TV Movies About Celebrities

[ClassyCo]

Warning to users: that VK site is based in Russia. I have no idea if it's on the up and up, but I do know about 50-70% of our spambot eruptions originate in Russia, and there's so much about their cyber presence that isn't....well, let's just say we all need to be vigilant. No harm no foul, Classy...I know you're no spambot.

I wasn't aware of that information. I see the website tells you that you can download an app to watch the videos. Thank you for the heads up!

Stinks, too, 'cause I really want to watch THIS YEAR'S BLONDE. I'd rather watch it over MARILYN: THE UNTOLD STORY, honestly. My curiosity is just heavier for the former over the latter.

Yes, I am no spambot!

As I'm sure many of you all well aware, there have been so many TV movies over the years about Marilyn Monroe. Some good, some trash. Some with good actresses, some with bad ones.

I'll talk about two I'm familiar with:

Many moons ago, I owned the HBO movie NORMA JEAN & MARILYN (1996). The story focused on Norma Jean (Ashley Judd) and Marilyn (Mira Sorvino) and their warring desires about stardom, their image as a sex symbol, and their ambition to be taking seriously as an actress. There are so many inaccuracies in the movie. The title itself is wrong -- it's Norma Jeane, not Norma Jean. But who cares?

The storyline of the film is largely fictional. Ashley Judd is far too vulgar and crass as a pre-fame Norma Jeane, but I actually think Mira Sorvino is a good Marilyn. She's not my favorite, but she's one of the better ones that I've seen.

There's some good performances throughout the film, and I actually like some of the recreations they do for Marilyn's movie scenes. Sorvino actually wears Marilyn's cherry dress from THE MISFITS. I was also particularly impressed with the visual recreation of Sorvino as Monroe at JFK's birthday party in May 1962.



I recall watching BLONDE (2001) with my mother when I was a kid. She really liked Poppy Montgomery, who plays Marilyn in the movie. She's actually kind of good as Marilyn -- well, in terms of almost embodying the essence of the woman, even if she bares no resemblance whatsoever.

The movie is almost entirely fictional, however, as many plot points and characters are invented specifically for the purposes of drama and exploiting Marilyn's image.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Thanks for posting these. I really wanted to watch the Scarlett O’Hara one after hearing that Carrie Nye plays Tallulah Bankhead in it.

Lohan is horrid as Elizabeth Taylor. The lack of physical beauty aside, Lohan hadn't the acting chops to tackle this role. Megan Fox, who was another contender, probably would've been better. Larry Thompson said "a lot of people" were shocked by the casting of Lohan. Yeah, I bet.

Lohan was definitely only cast because of her tabloid reputation. They knew they’d get column inches and some viewers by choosing her.

"I won't live without you..." (as she runs away) and "Elizabeth wants to play..." (when she comes to see Burton) are two lines from the movie that always make me laugh.

“I’m bored. I’m so bored” is the one that sticks in my head.

LIZ & DICK isn't even good enough to be a guilty pleasure. Awful green screens, bad performances; it's just bad.

At the time of its release, there were attempts to elevate it to camp status. I remember Buzzfeed articles focusing on the more ridiculous aspects and even when I saw it, it was being screened on a big screen in a bar, as a kind of OTT watch along. The issue, as you said, is that it isn’t even good enough to be a guilty pleasure. It’s just a bad movie.

 

[ClassyCo]

Thanks for posting these. I really wanted to watch the Scarlett O’Hara one after hearing that Carrie Nye plays Tallulah Bankhead in it.

There's some good and some not-so-good casting choices in the GWTW telefilm.

Lohan was definitely only cast because of her tabloid reputation. They knew they’d get column inches and some viewers by choosing her.

If memory serves, LIZ & DICK did well in the ratings. So, if that was their goal, I guess they reached it.

“I’m bored. I’m so bored” is the one that sticks in my head.

I don't recall that one right off.

At the time of its release, there were attempts to elevate it to camp status. I remember Buzzfeed articles focusing on the more ridiculous aspects and even when I saw it, it was being screened on a big screen in a bar, as a kind of OTT watch along. The issue, as you said, is that it isn’t even good enough to be a guilty pleasure. It’s just a bad movie.

"Camp movies" or "cult classics" (as they're sometimes called) have genuinely good aspects about them. LIZ & DICK is not one of those movies. Lohan is what makes it so bad. Some of the others aren't as bad, honestly.

