Miriam Hopkins: The Underrated

She stole Old Acquaintance from Davis but she really had the more interesting role. Still a scene stealer int the 60's when she played the loopy aunt in The Children's Hour. I always loved Miriam.

Miriam was better shaken, not stirred........

I love Miriam Hopkins - The Story of Temple Drake, Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, Old Acquaintance, The Children's Hour etc. Here's her last performance in the grand guignol/pyscho biddy Savage Intruder. It's a glorious campfest that has the first Best Supporting Actress EVAH! Gale Sondergaard.

She was hammy soon in her career and not always photogenic, with a bovine look. She was good in Wyler s These Three and The Heiress. He obviously liked her, since she's also in Carrie and Children's Hour. Davis underplays in OA and steals it.

r3 - I'll have to watch that. Is that the film based on Vanity Fair?

To quote Bette Davis:

"Miriam Hopkins,now THAT was a REAL bitch...,she was a TERRIBLY good actress but she was terribly JEALOUS.".

Of course what Bette FAILED to mention in that interview,which may have given insight into WHY Miriam might be a jealous bitch, is that Bette was fucking Miriam's husband, director Anatole Litvak, at the time.

R5 Vanity Fair? I don't think Savage Intruder was based on anything but to cash in on the whole hagsploitation craze at the time.

Hopkins did make Becky Sharp in 1935 that was based on Vanity Fair.....

Hey, Becky Sharp is on youtube too! Time for a Miriam Marathon.

I know r7. I was being facetious.

R9 ....and I fell for it. Classic. Now that I get it - it's fucking funny.

The Story of Temple Drake costars the incredibly hot Jack LaRue.

She's really sensational in Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, as Hyde's main victim. Including a near-nude shot

Her greatest film, of course, is Troubles in Paradise. For this Lubitsch's masterpiece alone she earned her place in Cinema history.

And then there's Noel Coward's Design for Living, in which she's stuck in the middle, bearding for Gary Cooper and Fredric March.

Well, he certainly has the very essence of BDF r11.......

She was also great in the These Three, the original film version of The Children's Hour. It's a much more interesting film TCH even though all references to lesbianism had to be removed. The lie became that one of the girls was sleeping with the other's finance and there was some sort of standard ménage à trois going on. Surprisingly it didn't hurt the story very much.

"Mr. Goldwyn, you can't film that play! It's about lesbians!"

"Lesbians, schmesbians. We'll make it about Armenians."

Not only was Davis sleeping with Hopkins' husband, but Hopkins had starred in the Broadway production of Jezebel and according to some sources, Hal Wallis originally purchased the film rights for Dark Victory from David O. Selznick for her until Davis saw the script and angled her way in. That bitch was stealing her parts AND her man!

Don't forget r16, Tallu created the role of Judith Traherne on Broadway!

The 1930s/40s was a particularly ripe time for great leading lady roles on Broadway. Big stage stars like Lynne Fontanne, Gertrude Lawrence, Katherine Cornell, Ina Claire, Helen Hayes and Tallulah Bankhead regularly lost roles they created in New York when Hollywood turned those properties into films.

Standard Hollywood procedure.

You're tellin' me, r18?

Yes, r13, Trouble in Paradise and Design for Living are two delightful, saucy and sly pre-code comedies told with an adult perspective and a sophisticated gay sensibility.

Well worth a close look...

You can't tAke your eyes off her in the 30s films. She's quite good - if a little hyper. Love her and Kay Francis.

Ah yes r21, wavishing Kay Fwancis.........

^ Yes, THE Kay Francis who co-starred with Hopkins in the Samson Raphaelson written and Ernst Lubitsch directed Trouble in Paradise, which I honestly think is one of the greatest comedy of manners ever written. Yes, right up there with Congreve, Goldsmith, Sheridan, Wilde, Shaw, etc. And so finely, perfectly, exquisitely acted.

She had a widdew twoubew with hew ahs. And Kay actually spoofs herself in a movie with George Brent, I think Living on Velvet. He teases her about her rs, gives her something like "round the red roses the rascal rabbit ran," and of course her version is all "w's".

These Three is wonderful and is certainly helped by the gorgeous Alfred Newman score.

I loved the story about Kay Francis, who had an affair with Maurice Chevalier. They took a trip together to his home town in France and once he was there he reverted to a "bourgeois" Frenchman. Getting bored, she demanded they go to Paris and when he refused she basically said "well, I'm out of here" and left.

do we really have to time travel back to the 1930's again?

