The filmmakers claim Carol had no limits in making this documentary. But she never discusses her 4 marriages or her son. It is only people other than Carol that talk about 1 of her other husbands. I understand if Carol's son does not like the spotlight, but not even a mention? Was she a good mother? Most mothers adore talking about being a mom, and have funny/touching stories to tell. It is an entertaining film, but not very complete.
shareYes, I wondered about that myself and looked it up.
Her son is by her 2nd husband a Canadian pro football player. Her son is named Channing Carson. He's a political cartoonist that goes by the name of Chan Lowe.
She must be proud of that, yet no mention of him.
I can't find the dates of her first marriage, but she was divorced from #2 in 1956 and married again in 56. She divorced him in 99 then marries Harry in 2003.
Doesn't seem to like to spend much time single.
Really enjoyed the movie, however.
When does this movie come out? Where can I see it????
shareI just finished watching it - Channing does indeed discuss her son and the choices she made regarding her priorities - there are also several pictures of him shown as a child - supposedly Chan and his mother have a good relationship but he does avoid the limelight (he has his own career) and chose not to participate in the documentary.
The film concentrates mainly on Channing's love of performing and only highlights the successes of her career - no mention of flops such as THE VAMP or FOUR ON A GARDEN or LEGENDS!(the James Kirkwood play in which she played opposite Mary Martin and which never made it to Broadway), or the moderately successful LORELEI.
"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified."
I don't think Carol would want to discuss LEGENDS! because of all the difficulty her friend Mary Martin had remembering her lines and keeping the pace and apparently James Kirkwood was no prince. Have you read that book James Kirkwood wrote about the production? He was pretty bitchy at times and if he can come across that way in his own book one can only wonder what he was like to work with. He did admire Carol's devotion to the theatre but I also admired Carol's devotion to her friend, not wanting to continue the play without her. I don't quite understand though why it couldn't go on with two new stars (Kirkwood all but had Ann Miller signed to replace Mary but Carol did not want to continue period which he indiscreetly and gracelessly claimed was due to Carol's lack of admiration for Ann) unless the Channing name was what was really selling the project.
shareThanks for all the information, very interesting.
I just watched this last night and loved it. Carol is amazing. She did have maybe guilt about not being the best mother to her son, remarking how an actors life is selfish and her son had to be at the theater a lot of times.
As delightfully made as this doc is — I loved every minute of it — it's ludicrously skewed toward presenting only the most positive events in Channing's life and career. (The brief moments of reality presented in terms of her son and third husband are only included in order to paint her as the repentant mother and victimized wife.) But the doc's aim clearly is to celebrate Channing, not dissect, so in that it succeeds. In a way, Carol Channing has always been about presenting sunshine and pretending there's no rain, so with that in mind this is a fitting tribute. (Had it explored that very theme, however, it might have been a truly remarkable biography.)
[p.s. — Channing's Wikipedia bio is a quick way to fill in many of the interesting facts left out of this film.]
[p.s.s. — In the doc we see Channing rehearsing for Jerry Herman's Kennedy Center Honors tribute, along with Chita Rivera and Angela Lansbury — both former Kennedy Center Honors recipients. To date, Channing has never received this honor. Crazy.]
Quite agree, and to be frank, it's one of the clues that suggests she's a fake.
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