 

[ClassyCo]

Well, I got MARILYN: THE UNTOLD STORY (1980) in the can yesterday.

I must admit, I was thoroughly impressed. Catherine Hicks was very good as Marilyn. She bares no resemblance to Monroe -- do any of them though? -- but I think she gets the voice pretty close. It's not an exact match, but it's probably the closest I've heard this far.

Hicks won an Emmy for her portrayal, and I'd argue she deserved it. To be as new as she was to acting in 1980, she almost makes make her "Marilyn" a character role. Which, I must say, is hard considering the fandom and publicity that has surrounded Monroe for more than half a century.

There was little attention given to recreating Marilyn's movie scenes, but what few there were didn't always hit the mark. Hicks' performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" isn't very good, although I thought she did much better handling THE MISFITS and even the "pool scene" from SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE, even if she lacks Monroe's flirtatious sexuality in the latter.

What also impressed me was the pure luxury of MARILYN: THE UNTOLD STORY. I've read ABC spent $3.5 million on this production, and it shows. The costumes are good and you can tell that this film isn't on the cheaper side like other TV biopics of the period.

Sheree North (who 20th Century-Fox hired to "replace" Marilyn in the mid-50s) gives a standout performance here as Marilyn's unstable mother, Gladys. North aged into a good character actress. There is also a strong supporting cast of men: Richard Basehart ("Johnny Hyde"), Frank Converse ("Joe DiMaggio"), Jason Miller ("Arthur Miller"), and John Ireland ("John Huston").

MARILYN: THE UNTOLD STORY is probably the best, early representation of Marilyn given to the world in biopic form. This was 1980, not even twenty years after Monroe had passed. It was the second highest-rated program of the week, perhaps benefitting mostly from the "Marilyn wave" of nostalgia about to sweep through the 1980s.

I'm glad I finally scratched this one off my list.

 

[ClassyCo]

Since I had already started watching it, I finished THE SEX SYMBOL (1974) today.

This TV movie stars Connie Stevens as Kelly Williams, a pseudo-Monroe character whose pursuit of stardom is squandered by her own self-destructive tendencies. You know, it's a Hollywood tell-all kind of story about how the town destroys the people it absorbs.

There is a definite inspiration from Marilyn and her story, such as her early life, her high-profile marriages, her alcoholism, her drug dependency, and affairs with politicians. There's some of Jayne Mansfield sprinkled in there, too, I'd say.

Connie Stevens was really like a '70s TV version of Marilyn Monroe, which makes sense why she'd star in a movie like this one. There's a Warhol-style photo of Monroe used when the title "The Sex Symbol" appears on the screen. Mansfield, Veronica Lake, and others are shown in the opening credits as well.

THE SEX SYMBOL is basically glossy trash, though. There's not much to it. Boozing, casting couch stories, and that kind of jazz. Stevens spends many of her scenes screaming "But I'm a star!" or there will be other people bellowing, "But she's a star!" to the suits demanding she show-up and do what's she been hired to do.

I did like that B-movie maestro William Castle shows up in a small role as a sleazy studio boss.

I've heard the movie described as if "John Waters directed an ABC TV movie-of-the-week in 1974" by people that's watched it. I can see where people draw that inspiration. To me, it seems like some old school melodrama like THE CARPETBAGGERS or VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. I can also see some touches of HARLOW, starring Carroll Baker.

This movie must've caused quite a stir for the censors some 50 years back. I imagine it would've been quite tawdry because of its salacious content. There's a blatant nude scene towards the end of the movie. How did that make it past censors back then? Was this movie released in edited versions?

Anyway, you're not missing anything if you haven't watched THE SEX SYMBOL. It's not making any statements or proving anything. It might be a trashy guilty pleasure for some though.

 

[ClassyCo]

Many years ago, I bought WHITE HOT: THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF THELMA TODD (1991) on a duo DVD-combo with THE JAYNE MANSFIELD STORY. Both made-for-TV movies star Loni Anderson.

WHITE HOT is about the 1930s "ice cream blonde" Thelma Todd, an comedic actress whose 1935 death is still riddled with controversy. The title of the movie, however, makes their position in the matter clear, though -- it was murder!

