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<blockquote data-quote="Crimson" data-source="post: 230956" data-attributes="member: 5079">As a drama, I think CAT is one of the best works of the 20th century and it&#039;s a toss-up as to whether I think it or STREETCAR is Tennessee Williams&#039; best work.&nbsp; It&#039;s a comparison between those two films, practically book-ending the 1950s, is where I think CAT suffers. Kazan directed STREETCAR into a stylish, evocative film that emphasized and enhanced Williams&#039; work.&nbsp; CAT looks like a TV-movie; it&#039;s kind of flat, it&#039;s kind of stagy. A brilliant screenplay made into a competent movie.&nbsp; &nbsp; And I think Taylor&#039;s performance is competent, even if it&#039;s possibly her best; or, I agree with<a href="https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/kathleen-turner-in-conversation.html" target="_blank"> Kathleen Turner&#039;s assessment of Liz&#039;s work</a> in CAT (and VIRGINA WOLF).&nbsp;&nbsp; She&#039;s fine in the movie, but I don&#039;t think she had the technique or soul to bring a Tennessee Williams&#039; heroine to life.Jane would rank among my Top 10 favorite Old Hollywood actresses, although perhaps not as high as indicated by my use of her image.&nbsp; Mostly, I just like that photo.&nbsp; She looks wryly skeptical and detached, which seems like a good approach to an online forum.GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES is, predictably I suppose, my favorite of her films.&nbsp; Marilyn elevates the movie, but Jane anchors it.&nbsp; I also enjoyed her two PALEFACE films with Bob Hope, THE TALL MEN with Clark Gable,&nbsp; her two noir-ish films with Robert Mitchum (HIS KIND OF WOMAN; MACAO),&nbsp; and THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER which is her only good solo starring film.Since I&#039;ve dragged a few actresses talents, I should point out the obvious: Jane wasn&#039;t much of an actress.&nbsp; I like her screen persona; kind of laid back and sarcastic.&nbsp; I think her persona has aged better than most of her contemporaries from the 40s and 50s.&nbsp; She didn&#039;t play tramps or vamps, fallen women or golddiggers -- she played women who were independent, intelligent, skeptical and sometimes horny.&nbsp; Almost any of her characters could be transplanted to 2020 and feel like a modern woman.&nbsp; Marilyn, a far more dynamic and accomplished actress, will always be an anachronism rooted in the 1950s.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crimson, post: 230956, member: 5079"] As a drama, I think CAT is one of the best works of the 20th century and it's a toss-up as to whether I think it or STREETCAR is Tennessee Williams' best work. It's a comparison between those two films, practically book-ending the 1950s, is where I think CAT suffers. Kazan directed STREETCAR into a stylish, evocative film that emphasized and enhanced Williams' work. CAT looks like a TV-movie; it's kind of flat, it's kind of stagy. A brilliant screenplay made into a competent movie. And I think Taylor's performance is competent, even if it's possibly her best; or, I agree with[URL='https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/kathleen-turner-in-conversation.html'] Kathleen Turner's assessment of Liz's work[/URL] in CAT (and VIRGINA WOLF). She's fine in the movie, but I don't think she had the technique or soul to bring a Tennessee Williams' heroine to life. Jane would rank among my Top 10 favorite Old Hollywood actresses, although perhaps not as high as indicated by my use of her image. Mostly, I just like that photo. She looks wryly skeptical and detached, which seems like a good approach to an online forum. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES is, predictably I suppose, my favorite of her films. Marilyn elevates the movie, but Jane anchors it. I also enjoyed her two PALEFACE films with Bob Hope, THE TALL MEN with Clark Gable, her two noir-ish films with Robert Mitchum (HIS KIND OF WOMAN; MACAO), and THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER which is her only good solo starring film. Since I've dragged a few actresses talents, I should point out the obvious: Jane wasn't much of an actress. I like her screen persona; kind of laid back and sarcastic. I think her persona has aged better than most of her contemporaries from the 40s and 50s. She didn't play tramps or vamps, fallen women or golddiggers -- she played women who were independent, intelligent, skeptical and sometimes horny. Almost any of her characters could be transplanted to 2020 and feel like a modern woman. Marilyn, a far more dynamic and accomplished actress, will always be an anachronism rooted in the 1950s. [/QUOTE]

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