MovieChat Forums > The Great Lie (1941) Discussion > Mary Astor

Mary Astor

posted 10 years ago by mygooger
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched this on TCM last night and I thought she was the best part of this movie! Her acting was superb, I enjoyed every scene she was in. She is one of my favorite classic movie actresses, even if the movie she is in stinks, she is worth watching :) There's actually a YouTube video of classic movie bloopers with her and Bette Davis, and although you can't see Mary Astor's face, you can hear her and it's hilarious. The first one is just Bette Davis and then the second one is the part where Sandra says she wants her baby back. It's from 4:41-4:53.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xw3d0hTztc

[–] matthewwave-1 10 years ago

"I can't stand the smell of food!" (I think that's the right wording...)

She really was terrific, definitely my favorite part of the film, altho I like it overall.

Matthew

[–] mygooger 10 years ago

Yeah the film itself was pretty good, and the great actors in it helped :)I love when she says she can't stand the smell of food LOL! Here's a couple more great Mary Astor lines from it that are my fave:

"I'm not one of you anemic creatures who can get nourishment from a lettuce leaf - I'm a musician, I'm an artist! I have zest and appetite - and I like food"!

"Whoever heard of an ounce of brandy"?

[–] matthewwave-1 10 years ago

'"I'm not one of you anemic creatures who can get nourishment from a lettuce leaf - I'm a musician, I'm an artist! I have zest and appetite - and I like food"!'

Just not the smell of it!!!

Matthew

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5960) 4 years ago

Those doctor instruction about not eating onions, pickles and some other things sound pretty crazy. Especially when smoking and drinking were considered okay.

Suspect that this was the movie taking some liberties with medical norms at the time so as to allow that line about having a zest and appetite for food.

[–] BrendaLynn 10 years ago

Might Evan Rachel Wood be the reincarnation of Mary Astor?

[–] ilahilda 10 years ago

This was my first time seeing Mary Astor in a movie, I really liked it.

[–] Harold_Robbins 10 years ago

I'm a big Astor fan - I think she's somewhat overlooked and under-appreciated today. I don't think her off-screen personal problems ever affected her performances, though certainly her physical appearance was somewhat affected, and when she signed with MGM they slipped her into character roles. To comments that she 'stole' the film from Davis, she replied that, to the contrary, Davis handed it to her on a silver platter. But its still something of a mystery why she received a Best Supporting Actress nod (and subsequent win) for this film rather than a Best Actress nod for the same year's THE MALTESE FALCON - she herself felt that was more deserving. But as the Academy doesn't share its records, we'll never know - she may have come in sixth among the final nominees and thus been edged out.

For another Master Class in "How to Steal Scenes" (and a movie), check out RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE from 1961, though granted, Astor has an easier time of it because she's not up against anyone the caliber of Davis (and Davis, as I'm always saying, was always at her best playing opposite another high-powered actress such as Astor, Hopkins, or Crawford).

In my case, self-absorption is completely justified.