Most Over-rated Actress of the Golden Era?

MudInYerEye · Jun 2, 2010

Darla Hood.

Amy Jeanne · Jun 2, 2010

LizzieMaine said:
The one who I never got the appeal of is another Icon -- Louise Brooks. She had a Look, but she never did much for me beyond that. I've always felt she was the sort of actress that over-serious college Film Scholars liked because liking her made them feel worldly.

I feel the same way about Miss Brooks. Her acting was non-existant. I've seen quite a few of her films, too, not just the big iconic German ones.

I hate the movie Pandora's Box. What a bunch of pretentious bull!!! lol

Sometimes I think people confuse her beauty with talent.

Amy Jeanne · Jun 2, 2010

Gingerella72 said:
Whew....now that someone else has said it, I can say that I agree 100%! I've always found her acting and voice extremely annoying but felt I wasn't allowed to say such blasphemy against her iconic status.

lol lol lol

I make no apologies for my movie honesty!!

Or any honesty for that matter....

Miss Golightly · Jun 2, 2010

I've always wanted to like Greta Garbo but I just can't! I've seen several of her movies and I even bought Anna Karenina on DVD as I hadn't seen it before - she just does nothing for me - she was a beauty for sure but there is always something kind of laboured about her performances.

LizzieMaine · Jun 2, 2010

Miss Golightly said:
I've always wanted to like Greta Garbo but I just can't! I've seen several of her movies and I even bought Anna Karenina on DVD as I hadn't seen it before - she just does nothing for me - she was a beauty for sure but there is always something kind of laboured about her performances.

I can take Garbo in silents, but she does nothing for me in talkies. Maybe I've just seen her caricatured in too many '30s cartoons, but between the accent and the Plank Of Swedish Wood expression, I just can't take her seriously.

The only talkie of hers that I like is Ninotchka, because she doesn't take herself seriously either.

Amy Jeanne · Jun 2, 2010

LizzieMaine said:
I can take Garbo in silents, but she does nothing for me in talkies. Maybe I've just seen her caricatured in too many '30s cartoons, but between the accent and the Plank Of Swedish Wood expression, I just can't take her seriously.

The only talkie of hers that I like is Ninotchka, because she doesn't take herself seriously either.

I'm with you here, too, LM!! Garbo in talkies puts me to sleep. Seriously, I've only finished Susan Lennox -- the others were so dull I really couldn't take it.

Her silents are pretty good, though. Not my faves, but watchable.

Nathan Dodge · Jun 4, 2010

You guys and gals with your Academy of the Overrated need to see MANHATTAN, by "overrated" writer/director/actor Woody Allen, as there's a scene that's perfect for those with lists of the overrated.

I also think those with an overrated performers list should also include someone they think is underrated, so we get an idea of what you like. I'm sure another "overrated" list can spring from that list!

Nathan Dodge · Jun 4, 2010

Ed Bass said:
Had she lived to become an old hag like Bette davis did, Oh brother! I can just imagine....
Toots

So we go from "Most Overrated Actress of the Golden Era" to Bette Davis is an old hag? I didn't know personal attacks were part of declaring someone overrated.

LizzieMaine · Jun 4, 2010

Nathan Dodge said:
You guys and gals with your Academy of the Overrated need to see MANHATTAN, by "overrated" writer/director/actor Woody Allen, as there's a scene that's perfect for those with lists of the overrated.

I also think those with an overrated performers list should also include someone they think is underrated, so we get an idea of what you like. I'm sure another "overrated" list can spring from that list!

UNDERRATED

Jean Arthur
Rosalind Russell
Ann Dvorak
Bessie Love
Blanche Sweet
Marion Davies
Patsy Kelly
Mary Ann Jackson

Lindabelle · Jun 4, 2010

Amy Jeanne said:
I still say Kate Hepburn. She's the only Golden Era actress I really despise. I think her acting is forced, overly-theatrical, loud, and obnoxious. I really don't see what most others see and don't try to convince me otherwise because I've already tryed myself (I've seen a LOT of her films and still came out feeling the same way.)

I don't mind actresses who "can't act." It's OVER acting that gets my goat.

I totally agree Amy Jeanne. I just can't stand over acting either. I found Miss Hepburn's voice was at at a pitch that just make's me grit my teeth! I always thought I was alone not being a fan. I didn't realise how bad it was for me until I watched Little Women. Her over acting for me in that was a travisty!

MisterCairo · Jun 5, 2010

MudInYerEye said:
Darla Hood.

Take that back....

bunnyb.gal · Jun 6, 2010

I'll have to go for Judy Garland. For the same reason as Al Jolson. They both seemed to try too hard to make us love them, love them, love them! It was the OTT Broadway show-tune-y-ness of them which I find hard to take. (In a quiet moment, not a problem.)

