The Monday Morning Question: Actresses You Hate
Monday, February 23, 2009
We've already skewered actors we didn't like, and while I know many of you brought up actresses -- and it was my fault that I forgot to specify male actors in my previous post -- we haven't officially criticized the female half of the acting profession.
Today's question: What actress(es) do you hate, and why?
Despite my belief that I like actors better than actresses, it was quite hard for me to find an actress I all-out hated. I seem to like almost every actress I'm familiar with. There are a few I'm not particularly interested in, but almost none that I hate. Except one.
Norma Shearer.
Yeah, you heard me. Norma Shearer sucks. She's a talentless, scenery chewing hack who approaches every role as melodrama. Let me summarize every film she's ever been in: Norma swoons, Norma bites her knuckle, Norma wrings her hands, Norma talks in faux high society falsetto, Norma wins in the end. Norma may, on occasion, wear a wacky wig. When she smiles, she reminds me of that funny moment in "The Tender Trap" where Debbie Reynolds explains that actresses smile by opening their mouth into a D shape instead of genuinely smiling, because smiling causes wrinkles.
Her allegedly candid moments in promotional movie shorts are gratingly twee, and after reading her pretentious answers in a few contemporary movie magazine interviews, I made such an exasperated expression that my face froze that way forever. I expect her to break into a Lovitzesque "Acting!" spiel and/or an Oscar acceptance speech in the middle of all her films, and that final scene of "The Women" where she spreads her arms and walks towards her ex-husband off screen is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in my entire life. And remember, I've seen "Virtuosity".
So now that I've slammed your favorite actress, feel free to slam some of mine in the comments.
P.S. I won't be going to the Kansas Silent Film Festival because my cat ate all my money. True story.
Posted by Stacia at 3:56 AM 24 comments
Labels: the monday morning question
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24 comments:
Katherine Hepburn. Canna stand her in any movie.
I suppose it's not very original but I can't stand Judy Garland. Her speaking voice is terrible and her singing voice is, imo, only average. And, her mannerisms when she sings are obnoxious. I can't speak on whether or not she can dance because I've never been able to watch a movie with her in it long enough to see her hoofing skills.
I enjoy Joan Crawford's early work but find her later work melodramatic and off-putting. And, her eyebrows...in fact, she looks and acts so much different in her early 30's work versus her 40's that it's almost like an entirely different actress.
There are several newer actresses that irritate me, but I'm going to choose an older one... Myrna Loy.
Norma Shearer sucks.
I agree. She makes me cringe every time she appears on screen in The Women.
Debra Winger
Barbra Streisand
Sarah Jessica Parker
Yeah, I know, this makes me look like a Nazi, but among older actresses I'm not very fond of Jean Harlow (hate is too strong of a word in her case), and she's a shiksa, so I offer up that up in my defense.
There are several newer actresses that irritate me, but I'm going to choose an older one... Myrna Loy.
What do you hate about Myrna? What facets of her personality lead you to such antipathy? She's my second favorite all-time actress (behind only Carole Lombard, whose extroverted comedic style was 180 degrees removed from Loy's).
And while the "sex symbol" persona of Jean Harlow can seem initially offputting, watch some of her better films, such as "Bombshell," "Dinner At Eight" or "Libeled Lady," and you'll appreciate her sheer likability.
Truth be told, I can understand the dislike for Norma Shearer, though I would recommend such people watch some of her pre-Code stuff where she really shines. Her later films don't do her justice.
I'm not necessarily sure I hate any actress, though there are a few I have little fondness for:
* Katharine Hepburn -- a bit too patrician for my tastes. Talented, but one senses we're supposed to like her because she's upper class and went to Bryn Mawr.
* Joan Crawford -- A lot of her early stuff is good, but her post-1940 career does little for me. Moreover, she never had a feel for comedy. (At least Bette Davis could do comedy, though that genre was the Achilles heel of post-Code Warners.)
* Lana Turner -- Never warmed up to her, though she was effective in "The Postman Always Rings Twice."
I'm wid Louie. 'Nuff Said.