We could go back to the 1940s. But later than that and I will cut you.

"I have been taught by masters."

Livvy, how's the law suit going?

No r26, we're leaving you at home. You're always such a drag on our time trips and you never dress properly.....AND your table manners are atrocious.

Her name at birth r24 was Kay Francis Fudd. Her brother was also a contract player at Warner's.

now THAT would be an interesting thread......stars REAL NAMES.

Last night I watched "Fast and Loose." My first Miriam Hopkins film (if you don't count "The Heiress"). It also featured Carole Lombard in a supporting role. Anyway, what a lovely, little movie. And short! Only like 70 minutes long. Hopkins... in fact, the entire cast was a joy to behold. Excellent acting all around. Very natural for the time period -- or is the acting in all pre-code films this realistic? Admittedly, I haven't watched many, if any that I recall. I guess I'm so used to the melodramatic acting (and annoying Mid-Atlantic accent) that typifies 'Classic Hollywood." Also fell in love with old-fashioned but well-meaning Charles Starrett and the adorably drunk Henry Wadsworth. Serisouly, he played a very convincing drunk, which is not as easy as people assume. I wish the film had been longer, because I really enjoyed watching these characters. I especially love the sibling bond between Hopkins and Wadsworth. I totally bought them as brother and sister.

Anyone know of more films like this, or that feature some of the same cast?

R30 I think R29 was being facetious. He was implying that Elmer Fudd was her brother. Kay Francis' real name was Katherine a Gibbs.

A really good read from the 70's by George Eals called "Ginger, Loretta and Irene WHO" offers some insight into Miriam's career. She proved incredibly difficult to work with, and managed to alienate co-sign, directors and even costume designer Orry-Kelly. By the time the 1940's rolled around, she was reduced to stage and supporting roles in movies. She was allegedly considered for Scarlett O'Hara, but was deemed too old at 36 - and too difficult.

Hopkins was just as good an actress as Davis, and I think Davis knew that. Hopkins gave exquisite performances in The Story of Temple Drake and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Part of me thinks Davis notoriously trash-talked her because she was threatened by her.

Edward G. Robinson never had a bad word to say about anyone he worked with except Miriam Hopkins. I don't recall the specifics, something about her upstaging everyone who appeared in scenes with her.

Miriam is in a delightful little film called "The Mating Season" with the gorgeous Gene Tierney and the equally gorgeous John Lund. She plays Gene's hoity toity snob of a mother to perfection, but she is matched scene for scene by DL's favorite Thelma Ritter playing Lund's down to earth, hamburger slinging Mama. Their confrontation is glorious with Thelma winning hands down.

Check out Thelma's poker playing pals.

[quote] Her greatest film, of course, is [bold]Troubles[/bold] in Paradise. [bold]For this Lubitsch's[/bold] masterpiece alone she earned her place in Cinema history.

Oh, [italic]dear,[/italic] and oh, [italic]dear.[/italic]

Poor Miriam already playing mother to the grown Gene Tierney by 1950. While in 1952, I played mother to 13/14 year old Natalie Wood.

That doesn't mean she was some sort of outer limit for you,. Bette at r38. Especially since in 1956 you were playing the mother of the grown Debbie Reynolds.

I agree with the posters up thread who name Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Trouble in Paradise, and Design for Living as three delightful and racy precode films that showed Miriam to her best advantage.

Luckily, all three are in steady rotation on TCM

What R13 and R20 said. two standout performances, pre-code

More than you probably want to know about MH

She was Margaret Mitchell's choice to play Scarlett.

Her performance in "The Story of Temple Drake" was fantastic and ahead of its time. She had a naturalistic acting style and screen presence that translates well even today.

Gawd! She played a grifter in a movie scene that is so funny. I wish i could remember the movie, but she is sitting opposite her male lead and they are swiping jewelry and watches from each other in the most casual manner as a couple of pick-pockets. It is so funny. It's from a screwball comedy of the 30's era. It was a great movie that was part of UCLA's history of cinema major that I took in the late 80's!

It was "Trouble in Paradise". Great screwball comedy!!

What was the cupcake comment made about Bette sleeping with her husband?

And what exactly is Temple’s story?

A wealthy but neurotic Southern belle finds herself trapped in the hideout of a gang of vicious bootleggers.

"Temple Drake" released on Criterion Collection Blu-Ray 12 Dec. Looks fabulous!

I love her, but I don't think her acting style was at all natural.