Ray_Krebbs
Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Could this have worked with her as Miss Ellie's sister or cousin? After Miss Ellie left I felt there needed to be a mother there. I think Ms Leachman had it in her. I loved her on the Facts of Life.
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Cloris Leachman
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Spooky Owl!
Telly Talk Supreme
Cloris seems more right for FALCON CREST -- the "boil, boil, trouble and toil" witch at the other end of the valley who keeps poisoning the brand and driving Melissa insane.
Ray_Krebbs
Telly Talk Well-Known Member
How about Charlotte Rae then?
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Jock Ewing Fan
Telly Talk Star
I would have liked Chloris Leachman as Miss Ellie
I liked Donna Reed as Miss Ellie. She dressed like a wealthy woman, and I read where she indicated that she based her portrayal on real life wives of oil men.
Donna Reed was not given a fair chance IMHO
Sea - Boo! - Er
Telly Talk Warrior
Can't really see either Cloris or Charlotte there. But who knows what they may have been able to do if given the chance/
Ray_Krebbs
Telly Talk Well-Known Member
I could view Mrs Garrett driving JR nuts lol
Spooky Owl!
Telly Talk Supreme
JR should have had an affair with Marlon Brando's sister.
Frankenstein Underworld
Telly Talk Champion
How was she not given a fair chance? Most fans simply didn't take to her portrayal. It wasn't personal, although the way the producers went about letting her go was abysmal.
Reed's more sophisticated version of Miss Ellie may be valid in its own right, but it didn't fit with the character that had been established during the previous 6 years.
As for Cloris Leachman, she may have been a slightly better choice to play a recast Miss Ellie. However, the fact remains that recasts break the illusion of a fictional reality.
Frankenstein Underworld
Telly Talk Champion
That would explain why Mrs. Reeves wasn't around very long. Sue Ellen found out and gave her the heave ho (no pun intended.)
Guzzler’s Frightening Hair
Telly Talk Winner
forget Jeremy Wendell - a prime Nell Carter would have been JR’s ultimate enemy
Guzzler’s Frightening Hair
Telly Talk Winner
Mrs. Reeves was the type to get in and get out before things got stale. A new father with a recovering wife was the perfect setup for her brand of seduction. The rumor was always that she had done the same thing earlier with Jordan Lee and the dynamic Andy Bradley when they had their kids.
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Monzo
Telly Talk Enthusiast
For me, the only conceivable role for Cloris Leachman would have been that of the matriarch of the McKay clan. Verbal abuse towards her family should have been commonplace for her. Carter would have been a loser to her after he lost the war against Miss Ellie, and she should have been the one who, thanks to her friendship with Kimberly, got Carter the job at Weststar, hoping he wouldn't screw that up too. Mrs. McKay would have seemed somehow familiar to Clayton, and only later would we have learned that she was Jessica's best friend in childhood, which could also have been relevant in light of Jessica's return in season 13. Mother McKay's relationship with Tommy would have been quite troubled despite her deep love for her son, while Tracey would have distanced herself from her, which could have made Tracey a more interesting character. The downside of Cloris Leachman, however, could have been that she would have been too camp for Dallas.
Donna Reed's Miss Ellie was probably a more realistic portrayal of a wife of an oil man. But the viewing audience had grown to love Barbara Bel Geddes in the role.
Sea - Boo! - Er
Telly Talk Warrior
While she was technically the wife of an oil man, her own persona was that of a rancher.
