"It" - For the Gals.

[macawber]

Re Baby Face

Recently saw it on cable here, excellent film, never saw anthing like it before of this vintage. Stanwyck was great.

 

[herringbonekid]

(I'm reminded of the infamous Lenny Bruce remark in reaction to Mrs. Jack Kennedy being nominated "Most Beautful Woman" by Life mag or somesuch...)

what was the remark ?

 

[CherryRed]

Forever My Favorites

Deanna Durbin

Ginger Rogers

 

[gimmesomeshelte]

A little off base...

Hello-

There's an article in this week's New Yorker about Cesar Millan, the host of Dog Whisperer. In the article the author quotes some academics about the influence of body movement and how it's perceived by humans and dogs - or in other words, what makes one person a movie star and the other a dork. Interesting read if you have a chance.

Paul

 

[magneto]

what was the remark ?

...paraphrased; that she was sufficiently unattractive from the average male's viewpoint that she could hitchhike coast to coast and not get, er, molested.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I have to agree with a friend of mine when she said

Katherine Hepburn doesn't have it in my opinion, when gussied up yes, though off stage and downtown no.

Audrey... she holds your attention watching the grass grow in a park wearing ruddy jeans.

 

[AllaboutEve]

I agree

Ginger Rogers

[/QUOTE]
Ginger had a real acting talent, and a real dancing talent aswell as looking fantastic.

My number one though is MMMMMMMMMMMarilyn Monroe
(can't upload any pics at the moment as my Photoshop is misbehaving can somebody please post a pic of the lovely Norma Jean for me??? Pretty please?????????)

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I also like Ginger Rogers. However, and I suspect I am the lone person on this, but, I don't think Marilyn Monroe had It. Yes yes, I'm not a fellow, but looking at her through my eyes I see a...I'm afraid I will get pounced upon for saying this...a trollop. Please, I mean no disprespect to anyone else's opinion of her, it's just that, to me, I think she was too affected in her mannerisms, her blonde hair too fake...there wasn't much within her that shined through, for me.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

She can sing "Happy Birthday" quite nicely. I'll give her that.

 

[Naama]

I have to agree with a friend of mine when she said

Katherine Hepburn doesn't have it in my opinion, when gussied up yes, though off stage and downtown no.

Audrey... she holds your attention watching the grass grow in a park wearing ruddy jeans.

Well, I don't care much for Katerine Hepburn either, but I don't understand why Audry became so famouse... I don't like "breakfast at tiffany", I don't think she's a good actress and I don't think that she's all that pretty or that she looks interesting in any way.... But that's just my opinion [huh]

So, my picks would be

My personal heroine!

Naama

 

[scotrace]

And your point would be?

...I don't think Marilyn Monroe had It...looking at her through my eyes I see a...I'm afraid I will get pounced upon for saying this...a trollop.

And?

I have to agree, actually, that she was overdone. A bit much. Seven Year Itch is almost painful, though Tom Ewell was probably worse.

You know, I think Marilyn did have "it," but she didn't wake up with "it" going on in the morning. It took hours to devise.

Oh, and *POUNCE!*

 

[Matt Deckard]

I also like Ginger Rogers. However, and I suspect I am the lone person on this, but, I don't think Marilyn Monroe had It. Yes yes, I'm not a fellow, but looking at her through my eyes I see a...I'm afraid I will get pounced upon for saying this...a trollop. Please, I mean no disprespect to anyone else's opinion of her, it's just that, to me, I think she was too affected in her mannerisms, her blonde hair too fake...there wasn't much within her that shined through, for me.

I had this conversation with a lady friend of mine yesterday as well. Marylin. ti me, didn't have it!
underestimated in many ways, and she had a presence, though when it was off icould be off.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The thing that always bugged me about Marilyn was that she seemed -- pre-packaged or something, as though a bunch of 50's-type grey flannel suits got together in a smoke-filled room and said "OK, we gotta come up with a sex kitten. Who's got some ideas?" And she just happened to be the one who fit the bill they came up with.

I know that's not true, of course -- but it's the sort of image she projects to me. Too studied, too manufactured, too pasteurized-process to be for real. Most of the women mentioned in this thread so far, by contrast, don't come across that way at all.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

The thing that always bugged me about Marilyn was that she seemed -- pre-packaged or something, as though a bunch of 50's-type grey flannel suits got together in a smoke-filled room and said "OK, we gotta come up with a sex kitten. Who's got some ideas?" And she just happened to be the one who fit the bill they came up with.