Loni Anderson is good as Thelma Todd, although, to be fair, I haven't much to judge on. I haven't seen Todd in a single thing, nor I have done much reading on her outside of her Wikipedia page. I've seen some YouTube deep dives into her death, the events leading up to it, and those immediately following it. But that's it, honestly.

The movie itself is a little on the cheap-looking side, although there are some good performances to be had. Lawrence Pressman as Roland West, a director who is Thelma's socialite boyfriend and business partner; John O'Hurley as Pat DiCicco, an alleged mobster and Thelma's husband; Robert Davis as Lucky Luciano, a mobster; and Paul Dooley as Hal Roach, the prolific producer who helps ignite Todd's career.

I used to watch this movie a lot when I first bought it, without even knowing if Thelma Todd was a real person. I seem to remember thinking she was some made-up knockoff of Jean Harlow -- y'know, cause she was a '30s blonde, known for her comedies, who died very young. But, alas, Thelma Todd was a very real person, but I'm sure this movie takes many dramatic liberties for its story.

Anyone seen this one?

Martin & Lewis (2002).

Doesn't Sean Hayes from WILL & GRACE play Jerry Lewis? Don't know how I feel about that.

Gleason (2002)

I didn’t think Brad Garrett necessarily made for the best Jackie Gleason

I only have a vague memory of knowing this existed, but I've never seen it. I am not a fan of Brad Garrett, so I'm not really looking forward to liking this.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I seem to recall a spate of TV-movies about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's marriage/divorce. Though I've always been fond of them, I had no desire to watch other people play them.

 

[ClassyCo]

I seem to recall a spate of TV-movies about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's marriage/divorce. Though I've always been fond of them, I had no desire to watch other people play them.

Oh, I'm sure there are several. I haven't watched any of those outside of LUCY (2003) with Rachel York.

 

[ClassyCo]

I watched ROCK HUDSON (1990) yesterday. I'm unsure if I knew this movie even existed before two days ago, but I must have come across somewhere along the way.

This TV movie is based on the 1987 book "My Husband, Rock Hudson," written by Phyllis Gates, Hudson's only wife back in the mid-50s. The marriage was supposedly arranged by Hudson's talent agent, Henry Willson, to camouflage the rumors circling about Hudson's homosexuality. The movie, however, doesn't portray that. According to the film, Rock loved Phyllis and asked her to marry him. No mentioning of Henry being involved in their actual marriage. But that may just be the restrictions of TV in 1989 when this was filmed.

For what it is, I thought ROCK HUDSON -- the TV movie, that is -- was a decent enough little outing. I can't say I learned anything new about the actual person, but that wasn't the purpose of this film. We get some backstory, we see Rock become a big star, and then the story jumps ahead to 1966 after his career has started hitting the rocks.

Thomas Ian Griffith, a relative unknown, plays Rock Hudson, and he's pretty good, too. He's handsome, he's tall, but maybe a little too lean. Rock was a bulkier man in actuality. But, overall, he's good, I'd say.

Most of the last half of the movie focuses on Rock's relationship with the younger Marc Christian, played by FALCON CREST's own William R. Moses. Every time I see Moses in the movie, I think to myself, "Who let Cole Gioberti in here?" Christian's trial about Hudson exposing him to AIDS bookends the story.

They pitter-patter around showing too much of Hudson's homosexuality on-screen, but they play with the controversial side of his AIDS diagnosis a little. The scandal, not the reality. The kind of stuff cheesy TV movies are made of.

What's your thoughts on this one?

 

[ClassyCo]

I watched RITA HAYWORTH: THE LOVE GODDESS (1983) today, which is based on the 1977 biography written by John Kobal.

Lynda Carter, as beautiful as she was here, just wasn't a very good choice to play Hayworth. Her performance is flat and lifeless, and leaves one wondering why the producers didn't hire someone like Jaclyn Smith instead. Which she may not have been any better, honestly.

The performances supporting Carter are better, or at least I think so. Michael Lerner as studio chief Harry Cohn; Edward Edwards as filmmaker Orson Welles, Hayworth's second husband; Aharon Ipalé as Prince Aly Khan, her third husband; John Considine as Ed Judson, her first husband; and Alejandro Rey as Eduardo Cansino, her father.

