Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Speaking Of Supporting Actor Nominees ...


... I promised faithful reader lupner a picture of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., nominated for the Joan Crawford-Anita Page flapper picture, Our Modern Maidens.

I don't know enough about lupner's socks to know whether this picture will knock them off or not, but it pretty well captures the man. "The trouble with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.," said writer Clemence Dane, "is that he likes everything he sees—and he sees everything." On the other hand, two of his marriages lasted until death did one of them part (for 49 years to Mary Lee Eppling, until her death, then to Vera Shelton until his own death at age 90), so he either had some restraint or very understanding wives.

Only a brief marriage to Joan Crawford, whom he met on the set of Our Modern Maidens, was a bust.

He made several fine movies, among them Dawn Patrol, The Prisoner of Zenda and Gunga Din.

He was also, of course, the son of two-time Katie winner Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., a frequent commenter here at the Monkey. Of his father, Junior said, "I never tried to emulate my father. Anyone trying to do that would be a second-rate carbon copy."

Well said.

3 comments:

Lupner said...

At the risk of seeming ungrateful for your presentation -- which I do deeply appreciate, Mister Myth Monk -- Jr. looks a little too dazed in that photo to knock off these socks . . . men must at least appear to be somewhat aware of their own whereabouts to elicit a heavy sigh from this chick. That said, one can certainly look at this photo and appreciate many of his fine chiseled features, which in my opinion are preferable to those of his father's -- even if his acting talent didn't live up to dad's. And heaven knows there are any number of ladies who have (and will) be quite taken with that particular image of Dougie Jr. . . .

Mythical Monkey said...

I'm not offended. I'm merely attempting to knock your movie-actor socks off through a process of triangulation -- so far, Clark Gable, yes, Gary Cooper and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., no.

But if we get to Cary Grant and your socks are not knocked off, I'm giving up ...

Lupner said...

No worries there. You do nothing more than post a picture of his left elbow -- fully clothed, even -- and CG would knock my socks off. Talk about yer hubba hubba. Fully expect to be knocked out any number of times by the many yummy actors waiting to be revealed as the years go by . . .