Happy birthday, Angela Lansbury

She stole my part.

She said, "Where's my old pal Judy?" then giggled and add "Oh I forgot."

In movies, poor Angela was always cast older. She was only three years older than Laurence Harvey and yet played his mother in "The Manchurian Candidate," in what turned out to be a brilliant performance. She was only 35 when she played Elvis's mother in "Blue Hawaii," a somewhat less brilliant movie.

I wish I could find luxury turbans like Miss Angela is wearing. Everything I see now is so cheap, small and poorly made.

Was she born looking forty?

It's a mystery, R5.

Whippersnapper.

[quote]She was only three years older than Laurence Harvey and yet played his mother in "The Manchurian Candidate," in what turned out to be a brilliant performance.

One of the Best Supporting Actress roles in film history. She makes "The Manchurian Candidate".

She was nominated as best supporting actress (her third Oscar nomination) for "The Manchurian Candidate" but lost to Patty Duke in "The Miracle Worker."

And she’s still horny.

Indeed, r8!

She was actually quite hot.

In DeMille's "Samson and Delilah," released in 1949, she played Hedy Lamarr's older sister, although she was 11 years younger than Hedy.

Her second husband was extremely fuckable. Her first husband was gay.

I really wish she’d write an autobiography. When you start reading about her life, the career that she’s had, not to mention the stories she has about every iconic Hollywood actor in the business, it’s really quite fascinating. Her mother who was an actress was jealous of her and Angela’s family were extremely famous British politicians.

Angela said this year had she not become an actress she would have gone into politics.

I can watch Murder, She Wrote on repeat every damn day and not get tired of it. There’s something extremely comforting about her. I’m so sick of that bitch Betty White getting all the attention. I’m glad that so many generations are now fawning over Angela. Believe it or not RuPaul has helped this. He posts endlessly about her.

She was terrifying in “ The Manchurian Candidate”. She really should have done “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. She turned it down.

I recall reading in the summer stock thread that a DLer got punched by her husband for following orders and barring anyone from entering backstage. I guess the husband had a pretty fragile ego.

[quote]I really wish she’d write an autobiography.

I wish she had, too., but she's 94. It seems unlikely that she'd want to take up such a huge project at this point. Although Barbara Cook waited until near the end of her life to write hers.

[quote]Angela’s family were extremely famous British politicians.

Yes, I believe they were Labour Party.

And Angela supports the Democratic Party -- when she was interviewed with James Earl Jones during their stage play a few years ago, she said she voted for Barack Obama.

Murder, She Wrote became a chore even in its time. It was only fund for seeing who hadn't died yet.

R21 = Betty White

with Basil Rathbone whilst making The Court Jester.

Angela was pissed when it was reported on the internet for years that she was a Republican. She set the record straight a few years ago. I wonder who told her what was on her Wikipedia page and all the GOP celeb supporters she was on. I never saw her so angry in an interview.

Angela could write her story with the help of a co-author. That’s the way most people do it anyway. She is still very active. She used to ride the train everyday with Judy Garland and got to know her well. She was also friends with Bette Davis and she knew all the major players in the industry. She even admitted that she had to take some really awful roles in films just to pay the bills.

Catsup stain!!!

Angela Lansbury: 'I'm voting for Barack Obama!' (2012)

When offered the role of a lesbian in "The Killing of Sister George" she replied:

[quote] No, I think not. I have my fans and reputation to think of.

Well, "Sister George" is an exploitation film.

We also have to keep in mind that it was half a century ago and the times were very different.

Yes, it was, r29.

A 94 year old Lady Bracknell? Who will play her marriageable daughter? Maggie Smith???

Well, she played a character in a t.v. version of "Little Women" a couple of years ago when she was in her early 90's.

The Gottfried bio was very good and he had access to everything. It was so good that Lansbury was upset with some of the things he revealed about her in it. Honestly, it's as good as you'll get because while she might have some good stories, she likely wouldn't give any insight on anything. I did think it was interesting that she was upset with Gene Saks til the day he died because she felt he didn't fight for her for the movie of "Mame". If she honestly thinks she would have gotten the role regardless of who the director was, it shows a definite lack of self awareness.

