The Quintessential Heroine
Ahh . . . the beauty. The humour. The talent. The gumption.
Carole Lombard.
She was known for her friendliness and her ability to swear like a sailor. She helped put a shy Margaret Mitchell at ease with all of the craziness on opening night of "Gone With the Wind" in Atlanta, teaching her how to handle the paparazzi long before it became known as "paparazzi." She was married to two other noted film stars: William Powell (from "The Thin Man" films) and Clark Gable.
Most of all, she's known for the wonderful films she left behind when she left this world far too early in 1942 in an airplane crash. With over 75 films to her credit, you must see "My Man Godfrey," "To Be or Not to Be,""Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and my personal favorite, "Nothing Sacred." Her spunky Hazel Flagg set the tone for many heroines who followed.
I tag you all to list and discuss your quintessential heroine. To see my choice for the quintessential hero, see the November 23rd post.
posted by Diana Celesky at 3:36 AM
6 Comments:
Good post, Diana. I don't think Clark Gable ever really recovered from her tragic death.
My quintessential heroine...hmmm...it's a tie between Julia Roberts and Judi Dench. Julia has the spunk and the intelligence, and Judi has the regal bearing and sharp wit.
For movie heroines, I'd have to say my favorite is Bette Davis. She was so beautiful, in a special sort of way. In Jezebel, she was absolutely shining. She was devoted to her career and willing to fight anyone who got in her way. Plus, in her autobiography, she said that blue-eyed women should wear brown shadow and eyeliner. News to me! So I went for the "Bette Davis eyes" look. After I started wearing brown, I started getting many compliments on my blue eyes. Thanks, Bette!
I don't think Bette Davis was ever more beautiful than she was in Jezebel. She was such a dynamo in All About Eve. She was so saucy in that one with, "It looks like we're in for a bumpy ride."
Katharine Hepburn is my quintessential heroine. She had it all -- beauty, intelligence, regal bearing, sharp wit... She was feisty and strong-willed, and yet classy, always a lady. She lived her life as she saw fit and loved without regard for what others thought. There will never be another like her.
Wasn't Katharine Hepburn amazing? She created in her own life a character more refined, uncompromising and smart than any created for her by some writer.
Good call, Robin. What movies of hers are your favorites? I like Bringing Up Baby, On Golden Pond and The Philadelphia Story.
Well, since Little Women is my favorite book, I'd have to say Little Women. She was the perfect Jo, much better than June Allyson -- though I did like Peter Lawford better as Laurie. I also loved Bringing Up Baby, African Queen, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and Adam's Rib.
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