MovieChat Forums > Fanatic (1965) Discussion > Irritations about Stefanie Powers

Irritations about Stefanie Powers

posted 11 years ago by richard-III
7 replies | jump to latest

I loved Talullah Bankhead and Yootha Joyce teaming up together, they were wonderful. But I got really irritated by the mannerisms of Stefanie Powers, and although most of the people in the house were either mad as a hatter or criminal in mind, I laughed when Powers was locked up in the attic.

Normally I don't react this way to such a film. But that actress (who I liked in other productions) really annoyed me here.

"I don't discriminate between entertainment
and arthouse. A film is a goddam film."

[–] ggiroux3 11 years ago

You have to remember that this movie is almost 50 years old, and what passed as 'acting' (& plot & dialogue) back in that day is not what we expect in cinema today. Also, don't forget that the director was driving her performance and stating how she should provide her lines and body language. It wasn't SP's fault if she was 'annoying.'

BTW, I always thought she (and Katharine Ross) were two of the most beautiful women ever to grace the 60s and 70s screens.

[–] PrometheusTree64 11 years ago

ALthough it's not just because it's "an old movie."

In the early-'60s specifically, it was in vogue for young women -- certainly on screen -- to affect a ridiculous level of quasi-sophistication.

I recall Barbra Streisand referring to TV interviews from this era and her self-confessed embarrasingly "so affected" demeanor and inflection.

It was just one of those trends that came and went. I actually find its pretenses kind of fun, this period effort at silly pseudo-chic.

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[–] jackiefoxybrown 10 years ago

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[–] Emmywins305 10 years ago

I think in this early effort of hers, Stefanie didn't really didn't know how to act yet. If you see "Herbie Rides Again" (made many years later) she's perfect there. I don't think it's so much that she's annoying, she was just too green and inexperienced here.

[–] oscarunger 10 years ago

In the early-'60s specifically, it was in vogue for young women -- certainly on screen -- to affect a ridiculous level of quasi-sophistication.

yep, they all tried to sound, upper class, dahling, almost british, think that died around 1968

[–] denis-38 10 years ago

I just saw it again on TCM. I forgot what a truly brilliant performance Tallulah gave, and how downright inept Stefanie was! You'd think it was Stefanie and not Tallaulah who heralded from an acting era made up of exaggerated facial and body movements. Really, she was bad. But, so bad she was good. And looking as she did back then, her acting hardly mattered.

[–] oscarunger 9 years ago

I dont think she was that bad, there are only so many ways you can look terrified and cower