R34, Angela really needs to get over the whole Mame thing, time has proven that Lucy was perfectly cast and gave an excellent performance. Upon it's initial release there was a lot of backlash against Lucy because Hollywood didn't want to see her as anyone other than Lucy Ricardo. With time and a more objective viewing it can be clearly seen that Lucy was perfect in the role and gave it a depth and nuance that Lansbury and her chronic mugging would not have matched. The film's initial failure also curtailed any desires Lucy had on stretching herself as an actress. Who knows how many top notch roles for middle-aged women that she turned down, off the top of my head I know of: The Turning Point, Dressed to Kill, The Trip to Bountiful

Angela Lansbury! Maggie Smith! Bette Davis!

Gypsy

5 Tony Awards, bitches!

Bea and Angela at the 1988 Tony Awards.

Jule Styne was so unimpressed with Angie's vocals that he did that weird Baby Jane type uptempo at the finale of Rose's Turn.

I saw her in the last preview of Mame at the Winter Garden in 1966 and had no clue who she was.

You want to see Ms Lansbury in her prime? I will show you her in her prime. Grab the cocktail shaker, bitches.

R42, everyone now knows why she didn't get the movie of Mame. Those closeups are brutal.

Whereas in the actual movie, R43, you can't even see Lucy in her close-ups because of the linoleum that was placed over the lens.

She don't want to know.....

And the Tony goes to.....

[quote] Angela really needs to get over the whole Mame thing, time has proven that Lucy was perfectly cast and gave an excellent performance.

Honey, stop embarrassing yourself. Good lord. Put down the pipe.

Angela has put out Broadway pride videos for many years now. She’s a fag hag and said two years ago she’s thrilled about that.

Perfect. Everything wrong with Lucy’s Mame. She turned it into a fucking funeral.

Lucy went to see Angela in Mame and spoke to her after the show. Angela would come to find out that Lucy was taking notes and already trying to get the role for herself for a film. It was a shitty thing to do. THAT’S what really pissed off Angela along with the fact that Lucy’s version was a disaster.

[quote]Angela really needs to get over the whole Mame thing, time has proven that Lucy was perfectly cast and gave an excellent performance.

I honestly thought this was a parody post.

Angela sings for Pride.

Angela singing "Little Yellow Bird" in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945), her second movie. Many years later, she sang it again on an episode of "Murder, She Wrote," in which she played a dual role as Jessica's British cousin, a music hall performer.

[quote]Angela singing "Little Yellow Bird" in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945), her second movie.

Yes, that's one of the most poignant moments of that film, and helped her to get her 2nd of 3 Oscar nominations.

A most unusual trio: Angela Lansbury, Joan Collins and Dana Wynter perform at the 1959 Academy Awards.

Yeah, she looked older than her age, but she aged well and has got to 94 with good mental & physical health.

I’ve loved Angie since I was young! We use to watch our VHS version of Bed-knobs & Broomsticks at least twice a week as kids

Wasn't Angie close to her "Dorian Gray" co-star, Hurd Hatfield? They both moved to Ireland. I believe he was a bachelor.

Yes, they stayed in contact until his death, R58.

Hatfield was rumored to be gay.

Hatfield also did a guest appearance on "Murder, She Wrote."

I want a second version of Dear Heart where Angela and Geraldine switch roles.

That comparison of Ball and Lansbury by the know nothing theater queen was pathetic. Lansbury almost certainly would had been better than Ball but you'd never known it from those ridiculous nitpicky items. Lucy took three takes in Bosom Buddies. Wow.

AGHHHHHH!!!

R63, that's one of the best Lucy moments from Mame where she sees Robert Preston and runs to him. One of the few moments where she doesn't seem like Lucy.

[quote]I want a second version of Dear Heart where Angela and Geraldine switch roles.

Angela's role as the unsympathetic fiancee was, alas, typical of some of the movie roles she got back then. But I must admit I find Geraldine Page completely winning in this. It was based on a 1957 CBS television play called "The Out-of-Towners," by Tad Mosel. On TV, the leads were played by E.G. Marshall and the wonderful Eileen Heckart. Lansbury's role isn't in the original; Harry Mork is already married, and he and Heckart's character go their separate ways at the end. Of course, the movie tacked on a happy ending that always struck me as hastily shot.

