Thanks for the memories

March 25, 2011 12:04 PM

With the loss of Elizabeth Taylor perhaps it is time to check in on those performers from the golden age of film who are still with us.

Perhaps you are like me and are comforted that Luise Rainer who won two Best Actress Oscars in the 30s, or Olivia de Haviland, Melanie of Gone With The Wind, and her sister and rival, Joan Fontaine live on - along with those who've always seemed old (Harry Morgan). Of course, he's not the oldest man in the world.
May they shine forever. ;)

posted by dances_with_sneetches (35 comments total)

I think you missed a link in there: http://www.abevigoda.com/
posted by tmt at 12:07 PM on March 25, 2011 [5 favorites]

Dean Stockwell falls short but what a great story there.
posted by clavdivs at 12:17 PM on March 25, 2011

so how long until deadpool.metafilter.com launches ?
posted by k5.user at 12:18 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

bah, Angus Scrimm studied under Wm. C deMille.

Wow, the resemblance to Walken is uncanny.
posted by clavdivs at 12:21 PM on March 25, 2011

I'd like to know how IMDB picked what roles to associate with the people they listed. I mean, is Joseph Wapner really better known for Animal Court than People's Court? Lauren Bacall and Dogville instead of basically anything else she ever did?
posted by xbonesgt at 12:27 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm just happy that Don Rickles and Olivia de Haviland have both lived long enough to be considered peers.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:29 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Harry Morgan looked old in M*A*S*H. I'm astounded he's still kicking. He'll be 96 next week!
posted by Plutor at 12:30 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

This reminded me of the wonderful site The Dead People Server. The nice thing about that site is that it tells you if the person is still alive. Sometimes it is harder to find out that than to find out if someone is dead. If you know what I mean.
posted by marxchivist at 12:34 PM on March 25, 2011

de Havilland -- two L's.

Don't forget: Doris Day, Deanna Durbin, Mickey Rooney (he of the recent alleged elder abuse sadness), Kirk Douglas (he of the recent Oscar appearance), Ernest Borgnine, Celeste Holm (unforgettable role in "All about Eve"), Louis Jourdan, Maureen O'Hara (perennial TCM favorite), Esther Williams, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak, Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach (most recently seen in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"), Cliff Robertson (most recently seen in the "Spider-Man" movies), and of course Lauren Bacall. Jack Nicholson will soon be in this category. Warren Beatty as well, and sister Shirley MacLaine.

But none of them topped Dame Elizabeth. Joan Fontaine could possibly be a contender, but her best work ended in the 1940s, and she was never the massive presence over the course of decades that Taylor was. Lauren Bacall would come close, maybe, on the basis of sheer mystique alone, but that's about it.
posted by blucevalo at 12:35 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wow. I forgot all about... well... the first one on that "us" link is Georgann Johnson, a classmate of my mother's. I remember her over for dinner whenever she was in town to visit her folks. Everyone laughing. Fun lady. Going to drop an email to her. Thanks!
posted by hal9k at 12:36 PM on March 25, 2011

When I heard about Liz passing, my first thoughts were "JUST DON'T YOU TAKE MY ANGIE!"

Angela Lansbury was cast as Taylor's older sister in National Velvet, 1944, you know. Certainly no Liz Taylor, always cast as older than she was, and a 5'10" belter, the best Mrs. Lovett ever, and my personal diva.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:37 PM on March 25, 2011 [4 favorites]

The imdb link is someone's personal list. Yes, the credit's are sometimes odd. I chose to emphasize living rather than the more vampiric sites such as dead or alive. Harry Morgan (perhaps it was his cranky voice) seemed old even back in the days of High Noon (1952). On a personal note I met Lillian Gish near her 90th birthday. What a powerhouse presence.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:39 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm glad you posted this, with all the papers going on about Taylor being the last of the Hollywood greats I thought I must have missed out on Kirk Douglas' demise, glad to be assured he is still with us.
posted by biffa at 12:42 PM on March 25, 2011

THIS IS UNJUST.

