A Movie Scene Quiz

Remembering William Holden who was born on this date in 1918 (died 1981).



I was wondering if Holden and the playwright, also born on April 17, met on the set and celebrated together while Holden was making the movie version of the playwright's Pulitzer Prize winning play which took place in New Hampshire.

Do you know the play and playwright?

"Picnic" -- William Inge?

That was the first thing I thought of, Raggedy.

I love "Picnic", Wandeljw, the dance scene especially, but that's not the one.

Ah, that would be Thornton Wilder and Our Town.

That would indeed be "Our Town", Mac.

How about the play adapted by the playwright for the screen in which Holden was hired to teach the leading lady some refinement? She got the Oscar and I had forgotten that she won over Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson. That was a real surprise. She was great, but Davis was the favorite that year.

You know when you do plays, it's just too easy for me Raggedy!

You know the Oscar winner question too, Mac?

Would that be Born Yesterday?

You got it, Bree.

(I figured I should give someone else a chance!)

You're all too smart.

One more. The movie had a happy ending. The play did not.
In the movie, Holden's Italian father wants him to play the violin. Holden has other ideas and is encouraged by a "dame from Newark" to give up the violin.

Ah, those dames from Newark (which is next door to the town where I grew up)!

That would be Golden Boy, which was

(a) later turned into a Broadway musical starring Sammy Davis Jr. (I saw it about 40 years ago, but can't remember whether the ending was happy or sad -- I suspect sad), and

(b) written by Clifford Odets, who was born 100 years ago this year, and who also wrote Awake and Sing!, a revival of which is opening on Broadway tonight.

Excellent, bree.

I heard the Broadway recording of Sammy's "Golden Boy", but I don't remember any of the songs. I heard that he was great in it. I can't believe that it was 40 years ago.

Barbara Stanwyck was "Lorna Moon, the dame from Newark" in the movie. Odets wasn't available to do the screenplay, so the play was transcribed by four screenwriters. Frank Nugent of the New York Times felt that the "happy ending" didn't harm Odets' theme, but Howard Barnes of the Herald Tribune felt just the opposite. There were a lot of mixed opinions among the critics, but it didn't matter. The picture was a huge success and launched 21 year old Holden to stardom. Holden was grateful to, and remained friends with, Barbara Stanwyck throughout their lifetimes. It was said she would let one of her takes stand, even if it wasn't one of her best ones, if it displayed newcomer Holden to maximum advantage.

Wow, great story. Holden was a gorgeous young man.

Thank you, Mac.

The big news on Broadway at the moment is that Julia Roberts made her Broadway debut last night, in a play called Three Days of Rain. I thought the New York Times review was pretty funny, although Ms. Roberts may not share that opinion. Here it is:

Thank you, bree. That is so funny. I have to read further. I couldn't stop laughing until, " Your heart goes out to her when she makes her entrance in the first act and freezes with the unyielding stiffness of an industrial lamppost, as if to move too much might invite falling. " I could feel her pain.

Yes, poor Julia. I admire her pluck in taking this on. Hopefully, some of that stiffness will wear off as the run progresses. Opening nites (no matter the number of previews) are notoriously tense for actors.

Yeah, read and enjoyed that review, too. (The paper version's title was something like, "It's Her, it's Her, it's Her! And Some Play, Too.")

Hello Sozobe. How nice to see you here.

Guess who's having, other than Barbra Streisand, a birthday today. I think I've commented about her a few times (too many) here. But after all, she was an understudy who made it big.

And guess what movie she played in with Julia Roberts.