Definitely in agreement with LizzieMaine's "underrated" list, especially Jean Arthur.

Viola · Jun 6, 2010

LizzieMaine said:
Hepburn is one of those actresses who got best results when basically playing herself -- that sort of upper-middle-class clenched-teeth personality. But try and picture her playing, oh, a housemaid or a factory hand or a shopgirl, and her acting abilities lose a bit of their lustre. I don't especially dislike her, but she doesn't strike me as having the range of someone like Barbara Stanwyck or -- yes -- Bette Davis. And I say this even though I do a dead-on impression of her.

Lizzie, a clenched-teeth New Englander, you? lol

I like Kate but I like her as that type, not for her range. Rather like my feelings about John Wayne, or Sly Stallone, actually - their stock role is a character I enjoy, nothing less nothing more.

I nominate Vivian Leigh.

Frankly Scarlet · Jun 6, 2010

After reading all these comments I think I'll have to start watching movies in original version and not dubbed (as they are all in Spain). Because I really like Katherine Hepburn and her voice in spanish and her acting are just amazing and now it may all be because of the dubbing

Doctor Strange · Jun 6, 2010

Hey, there are plenty of us who admire Kate Hepburn enormously, even while admitting it's true that she couldn't play convincingly beyond a fairly narrow range of characters. As Viola said, that's true of many (if not most) movie stars, both in the past and now.

One forties actress whose appeal totally escapes me is Betty Hutton - I find her performances annoyingly exhausting, much too brassy, and totally lacking in subtlety and shading. I know that she was a good fit for the frenetic war years, but I just want to grab her and tell her to calm down!

Chas · Jun 6, 2010

Marilyn Monroe. Easily. Of all of her movies I have seen (which would be most, but I never was really much of a fan) she played two roles. The same person in all but one film- the Misfits.

I don't agree with the assessment of Dean as overrated; there were some terrific moments of total improvisation on his part, and he was actively avoiding being typecast, ie. Giant.

The worst actress of the golden age, however, was Jayne Mansfield. Or, as Jack Parr would say, actresses.

skyvue · Jun 6, 2010

Miss Golightly said:
I've always wanted to like Greta Garbo but I just can't! I've seen several of her movies and I even bought Anna Karenina on DVD as I hadn't seen it before - she just does nothing for me - she was a beauty for sure but there is always something kind of laboured about her performances.

Garbo does nothing for me (though I like her in NINOTCHKA -- leave it to Lubitsch to find an actor's best qualities).

I can't imagine anyone thinking Barbara Stanwyck overrated, though. She's a wonderful actress -- perhaps the best the Golden Age of Hollywood produced.

I agree that a little bit of Betty Hutton goes a long way, though I like her in Preston Sturges' MIRACLE OF MORGAN CREEK.

I think Marilyn Monroe was really good at what she did well. Expecting more of her is a bit unfair, since as has been pointed out above, a high percentage of movie stars just do one type of character well.

I wonder if anyone would rate Kay Francis as overrated. I couldn't really argue if they did, but I love her movies. I think of her as underrated, but she had a very particular style (though not as pronounced as Hepburn) that one could easily view, I can admit, as great or grating.

If we're allowing the discussion of underrated actresses in this thread, I'd submit Margaret Sullavan's name for consideration. I love her work (and I agree with the nominations of Roz Russell and Jean Arthur as underrated).

Nathan Dodge · Jun 6, 2010

Doctor Strange said:
Hey, there are plenty of us who admire Kate Hepburn enormously, even while admitting it's true that she couldn't play convincingly beyond a fairly narrow range of characters. As Viola said, that's true of many (if not most) movie stars, both in the past and now.

Very few performers totally remove their own personalities from a character they play, and James Stewart's absolutely dead-on assessment of acting is what I go by:

"You play yourself in deference to the character."

And for those who dislike Kate and her New England accent, well there's always forever-dull Meryl Streep to fawn over with her infinite accent-mimicking ability.

Meryl Streep is the Greer Garson of the Boomer Generation.

Fletch · Jun 6, 2010

What I don't get is why La Russell was so underrated. She was a total package, with a great voice and tart comic timing, yet who could always pull off a serious role.

She was also - and maybe this is my fetish for tall sassy brunettes coming out - sexy as hell, and could wear clothes like nobody's business.

dhermann1 · Jun 6, 2010

Margaret Sullavan was really big for a while. I guess she appealed to the schmaltzy taste of much of the film going public. Sometimes it's hard to separate the performer with the kind of stuff they did. But I tend to be slightly underwhelmed by her.

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