FUED

[+ WilliamM]

 

To be fair to Hedda, Lucille Ball was once asked on a talk show whom she missed the most from the old Hollywood. Lucy response was immediate. She said "Hedda Hopper."

 

So what we are getting sometimes is a brief look at the supporting characters, without much thought or concern about whom they were as people.

 

And that includes Davis and Crawford too.

[Boink]

In classic Ryan Murphy fashion, the latest episode featured a scene where police raid a gay movie theater and arrest Victor Buono as he's going down on a street hustler. He uses his one phone call to call Bette Davis, who immediately bails him out and gets it stricken off the records. I wonder if there's any truth to that incident.

[+ WilliamM]

Probably untrue. But, even if he had all his scenes with Joan Crawford, it would make sense he would called Bette Davis first.

[Kippy]

The scene was a truly touching one which displayed well the developing relationship of the characters Of Victor Buono and Betty Davis. Whether or not it's true would be interesting to find out. It reveals a compassion and pragmatism on the part of Bette Davis which was way ahead of her time. This mini-series has been pure entertainment!

 

Watching,

 

Kipp

[JayCeeKy]

Whether or not it's true would be interesting to find out.

 

I read that the incident is fictional but was meant to convey the idea that Victor Buono was sexually active which was very dangerous in homophobic Hollywood of the 1950s and 1960s. And, Davis and Buono were very close.

[+ WilliamM]

And, Davis and Buono were very close.

 

I grew up very close to Lowell, Massachusetts where Bette Davis was born in 1908; my dad's oldest sister was also born in Lowell in 1908.

 

Back then Lowell was a mill town; most people worked in factories. Davis was very proud of her New England back ground. She often came back to Maine and New Hampshire to live, or spend summers. If she truly called Joan Crawford "Lucille," it was a way to show that Bette had a proud background.

 

But, it was also crude and showed a lack of sensitivity.

[hornytwells]

Last night. Too much time on whether or not the dislike was real or not. When Hedda Hopper has almost as much time as Crawford and Davis, it is a problem.

It's not a problem for me when Judy Davis is so brilliant as Hedda. . Also its an 8 part series-as William Holden says to Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard" Norma, you can;t be in EVERY scene!

[+ WilliamM]

It's not a problem for me when Judy Davis is so brilliant as Hedda.

 

Sorry, I can not believe that Davis would pay much attention to Louella Parsons, Hedda Hopper or Dorothy Kilgallen by the early 1960s.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

It's not a problem for me when Judy Davis is so brilliant as Hedda. . Also its an 8 part series-as William Holden says to Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard" Norma, you can;t be in EVERY scene!

 

I'd watch Judy Davis read a phonebook. She's a ridiculous talent.

[Bearofdistinction]

I was watching Whatever Happened to Baby Jane on television the other night (they were running Oscar-nominated flics) and in the scene where Baby Jane (Davis) is kicking the snot out of her sister Blanche (Crawford) I couldn't help but wonder how much perverse pleasure Davis must have gotten out of that scene. Watching these two divas on screen is like watching a scorpion and black widow in a death struggle.

 

I believe it was the best day of the filming for her!

[Okliehomo]

Their feud clearly had many facets. Hedda Hopper clearly tried to play both sides of the fence. I think the depiction of Hollywood at that time is fascinating especially for women. Loved that Crawford seemed to soften toward Davis (abeit short lived) and how last week's episode (aptly ironically sarcastically titled "Mommie Dearest") tried to how them as mothers and how their own mothers effected everything. I love this show and haven't enjoyed anything as much since OJ Simpson or the first season of American Horror. Fucking love Sarandon as off camera Bette Davis and think Lange is killing it as Crawford. So many touches of Eve.

 

And as for Judy Davis, I'm with you Ben. She hasn't had a part this good since she nailed Garland.

[corymonroe]

I'm enjoying the show and all the actors. It's scary how Sarandon at times looks so much like Bette Davis. Great hairdressing. Lange isn't quite killing the look for me. Very different facial shapes that make-up can't quite fix. On top of that, Crawford had a very distinctive voice and manner of speaking. Lange is trying very hard, but Sarandon seems to do it effortlessly. At least Lange is nowhere near the disaster that was Faye Dunaway.

 

Agree with the love for Judy Davis. That actress can do no wrong. Her Garland was amazing, and I was never a Garland fan.