He is far too handsome for his age. Obviously, some kind of Caribbean santeria or voodoo is afoot.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:43 PM on March 25, 2011

Looking at the first link, Za Zsa is just barely with us. I'll be amazed if she lasts the week.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:49 PM on March 25, 2011

LLoyd Bridges es muy macho.
posted by longsleeves at 12:53 PM on March 25, 2011

Zsa Zsa "OMG What about Me and My Drama. Screw Liz, I'm next" Zsa Zsa? Ugh. You know, her only claim to fame in my eyes is when she slapped the cop. Her sister was far more talented (and prettier) and all Zsa Zsa has done was 'Look at me" just like her relative Paris Hilton. Both vapid and self-centered.
posted by stormpooper at 12:57 PM on March 25, 2011

I think it's disrespectful to refer to a broad like Elizabeth Taylor as a "dame". So please.
posted by Xoebe at 12:59 PM on March 25, 2011

Yeah, funny thing, unless something really odd happens, and as long as the planet is spinning and humans are walking around on it, there will always be old-timers. And there will always be people saying "yeah, X was the last of the (fill in the blank).
posted by randomkeystrike at 1:00 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

While I will agree that Eva was the more talented of the Gabor sisters, don't too-quickly discount the woman who starred in Queen of Outer space.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:15 PM on March 25, 2011

Zsa Zsa "OMG What about Me and My Drama. Screw Liz, I'm next" Zsa Zsa? Ugh. You know, her only claim to fame in my eyes is when she slapped the cop. Her sister was far more talented (and prettier) and all Zsa Zsa has done was 'Look at me" just like her relative Paris Hilton. Both vapid and self-centered.

Oh certainly. I'm sure Eva Gabor would have been so glad that people are taking her side in bitter comparisons to her dying amputee sister.
posted by zennie at 1:21 PM on March 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Blucevalo - I would argue that Kirk Douglas has that Taylor level mystique with great works reaching back into the 40s. Also, Jack Nicholson still has a few years to go until 80 much less 90. Clint Eastwood is 80, however.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:23 PM on March 25, 2011

Steve McQueen is still alive.

In my heart.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:36 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

I just thoroughly loved the profiles with pictures. Especially the old black and white ones. There's just something so wonderful about the style, the look, the smiles of those earlier times.
posted by iamkimiam at 2:04 PM on March 25, 2011

I didn't know (or remember) that Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were sisters!

@Ambrosia Voyeur - I just saw your diva Angela Lansbury in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) the other day - quite the pipes and cute, both of which were on display. :)

Also featured a young Donna Reed, Peter Lawford, and a creepy-awesome Hurd Hatfield (with whom I was not familiar) who so embodied the title character that he was forever typecast.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:40 PM on March 25, 2011

Don't forget the Shat and his longtime sidekick/nemesis, Leonard Nimoy, who both turn 80 this week.
posted by deadmessenger at 2:52 PM on March 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh wow, Liz Taylor died? Guess that's what I get for taking an internet vacation.
posted by Eideteker at 2:57 PM on March 25, 2011

Will I get tarred and feathered if I remind everyone about stiffs.com once again?
posted by GatorDavid at 3:45 PM on March 25, 2011

Hmm, I recently happened to see Kiss Me Deadly and not only decided that the very young Ralph Meeker was, if not the first, very much the best movie Mike Hammer evar -- and, to top it off, managed to recognize the also very young Cloris Leachman in her first and brief movie appearance. And not only did the dude have the first movie phone answering machine evar, but likely was the first movie character to screen his calls evar, to boot. That movie was truly ahead of its time in so many ways.
posted by y2karl at 4:12 PM on March 25, 2011

JERRY freakin' LEWIS. Still going (semi) strong with his telethon, popping up on an occasional talk show. Awesome.

And great to see some of the other folks that I hadn't realized were quite as old as they are.

Re: Liz Taylor - I've caught bits-n-pieces of "Cleopatra," but don't think I've ever actually seen her in anything else. I know she's a legend, etc, but TBH, I've never quite understood the phenom/mystique surrounding her.
posted by davidmsc at 4:53 PM on March 25, 2011

for those unfamiliar with louise rainer, watch her in "the good earth", co-starring paul muni. i believe she won an oscar for her performance, which is stunning.
posted by kitchenrat at 5:27 PM on March 25, 2011

Friend of mine ran into Ernest Borgnine at the supermarket last week. Apparently he's quite well, and in very good cheer.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:22 PM on March 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

How Ernest Borgnine stays so youthful
posted by briank at 6:55 PM on March 25, 2011

What's the opposite of . ?
posted by rocket88 at 1:52 PM on March 27, 2011

Re: Liz Taylor - I know she's a legend, etc, but TBH, I've never quite understood the phenom/mystique surrounding her. I've caught bits-n-pieces of "Cleopatra," but don't think I've ever actually seen her in anything else.

Written that way, the paragraph answers itself.
posted by y2karl at 4:22 PM on March 27, 2011 [1 favorite]