Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm only referring to her southern accent. Much, much better than Monroe in 'Bus Stop'. Mansfield was actually convincing, where Monroe did an annoyingly horrid job of the accent. I'm guessing by that time, she had already been working with Strassberg - the worst choice of her career.
While Mansfield wasn't very good at lipsynching the songs in this movie, she sure was pretty.
You're kidding, right? Funny that people actually from the Ozarks (where Monroe's character was supposed to be from) consistently commented that Marilyn Monroe's accent was spot on.
shareI agree that Mansfield is better than Monroe. Monroe, while charming, was consistently overrated. Jayne Mansfield was consistently underrated and just seems more natural to me-- with a wicked sense of humor and a sharper, smarter understanding of herself.
Better in what way? Monroe was certainly a better actress. Mansfield always seems too aware that she was trying to act, and it shows. She does an adequate job but she was, I'm sorry to say, just another poor man's Marilyn Monroe. Her fans always revert to the diatribe of Monroe being overrated, but there's a reason why she's an icon, and why she was one of the 20th century's most photographed women - not to mention being remembered by far more people than Mansfield is.
I actually like Jane Mansfield, but if you look at her body of work and that of Monroe, then it's obvious that Marilyn Monroe had a lot more range as an actress. It's just a shame that her personal demons got in the way of her achieving so much more. Even so, she became an icon - and you don't do that by being overrated. You become an icon by the people's consent, not by the critics.
I figured someone would come along and argue and that's fine because we all have our favorites. But most icons are overrated, because they are excessively marketed to the public (the public is almost brainwashed into thinking how great they are). I like Monroe in some of her films. I happen to like Mansfield more, because I feel Mansfield is in a way somewhat conspiratorial-- inviting us to be in on the joke with her. Even in her worst movies, she is manipulating all that surrounds her-- and that's smart and fun in my book.
On her best day, Mansfield never possessed the vulnerability, magic,
heartbreak or - yes - acting ability of Monroe. People are legends
for a reason. Monroe was far more than a poster or the subject of
of an Elton John song. Mansfield was NOTHING more than the cheap
image she projected.