FINALLY IMDB put in my quotes from Grandmother Lettie (May Robson) in their quotes section. I love May Robson's scenes in this movie - she is hilarious, sharp as a tack, and deeply moving with some of her comments. I've played the scene where she comforts Esther after being ridiculed by her aunt and brother many times, one of the best consoling scenes I've ever seen in a film, moving, inspirational, and deeply human with a nice sense of humor.
shareLettie certainly was a wonderful character. It's a shame her character was disected and split between Norman Maine (early scenes) and Danny McGuire (later scenes) in the 1954 version.
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May Robson adds so much to all those old movies she is in. It's a crime she didn't get a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for this performance, I think she's better than any of the actual nominees that year.
shareI totally agree with you, that May Robson ABSOLUTELY deserved AT LEAST a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her exceptional performance as Granny in this great film. How she could have been overlooked for that warranted recognition is certainly perplexing!
shareIt was a good year for supporting actresses - the winner was Alice Brady in IN OLD CHICAGO, and Claire Trevor in DEAD END and Dame May Whitty in NIGHT MUST FALL were also nominated but surely fabulous old gal May Robson was more memorable than the admittedly very good performances of Anne Shirley in STELLA DALLAS or Andrea Leeds in STAGE DOOR. I still would have voted for Ms. Robson myself over this illustrious group.
shareShe was a wonderful character, and we should all listen to our "Grammy Letti" with more frequency.
Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen?
She was the best part of this very good movie.
shareMay Robson was also fabulous as the Persnickety older sister of widowed father Claude Rains in the FOUR DAUGHTERS Trilogy. G-D BLESS HER. In an age when most "Aunt Etta's" were knitting, in a rocker...May's "Aunt Etta" was mothering four lively girls, and "trucking" to the latest 'hot' album by Benny Goodman.
She was MAGNIFICENT!
I do hope he won't upset Henry...