MovieChat Forums > Bachelor Mother (1939) Discussion > She Can Do It All

She Can Do It All

posted 9 years ago by marhefka
4 replies | jump to latest

Is there anything Ginger Rogers can't do? Firstly, she's a member of the greatest dance team of all time. She left Fred and won an Oscar for her portrayal of Kitty Foyle. In this movie, as well as many others, she shows that comedies are seemingly her best roles.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

I agree. Naturally she's known for her dancing but I wasn't aware GR had won an Oscar too. I'm happy to hear that she did. I've always thought she wasn't, and still isn't, given as much credit as she deserves for her acting.

[–] mcdemuth 8 years ago

Yes, Ginger is severely underrated because too many people only think Dancing and Musicals (With Fred Astaire) was all she ever did, and because they are not fans of those kinds of films, they refuse to see many of the other films they did.

Those of us that have taken the time to check out other films she did, and learn about her life outside of hollywood... Know better. She was an amazing woman, with tons of talent.

Ginger never had any children. After watching her with the child in this picture. I was quite impressed by her performance. She was wonderful as a mother, especially with a child that was not "hers". I loved the scene where she comes home late and the baby is awake, and while she is talking to him, he takes a hold of her finger and tries to suck on it, and Ginger just goes with it. It's possible the the Baby was supposed to do that, but I doubt it. That baby was doing too much in that scene to be completely "Coached". She was wonderful. ...And that was without any real motherhood experiences to draw on! After seeing many of her acting performances, a few interviews, & reading her Autobiography, I think she would have been a wonderful mother in real life.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

I haven't read her autobiography but I've heard and read a little about her life. Apparently her mother played a huge role in her life; even as an adult. I saw her mother, a tiny little woman, in the Major and the minor. She played her daughter's mother in a very small role. She seemed harmless enough but she seemed to have had an overpowering influence in Ginger's professional and personal life.

I don't know the extent to which any of that was true but, if it was, it sounds like the mother was living vicariously through her daughter. That is always a difficult situation. If one has a good relationship with a parent it's hard to cut them off completely even when they're smothering you and keeping you from having your own existence.

I've seen similar situations in real life and I always find sad and frustrating. The parent doesn't always realize how selfish they are and the child often doesn't put their foot down; if they do it's usually when things have gone too far and the relationship has been damaged. If that was Ginger's life, I really feel sorry for her but it only makes me love her more. Whatever was going on in her life, she always came across like someone who hadn't a care in the world. People always had good things to say about her, and she seemed to have a great reputation.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] mcdemuth 8 years ago

She seemed harmless enough but she seemed to have had an overpowering influence in Ginger's professional and personal life.

I don't know the extent to which any of that was true but, if it was, it sounds like the mother was living vicariously through her daughter.

Although it is possible Lela did have some desire to see her daughter rise to "Stardom", Lela made a name for herself in hollywood writing scripts long before Ginger ever got there. As I understand, when Ginger wanted to get her start in show businesses, Lela made sure that is what Ginger wanted, before travelling all over the country. Interestingly, Lela was also one of the first women in the Marines. Lela also had an "Actor's Studio" which helped many actors get their start, and I've hear Lucille Ball attended... Lela was also the manager of Ginger's ranch. Lela had quite a life of her own, and didn't need to be known as "Ginger's Mother"...

While it is true, Lela did act as Ginger's manager at times, and also guided her daughter in business matters... (Lela wanted Ginger to buy land in California, but Ginger insisted that she wanted a ranch in Oregon, and after Lela scouted the Rouge River area, Lela realized why Ginger wanted it.) Lela never regularly told Ginger to do this or that or else. She just made sure that is what Ginger really wanted, and that it was for the right reasons.

Lela's role in "The Major And The Minor", came out of the fact, the actress who the studio was expecting to play her mother, was unavailable, and it was then that Ginger suggested that Lela play the part. I also understand that there was some concern that Lela might not accept due to running her own "Actor's Studio" and might find it a step backward to take up the part. From what I read, Ginger only made the suggestion for her mother to play the part, Ginger never demanded it, Lela never sought out the part, and Ginger told the studio "to ask her".

I also understand that Lela had her own apartment at times, and wasn't always with her every minute of the day.

So while they spent large portions of their lives, side by side, for whatever their reasons were, Lela never tagged along with Ginger or regularly told her what to do.

I really don't think Lela "was living vicariously through" Ginger, I think their relationship was really more of a partnership, where their daily lives intertwined.