I beg your pardon!? Pre-code Norma Shearer is fantastic! I refuse to beleive anyone can hate her in The Divorcee, Strangers May Kiss or in Private Lives. Simply a brilliant actress in brilliant films. Have you seen those? Shearer/Montgomery was one of the best screen couples ever caught on film! I can understand why people hate Joan Crawford as a calculating icy bitch or even Judy Garlands mannerisms, but Shearer... no! Rewind!
LOL, it seems that Shearer gets little love in the classic film community--and those who do like her are seen as sycophants. :)
I'm digging for an actress I hate, and it's difficult. But I can't believe someone hates Myrna Loy!! Sure, her acting when she stopped playing "Orientals" was iffy up until she hit her stride in the late '30s (though she was her best with Bill Powell of course), and she had strong convictions later in life, but I can't see what's to hate!
I can, however, give the name of an actor I hate: Gene Raymond. I've seen him in but two movies and he irritated the hell out of me in both of them. Something about his face irks me.
Wendymoon, I used to hate Myrna Loy myself. Until not too long ago I just found her stuffy and insufferable, especially when she fell back on the nose-in-the-air attitude and facial expressions, and I disliked the "Oriental" vamp look from her early years immensely.
Ultimately, she's hit and miss. I find her irritating in "Evelyn Prentice" and "Libeled Lady", she's bland in "Song of the Thin Man" and "Mr Blandings", and "Cheaper by the Dozen" grates on me like you wouldn't believe. But mixed with those are some really fine performances, in films like the first "Thin Man", "Manhattan Melodrama" and "Wife Vs Secretary".
I don't hate her anymore, and nowadays I do actually search out her films and watch them, but I'm always wary of finding another performance where she barely opens her eyes and looks down her nose at everyone for 90 minutes.
I don't hate anyone, but I have reservations about some of these newer actresses, like Anne Hathaway, who to me looks perpetually stunned and bewildered. To be perpetually stunned and bewildered is fine, as that pretty much sums up my life, but we look to motion pictures for some comfort (well I do) and Anne Hathaway does not exactly put me at my ease.
As far as the vintage performers go, I don't hate any of them, but I am having a hard time connecting with Veronica Lake. I want to like her, and am trying hard, as I realise she is known as a kind of 'outsider', and like Frances Farmer I love the outsiders, the troubled, and the cultish. I see a glimmer of something fascinating, but I think she might be an acquired taste.
Then again, perhaps it is just me. I might start up a blog 'getting comfortable with Veronica and Anne'- and in the process, might find I am simply not comfortable with myself.
How the hell did I end up on the couch??!!
Oh well, keep up the great work...
Heh. Yes, dear ones, I have seen Norma Shearer in plenty of films, about 15 including silents and pre-codes. That's a pretty good percentage of her 60-odd films, considering most of the roughly 40 silents & pre-codes of hers aren't readily available or are lost. I've even made the effort to get some "collector's copies" of her films (if you know what I mean); my opinion of Shearer is not an uninformed one.
If I'm still forming an opinion, am not sure if I've seen enough of a particular actor/film/genre, or not sure if I understood something, I will say so. It's something I've made clear here on SBBN time and again.
In my years on the 'net I've come to realize many people dismiss opinions they don't like by saying "You just don't know any better". And that kind of thing just isn't going to fly with me, and is something I would rather not see in the comments. Not against me, not against other commenters.
"Hate" is probably too strong a word for me in this discussion, but I do steer well clear of June Allyson. Maybe I haven't seen her best stuff, but she seems to epitomize Golden Age Hollywood at its dullest and blandest.
Just came back and saw what a commotion I caused with my Myrna Loy comment! I should clarify that I don't HATE her, I just am not really into her and don't get the appeal. She seems kinda prissy and snobbish to me.
I used to really dislike Joel McCrea, but he grew on me. Maybe I just need to give Myrna another chance.
I don't think I actually "hate" any actors or actresses, but I really don't like June Allyson or Jennifer Jones. Jennifer Jones always does this thing with her mouth where you can tell she's trying to look pouty and sexy and it's just plain annoying. On Norma Shearer, I have to beg to differ- as Jonas said, how can you not like her in Private Lives? I thought that in this film, she was actually sort of parodying the rich snobs she usually plays.