I know that's not true, of course -- but it's the sort of image she projects to me. Too studied, too manufactured, too pasteurized-process to be for real. Most of the women mentioned in this thread so far, by contrast, don't come across that way at all.

I can't wait until we do lunch in June.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

And?

I have to agree, actually, that she was overdone. A bit much. Seven Year Itch is almost painful, though Tom Ewell was probably worse.

You know, I think Marilyn did have "it," but she didn't wake up with "it" going on in the morning. It took hours to devise.

Oh, and *POUNCE!*

I know that trollopiness is not always undesirable. But you do understand, I see, what I am saying, and that movie really is dreadful to watch.

Thanks for the pounce.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I had this conversation with a lady friend of mine yesterday as well. Marylin. ti me, didn't have it!
underestimated in many ways, and she had a presence, though when it was off icould be off.

I am so glad you agree with me on this! I sensed that you would.

 

[Feraud]

The thing that always bugged me about Marilyn was that she seemed -- pre-packaged or something, as though a bunch of 50's-type grey flannel suits got together in a smoke-filled room and said "OK, we gotta come up with a sex kitten. Who's got some ideas?" And she just happened to be the one who fit the bill they came up with.

I know that's not true, of course -- but it's the sort of image she projects to me. Too studied, too manufactured, too pasteurized-process to be for real. Most of the women mentioned in this thread so far, by contrast, don't come across that way at all.

I think it is true Monroe was a pre-packaged sex kitten type. Marilyn playing the "dumb blonde" act does not reflect having "IT" in my book. One always hears about how intelligent she was but she chose to play the dummy, didn't she?
She could have gone a route of say Catherine Hepburn or Myrna Loy. She could have chosen or created a role of an intelligent sexy gal instead of that sad caricature she created.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Now I'll disagree with you on this one--I think that Norma Jeane did have 'it', and that Hollywood eventually ruined that charisma and spark. Hollywood knew she had 'it', and took full advantage of that. In fact, I spoke to a gentleman the other day who knew her, and he said that whenever she walked into a room, everything simply stopped. To me, the quality that gives her 'it' is that little girl innocence she had as Norma Jeane--the girl who knew she would be a star. At the end of her career, Hollywood had pretty much stolen all that the little girl had to offer. Don’t forget, every starlet in Hollywood was packaged and marketed as the studio saw fit :

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Now I'll disagree with you on this one--I think that Norma Jeane did have 'it', and that Hollywood eventually ruined that charisma and spark. Hollywood knew she had 'it', and took full advantage of that. In fact, I spoke to a gentleman the other day who knew her, and he said that whenever she walked into a room, everything simply stopped. To me, the quality that gives her 'it' is that little girl innocence she had as Norma Jeane--the girl who knew she would be a star. At the end of her career, Hollywood had pretty much stolen all that the little girl had to offer. Don’t forget, every starlet in Hollywood was packaged and marketed as the studio saw fit

I understand what you are saying and know millions agree with you. In my opinion, I saw her "little girl innocence" more as a fake airhead act. As for stopping a room, I've seen it happen before if a woman with a uh, nice set walks in. Maybe she did have something real at one time, but like you said, she was a victim of commercialization.

 

[Feraud]

Hollywood knew she had 'it', and took full advantage of that. In fact, I spoke to a gentleman the other day who knew her, and he said that whenever she walked into a room, everything simply stopped. To me, the quality that gives her 'it' is that little girl innocence she had as Norma Jeane--the girl who knew she would be a star. At the end of her career, Hollywood had pretty much stolen all that the little girl had to offer. Don’t forget, every starlet in Hollywood was packaged and marketed as the studio saw fit :

I agree that Hollywood pre-packages and exploits their stars then discards them when done. Marilyn did look good in photos and film. However, doesn't every actor, musician, or family member/friend of said performer claim everyone "knew so-and-so was going to make it big"? That is quite an old and boring story which I take with a huge grain of salt. No one forces an actor/actress to get plastic surgery or pose naked in their struggling years. When and if the business catches up with them I cannot sit here and say how "horrible Hollywood used them". It is a two way street. Every performer has a say in how their image is being crafted.
I put Monroe in the same category as contemporary "hot actresses" like Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, or Jessica Simpson. They look good on film but it's all surface.