and they had their new girls, including Canadian-born Alexis Smith, they gave them Francis' clothes, only making them fit better on taller Alexis.

And for the end - why is this entry entitled like this? Well, it's a quote from Kay. After you read the note I recommend you will know why...

The very beginning

From there on I decided to start writing a blog. I decided on this method in order to keep some of you interested updated with my ideas and plans. This note won't be the longest one as I have little time now and it is just a beginning.

I decided to lead this blog in English only because I guess it is a very good way to exercise my English. Enjoy this blog, I'll try to update it soon.