Wendymoon, can I just take this opportunity to say I have no problem at all with you using 'hate' in this context, and your valued words need no clarification.
I was watching a police procedural last night, and they made no effort to hide the fact that they were trotting out the same old archetypes- the embittered gumshoe, the femme fatale, the hooker with the heart of gold, the cop duo one step behind- and I am starting to hate that! And, paradoxically enough, I try not to hate anything.
I think when examining pop culture, 'hate' is more than fine, and in my case, I was only saying I don't 'hate' because even if I rack my brain, I can't think of any actresses who raise my ire enough even to use the accepted application of the word 'hate'. If I could, I probably would have said 'hate'. I used to 'hate' Sondra Locke, but that might have been sour grapes on my part, and the feeling seems to have gone away (perhaps because she has!)
Keep on posting, and now you mention it, I know very little about Myrna Loy; I might just check her out and see for myself! And isn't that the value of good comments?
With very rare exception I avoid Katherine Hepburn too. She sounded like a real chore to know in real life, and her movie presence is a challenge to me, with the exception of HOLIDAY and STAGE DOOR. I have no serious dislike for any actress otherwise, though Bette Davis is not high on my list of must-sees. I have nothing against Myrna Loy. :D
Maria Montez, if you would consider her an actress.
She is by far the most annoying thing I have ever seen on screen.
I will agree with others here that pre-Code Norma Shearer is not to bad. It is her later stuff, like The Woman, that I find hard to watch.
My problem with Shearer is her acting style which Dan Callahan in his article about her over at bright lights film journal calls her "Shearer-isms"
http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/62/62norma.html
She just comes across as very artificial to me.
... don't like Myrna Loy?! I... I don't know you people.
Louise Brooks.
I don't actually Hate her, but I don't see what the big deal about her is. For sure she has striking looks, but lots of actresses did- even Shearer can look stunning from time to time. With Brooks it mostly comes down to those Pabst films, and I think he could have made a masterpiece with a split melon jammed on a broomstick in the lead. It comes out in her talkies- she's still a looker but she just can't act that well.
I know- you're going to say "Beggars of Life"- and I'll agree, she's sensational in that one, but it's a fluke.
When Joan Crawford became a man, she ruined movie after movie after movie.
In Humoresque she was tougher than John Garfield for heavens sake!
Barbara Stanwyck who was great younger, got very hard. I don't like her at all.
Lana Turner was lovely, but had as much true emotion as a peice of ice.
Susan hayward chews the scenery like she has not eaten in a month. She can't not ruin a movie!
Gosh this is a freeing:)
How can anyone not like Myrna Loy!!!
lol
addie:)
Hilarious. Norma is mostly a miss for me, and I agree that if you dislike her later films, the pre-codes won't work either, as her mannerisms really didn't change much. It was just that the earlier scripts were less Grand Lady Emotes and a little more earthy. I do like her in Idiot's Delight and she was surprisingly good in Marie Antoinette, where the Queen of the Lot got to play Queen of France and it all kind of worked. She's fun in The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, too. I am not generally too hard on Norma, though, because Gavin Lambert's exceptional biography of her gave me such an unexpected fondness for her. I recommend that book even to non-Norma fans.
Disliking Myrna Loy is sheer unbridled madness. I have to say that.
I agree that hate is too strong a word, but at my place I have written more than once of how much I dislike watching June Allyson in absolutely anything. I do want to see her cast against type in The Shrike, however; maybe I would buy her more as a raging bitch.
Some months back I came up with a whole list of 20 actors and actresses who give me a either a royal pain or a strong desire to take a nap, but some of them need to be revised. Loretta Young, for example, really didn't deserve to be there although she has several films that make me grind my teeth.
Finally, @Eric -- "With Brooks it mostly comes down to those Pabst films, and I think he could have made a masterpiece with a split melon jammed on a broomstick in the lead." I disagree, but that's an extremely funny line, I have to admit.
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