I didn't know that, r65. I looked and couldn't find it on Youtube. We do have Heckie's Birdie preserved however...

As a gayling in 1968, I saw her in the Boston try-out of "Dear World," Lawrence and Lee's and Jerry Herman's) adaptation based on Jean Giraudoux's play "The Madwoman of Chaillot."

She was good (1969 Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical) but the show sort of sucked (132 performances on Broadway.)

$7.00 for an orchestra seat.

The Tea Party is pretty swell...

Dear World photo session....

Angela went out of her way to help people during Murder, She Wrote. She never forgot all her friends in Hollywood during the studio system and got them roles and one actress who developed MS was helped by Angela when Angela had them install ramps and keep hiring so she could keep her health benefits. She kept the same crew for the duration of the show and put a lot of people through college. She is one of the nicest people in the industry.

Wasn't that Madlyn Rhue, r70?

Angie in 83 in the special performance of Mame. Amazing.

[quote]I didn't know that, R65. I looked and couldn't find it on Youtube. We do have Heckie's Birdie preserved however.

I've looked for "The Out-of-Towners," R66, but I've never been able to find it. I recently found a review of it on IMDB, written by someone who said he watched it on the Decades Channel. I know it from reading the original teleplay for a theater course I took on interpersonal dramas of the 1950s. By the way, apparently the Geraldine Page movie was also going to be called "The Out-of-Towners," until Henry Mancini wrote the song "Dear Heart" for it, and the producers decided to give it the same title.

R40, I always loved Lansbury's uptempo ending of "Rose's Turn." It's terrifying and electric.

Angela was 19 years old when she did "The Picture of Dorian Gray," but she already looked "momsy." I think it's the shape of her face that makes her look older.

Lansbury always had hangdog eyes. And yes, the jowls were almost preprogrammed ("a coming attraction").

I think she was actually beautiful. She had a certain British regalness about her.

She was never hard on the eyes but she didn't have the requisite looks. Still, I doubt she'd trade places with Lana Turner.

Her face was perfect for period settings....

Cheesecake....

The fact that she's 5'8 also helped give her presence.

I've been in awe of her later life stage success. At 40, she played Mame and then proceeded to play several legendary characters in many wonderful shows. I still remember her Rose in Gypsy. No one has some close to what she was able to do with it. I think some keys were changed, but she could more than capably handle the score. She wasn't Merman, but her performance was very different from Merman's (or what I imagined her performance to be like) as well, so I don't remember being bothered by it.

Whatever Jule Styne thought about her vocal limitations, Angela Lansbury was unforgettable as Rose in "Gypsy." Keep in mind that she was doing it a mere 15 years after it opened on Broadway, so memories of Merman were still relatively fresh, and this was the first revival. Angela was determined to find her own way to do the role, and she succeeded admirably.

Angela was really smart to get into television. It was a shrewd move on her part. She was nearing 60 and knew that one way to get the public’s attention was to be seen in everyone’s home on a weekly basis. She said this herself.

She made the boneheaded move to sell the rights to Murder, She Wrote a few years ago. She stated this recently.

I wonder if Bea bitched about Betty to Angela.

Angela wasn't the first choice to play Jessica Fletcher. It was first offered to Jean Stapleton, who turned it down.

[quote] It was first offered to Jean Stapleton, who turned it down.

Also Doris Day.

In a decades long career, r85, there will be a bone-headed decision here and there.

She owned the rights to Murder, She Wrote?

And what's the likelihood she would be up to playing the role again at 90?

Yes, r90. It was produced by her production company, Coreymoore. If Betty White can return to television at 90, why not Ange? Did you think you'd ever see Jane Fonda or Lilly Tomlin on a hit show in the 80s?

Oh, r90, Angela has already said she'd like to do one more final Murder, She Wrote tv movie.

But there's a difference between doing the occasional appearance and doing a regular series. Betty did the odd thing in her 90's, but Angela wouldn't be up to the grueling schedule of a regular series.

HAPPY 95TH BIRTHDAY TO DAME ANGELA!