Am I the only one who thought Elizabeth Montgomery was robbed of the Emmy she should have won for this landmark TV movie? She lost to Cicely Tyson for THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN, which I hadn't seen at the time. I recently saw PITTMAN for the first time a few months ago and I still think Montgomery was robbed. Opinions?
shareWhat a coincidence! I just responded to you on another post (forget which one as I am all over the place) and it is so good to know that someone else was impacted by this movie! Perhaps it really is a small world and sorry you had to get your first comment from someone who may not have much to offer.
I was pretty young when this movie came out but I remember being so tramatized by it, especially the rape scene. I saw The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman that same year and was equally moved but for different reasons. TAOMJP left me feeling more in touch with the times. Roots became popular around the same time and I suppose I was so into the racial conflicts of that time as was everyone else. This movie took a back stance.
Eliizabeth is one of my favorites. I love her and I also love Cicely. They were amazing and you have brought up such an awesome point. Thank goodeness I was not on the Oscar team because I would have had everyone pulling their hair out because of a lack of decision but if I had to make a choice no matter what, Cicely would have won.
PCL
Maybe I would have felt different if I had seen THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN during its original TV broadcast, like I did A CASE OF RAPE. I did not see JANE PITTMAN until a few months ago and admittedly, Tyson gives an amazing performance but this was a role that Tyson could play in her sleep and was n surprise. Elizabeth Montgomery, on the other hand, played a role completely against type, that blew her previous image and could have permanently destroyed her career, but instead it created a new career for her that was only stilled by her sadle premature passing. A CASE OF RAPE was devastating television that stayed with me long after fade out and I was very angry when Montgomery didn't win the Emmy.
shareI get what you are saying,. Even as a young kidlet, I was suprised to see "Sam" not twitching her nose making everything right, to now being a victim of such an awful crime. I was taken aback. It is still interesting ( and fortunate) as you pointed out how her image was not tarnished by her role in this movie.
I must admit that Cicely played an easier and possibly more accepted role as Miss Pittman based upon her prior roles. There was so much racial controversy at that time because of certain movies and broadcasts. Cicely had already been casted in Sounder, Roots and TAOMJP. She knew the drill so to speak and here is Elizabeth, our charming, beautiful, sweet (as was Cicely) housewife/witch now being totally violated. You made some excellent points here.
It is great you finally got to watch TAOMJP!
PCL
I was almost 13 when I saw the initial broadcast. I actually cried after the first rape. Liz gave a real understated performance. Cicely was great but I think deserved it for this. She certainly deserved it the next year for Lizzie Borden and was robbed again. So just like in Case of Rape she got s****ed twice by the Emmy voters.
shareExcuse me , but you made a mistake regarding Roots. Roots was on television in 1979, not 1974.
shareMontgomery was most definitely robbed of an Emmy! I'm sure she thought so herself. How could she not? It was an important statement for women and only an actress like Elizabeth Montgomery -- aka Samantha Stevens -- could pull it off and she did.
shareNot to diminish the importance of this film or Elizabeth's work, but imo Cicely deserved the Emmy.
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