[Kippy]

 

To be fair to Hedda, Lucille Ball was once asked on a talk show whom she missed the most from the old Hollywood. Lucy response was immediate. She said "Hedda Hopper."

 

So what we are getting sometimes is a brief look at the supporting characters, without much thought or concern about whom they were as people.

 

And that includes Davis and Crawford too.

 

I'm not necessarily into to drag but this picture of Lucy and Hedda is giving me a stiffy. Can the clothes, jewelry and fashion get any better? I guess smoking kept them thin, but DAMN! We have sunk as a society. Reminds me of the days my mom dressed up to go to the grocery store!

 

Kipp

[+ azdr0710]

a little off topic, but funny:

 

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/video-will/n9823

[LADoug1]

 

I believe this is the only filmed musical number Bette Davis ever did. Pretty funny and the title is something I can relate to.

 

I love Bette Davis but that performance was a train wreck. Was impressed though by her brief jitterbug.

[LADoug1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEOYYC-DqOo

 

Bette Davis on Joan Crawford.

 

Wow.

 

 

Fascinating.

[LADoug1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJvFhXa64m4

 

Joan Crawford, the polite "great star"

 

Love that she drank the Pepsi from the bottle.

Was that a baby crying in the audience? Sounded like catcalls. Lol

[LADoug1]

In classic Ryan Murphy fashion, the latest episode featured a scene where police raid a gay movie theater and arrest Victor Buono as he's going down on a street hustler. He uses his one phone call to call Bette Davis, who immediately bails him out and gets it stricken off the records. I wonder if there's any truth to that incident.

 

Maybe it's true but always hate when gay male characters are portrayed in such a situation. Adds to stereotyping and negative public perception.

[LADoug1]

I read that the incident is fictional but was meant to convey the idea that Victor Buono was sexually active which was very dangerous in homophobic Hollywood of the 1950s and 1960s. And, Davis and Buono were very close.

 

I like the show but there are many aspects that are probably fiction.

 

Also I love Susan Sarandon. Her politics are fine by me and her performances are almost always stellar. Too bad she and Tim Robbins split up. They seemed like a dream couple.

 

In Feud I think Sarandon's portrayal is much more genuine and authentic than Lange's. Lange has had too much work done on her face for one thing. Looks kind of frightening and not like Crawford. But contrary to a previous post I liked her in many of her films such as Francis and Sweet Deeams.

 

Did Crawford really find and bring the script to the director. I saw a documentary that says otherwise.

[+ WilliamM]

I was in college when the 1963 Academy Awards were broadcast on television. Even the most casual member of the audience knew that Bette Davis had been nominated in the Best Actress category.

 

So when Ann Bancroft was announced as the winner & Joan Crawford accepted the award for Bancroft, it was very strange.

 

I do not remember if the camera cut to Bette Davis in the audience, but she was probably too

shocked to react.

 

 

[Gvtire]

Maybe it's true but always hate when gay male characters are portrayed in such a situation. Adds to stereotyping and negative public perception.

It happened all the time back then

[LADoug1]

It happened all the time back then

 

Certainly true. I just mean that there are so few presentations of positive gay portrayals of gay characters that such scenes skew the image of gay men. I'm particularly picky and sensitive about that.

[TopTierTop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEOYYC-DqOo

 

Bette Davis on Joan Crawford.

 

Wow.

Very cool!

[+ WilliamM]

Certainly true. I just mean that there are so few presentations of positive gay portrayals of gay characters that such scenes skew the image of gay men. I'm particularly picky and sensitive about that.

 

Eighteen months later Lyndon Johnson thought his 1964 election was in doubt when one of top aide was arrested at the Washington YMCA for soliciting an undercover agent. The entire conversation between Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson on this subject is available on the Johnson White House tapes.

 

Mrs. Johnson did not listen to the tapes on purpose before she signed on of the release. Would you have wanted her to listen to five plus years of tapes, and remove the ones that shows LBJ in a bad light by the standards of 30 years later.

[+ WilliamM]

The only feud that existed was in Bette Davis' mind. She was one nasty piece of work. She was a bitch of the first order and she couldn't stand that Crawford was always polite. So she tormented her. That's not behavior anyone should applaud. Crawford finally had enough and got her revenge, then backed out of the follow-up film Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte.

 

Crawford's revenge backfired and made her look like a fool on national TV at 1963 Academy Awards. Accepting the Academy Award for Bancroft was bad, but then appearing in photos with the actual Oscar winners was worse.