One of three baseball movies by this lifelong sports fan was also the debut of a future Hollywood legend.
by Rich Watson
If Joe E. Brown is remembered by modern movie audiences, it’s for his scene-stealing turn in Some Like it Hot, the gender-bending comedy with Marilyn Monroe in which Brown seduces Jack Lemmon in drag. It’s Brown who utters that film’s famous last line, “Well, nobody’s perfect!”
Long before that career-redefining role, Brown was a headlining actor in a number of comedies from the thirties, in particular baseball films. One of those was a romantic comedy co-starring a young woman taking the first step on a long journey to superstardom: Olivia de Havilland.
I saw JOE E. BROWN in SHOWBOAT. He played the dad of MAGNOLIA(KATHRYN GRAYSON). His wife was played by AGNES MOOREHEAD. Magnolia's husband was played by HOWARD KEEL. Kathryn did three eps of MURDER, SHE WROTE in the 80s. She played IDEAL MALLOY who was kind of ditzy. She was one of the "beauty shop ladies" along with RUTH ROMAN and GLORIA DEHAVEN. Also JULIE ADAMS who did other eps not involving the beauty shop. HOWARD KEEL was also a guest star on M.S.W. P.S. Do you like musicals? CLASSIC TV FAN
ReplyDeleteI like musicals okay. I saw Howard Keel in KISMET, for example. Never saw SHOW BOAT, though, so I didn’t realize Brown was in that. Does he sing?
ReplyDeleteI saw SHOW BOAT a long time ago. I don't recall if JOE E. BROWN sang in the movie. According to wiki Joe E. did several dance routines. MARGE and GOWER CHAMPION were in the movie. You may know that Marge passed away last year at the age of 101! AVA GARDNER was also in SHOW BOAT and gave a great performance as JULIE, an alcoholic singer. ROBERT STERLING played her husband. CLASSIC TV FAN
ReplyDelete101! I didn’t know that. She and Olivia must’ve lived right.
ReplyDeleteSome of the movies that I have seen OLIVIA in are LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA(with YVETTE MIMIEUX), THE SNAKE PIT, and THE PROUD REBEL (with ALAN LADD). Also DODGE CITY(one of her many movies with ERROL FLYNN) and GONE WITH THE WIND (with CLARK GABLE, LESLIE HOWARD and VIVIEN LEIGH). Do you know Olivia from any of these movies?
ReplyDeleteI’ve seen WIND, of course. Might’ve seen PIAZZA on TCM long ago, but I don’t remember. I saw one she did with Cagney called STRAWBERRY BLONDE. That was nice. And she was in THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX with Flynn and Bette. If you go to my previous blog, Wide Screen World, you can see my posts on some of her films, including HEIRESS, ROBIN HOOD and HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE.
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