Sunday, April 19, 2015

Natalie Wood, This Year's Favorite Classic Movie Actress Winner

And it's official — Natalie Wood is the winner of the 2015 Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tournament. Myrna Loy hung with her for a couple of days, then Natalie powered past her and won going away, 323-173.

She joins Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers, Carole Lombard and Bette Davis in the actress hall of fame.

I love a motivated fan base. Every actress in the tournament is a worthy contestant. The difference depends on whose fans spread the word and get out the vote, and this year, Natalie Wood's fans used Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter and put together a sophisticated campaign for their favorite. Good job!

And I have to say, Natalie Wood is a worthy champion, if only for that scene in Miracle on 34th Street where Edmund Gwenn teaches her how to imitate a monkey and she promptly writes a 3,000 word essay about Charlie Chaplin.

Okay, screw you — you remember movies your way, I'll remember them mine.

5 comments:

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

Surely (sorry, i did promise to stop calling you that) there must be "Some Mistake," as we say in the biz?

Mythical Monkey said...

You know, Myrna Loy's pratfall in that scene is one of the best you'll ever see -- it looks genuine as opposed to staged or overtly comic.

And even though I've seen The Thin Man maybe literally a hundred times, this exchange always makes me laugh:

"He [Asta] dragged me into every gin mill on the block."

"Yeah, I had him out this morning."

And this bit is one that Katie-Bar-The-Door and I have incorporated into our routine:

"It's all right. It's my dog. And my wife."

"You might have mentioned me first on the billing."

If I were going to dispense any free advice after 25 years of marriage, it's to discuss all your serious issues while pretending to be William Powell and Myrna Loy.

All your non-serious issues, too.

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

Ms. Who would enjoy comparing notes with Katie-Bar-The-Door, I have know doubt about it. We must make sure they never meet.

Lauren Farrow said...

Gotta love Natalie Wood! I watched Miracle on 34th Street every year at the holidays when I was growing up. My mom loved the movie and passed that on to me.
Luckily, she is a child star that grew up beautiful so her career continued into adulthood.

Mythical Monkey said...

Gotta love Natalie Wood! I watched Miracle on 34th Street every year at the holidays when I was growing up. My mom loved the movie and passed that on to me.
Luckily, she is a child star that grew up beautiful so her career continued into adulthood.


We watch Miracle on 34th Street every year, too, on Thanksgiving, actually, after dinner is done since the movie starts on Thanksgiving day. It's the annual kickoff to the holiday season.

And a terrifically quotable movie!

"Oh, don't even think about it. I'll have a sandwich or something."

Which is very handy when you want to be transparently passive-aggressive and get a laugh at the same time.