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Here is Barbara Bel Geddes in a 1949 Italian magazine (Novella) preparing for Bobby's future death scene in 1985. Unfortunately, for health reasons, this theatrical pose was performed by ... Donna Reed !
Dallas Actors Wonderful Barbara Bel Geddes
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I had always wished that they had made Miss Ellie more like Victoria Barkley. There were moments thought that were great to see but they watered her down over time. They should not have remarried her.
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Yes, those Aries Risings... Miss Ellie's shotgun-bearing side didn't have to be on display all that often, and her Stanwyckian "Ohhh, my goddddddd!!!"s didn't have to be quite as melodramatic as Barkley would give us.
But, like Krystle over in Denver, DALLAS should have focused more on Miss Ellie's intelligence to keep the character -- especially in the later years -- more vital. And both shows' simply didn't.
DYNASTY never thought about it. And DALLAS wouldn't have permitted it.
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In the 1985-1986 season (Dream Season), Barbara Bel Geddes had important and challenging scenes with all the main characters, my favorites being those with Victoria Principal. Obviously, in that particular season, Katzman was something of a ghost.
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Unfortunately, the dream season's attempt to make the women "stronger" was just window dressing (and sometimes wound up making them seem dumber). They became "soapy-smart" women, and it came off as contrived.
Although Victoria's acting that season was quite good. But all I can remember about that today was her office request for herbal tea.
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I agree. I thought Barbara Stanwyck should have played Miss Ellie in the first place
I think Victoria Barkley was far better as a ranch matriarch on "the Big Valley" than Miss Ellie on "Dallas"
Victoria Barkley was strong, independent, and in charge of three alpha male sons (Four, actually),
while also being caring and compassionate. And even for another century, she actually dressed
like a wealthy woman
Miss Ellie was only effective when Jock and/or Clayton supported her.
She really wasn't that compassionate
She favored two others sons over JR, and then wondered why he became...JR
She was happy to live a life of wealth and privilege,
but didn't acknowledge what Jock and JR had to do to maintain it.
Rebecca Wentworth was a strong woman, and it would have been fun to see her succeed against the Ewings
And Victoria Barkley never would have given away SF to a long lost brother who had nothing to do with making it successful,
or to an outsider, interloper second husband
Before everyone gets out of sorts, I am not blaming BBG.
I just didn't care for the Miss Ellie character
I thought she was mostly ineffective after Jim Davis passed.
Barbara Stanwyck was wasted on Dynasty 2: The Colbys which was a shame. Love your post and agree with every part of it. I did not like how Ellie and Jock played favorites with their sons. That is why I liked that episode during the dream season after JR said that he would leave Dallas and Ellie did her best to keep that from happening. It was a rare instance of Ellie caring about JR's feelings.
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In the Dream Season Miss Ellie cared for everyone: her husband, all her children, her daughters-in-law, past and present, her grandchildren, and her friends.
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Katzman was never going to let Miss Ellie be as "strong" as we would have liked to have been or become, unfortunately. Howard Lakin said Katzman reviled tough women, and when there were some on DALLAS (e.g., Donna, Marilee), they couldn't live under Southfork's roof -- which is where Miss Ellie usually was, when they weren't busy firing her.
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I do not agree.
Once again, she tried to sell Ewing Oil, knowing how important It was to JR.
Again no regard for JR
She helped Clayton out a financial mess, showing that she had more regard for her second husband than her own son.
Any relationship with Pam and Jenna was because of grandchildren (in Jenna's case, the one who was on the way)
How was she taking care of Gary and Valene? Ray and Donna?
No, Miss Ellie was all about her life of wealth and privilege.
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In the Dream Season, Jenna wasn't pregnant with Bobby, and Ray and Donna's house was flooded and they were taken in by Southfork. Miss Ellie helped Sue Ellen and, rather subtly, by playing on her ex-daughter-in-law's guilt, convinced Pam not to sell Ewing Oil to Jeremy Wendell. We finally saw Miss Ellie with Gary after Bobby's death (inviting Val would have been too expensive), and she seemed much more affectionate with J.R. than in any other season.
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From FB Tennessee Williams
On March 24, 1955, Tennessee Williams' CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre. Ben Gazzara was Brick and Barbara Bel Geddes was Maggie. The production was directed by Elia Kazan.
Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times wrote: " 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is the work of a mature observer of men and women and a gifted craftsman. To say that it is the drama of people who refuse to face the truth of life is to suggest a whole school of problem dramatists. But one of the great achievements is the honesty and simplicity of the craftsmanship. It seems not to have been written. It is the quintessence of life. It is the basic truth. Always a seeker after honesty in his writing, Mr. Williams has not only found a solid part of the truth but found the way to say it with complete honesty. It is not only part of the truth of life: it is the absolute truth of the theatre."
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF received the Pulitzer Prize.
On March 24, 1955, Tennessee Williams' CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre. Ben Gazzara was Brick and Barbara Bel Geddes was Maggie. The production was directed by Elia Kazan.
Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times wrote: " 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is the work of a mature observer of men and women and a gifted craftsman. To say that it is the drama of people who refuse to face the truth of life is to suggest a whole school of problem dramatists. But one of the great achievements is the honesty and simplicity of the craftsmanship. It seems not to have been written. It is the quintessence of life. It is the basic truth. Always a seeker after honesty in his writing, Mr. Williams has not only found a solid part of the truth but found the way to say it with complete honesty. It is not only part of the truth of life: it is the absolute truth of the theatre."
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF received the Pulitzer Prize.