There are some inaccuracies that stuck out like a sore thumb to me. First, Hayworth wasn't close to her father like this story plays it. She loathed him and once confided in Orson Welles that he sexually assaulted her as a kid. Dates and events get jumbled up, too, but that type of thing tends to happen with biopics. I guess they don't have nit-picky people like us minding the continuity store.

I actually thought the movie itself was well-written, even if Carter's performance and the glaring inconsistencies bring it down just a tad.

Overall, it was a pretty good ride. Doubt I'll revisit, though.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Thomas Ian Griffith, a relative unknown, plays Rock Hudson

In the mid-1980s he was Another World's resident heart-throb, Catlin Ewing (no relation). He met his wife, Mary Page Keller, when they played lovers on that soap. He then went on to a role in Karate Kid III and reprised that role on the recent Cobra Kai series. I always thought he had what it took to become a much bigger star, but I think he was more interested in producing his own projects. His wife (whom I adored as AW's Sally Frame) went on to star in or co-star in a laundry list of sitcoms and dramas over the years.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Doesn't Sean Hayes from WILL & GRACE play Jerry Lewis? Don't know how I feel about that.

Yes he does, and I have to say he did an outstanding job in my opinion.

I only have a vague memory of knowing this existed, but I've never seen it. I am not a fan of Brad Garrett, so I'm not really looking forward to liking this.

I was never the biggest fan myself and he probably wouldn’t have been my first choice for the role but overall I think he was decent enough. I’ve only seen it once and that was when it first premiered but I remember it being a good movie overall.

 

[Crimson]

I seem to recall a spate of TV-movies about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's marriage/divorce. Though I've always been fond of them, I had no desire to watch other people play them.

You're not missing much. The trio of TV-movies about Lucy (1991; 2003; 2021*) are not particularly noteworthy . The first two are typical TV-movie mediocrities: poorly cast, superficial and un-insightful. The third is a mess of inaccuracies and anachronisms, but at least has some some observations and insight into personalities and relationships.

*BEING THE RICARDOS had a theatrical release but it was made for Amazon's streaming service, so I consider it a TV-movie.

 

[ClassyCo]

So, I know we've already talked about FALL FROM GRACE (1990) before, but I'll throw it in this thread, too.

The story centers on Jim (Kevin Spacey) and Tammy Faye Bakker (Bernadette Peters), their PTL ministry, and the scandal that surrounded it all. The TV movie is decently produced, and I suppose Spacey and Peters are good enough in their roles. This movie came out around three years after the Bakkers' celebrity hit the fan when their dirty laundry was hung out to dry.

Has anyone seen this one?

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Despite being a Patsy Kensit fan, I somehow have only just found out that she played the lead in Love & Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story, a two part biopic that aired on FOX in the mid-90’s.

 

[Caryscott]

So, I know we've already talked about FALL FROM GRACE (1990) before, but I'll throw it in this thread, too.

The story centers on Jim (Kevin Spacey) and Tammy Faye Bakker (Bernadette Peters), their PTL ministry, and the scandal that surrounded it all. The TV movie is decently produced, and I suppose Spacey and Peters are good enough in their roles. This movie came out around three years after the Bakkers' celebrity hit the fan when their dirty laundry was hung out to dry.

Has anyone seen this one?

View attachment 52310

Not since it aired but I remember thinking it was pretty good at the time.

You're not missing much. The trio of TV-movies about Lucy (1991; 2003; 2021*) are not particularly noteworthy . The first two are typical TV-movie mediocrities: poorly cast, superficial and un-insightful. The third is a mess of inaccuracies and anachronisms, but at least has some some observations and insight into personalities and relationships.

*BEING THE RICARDOS had a theatrical release but it was made for Amazon's streaming service, so I consider it a TV-movie.

Your call but Academy Award eligible so a theatrical film. Streamers are not the first tv networks to produce theatrical films. Always some license, they aren’t documentaries after all. I found it an interesting take, Sorkin had a point of view.

 

[Laura Avery-Sumner]

I wish I could find Lovely Me: The Jacqueline Susann Story with Michele Lee.

 

[ClassyCo]

Loni Anderson as Thelma Todd in WHITE HOT: THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF THELMA TODD (1991).

 

[Soaplover]

Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995)​

played by Sherilyn Fenn

A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994)​

played by Shannen Doherty

 

[ClassyCo]

I re-watched JAMES DEAN (2001) yesterday.