Dallas Couples JR & Sue Ellen - Swoonalicious Appreciation Thread

[southfork88]

Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) Diva

 

[Rove]

I've never thought of them as having a golden era of Hollywood vibe to them before

In the first several seasons of Dallas that's how I've seen them. J.R. and Sue Ellen remind me of those great Hollywood actors from the past. I'm sure why but on occasion when I re-watch Cat On A Hot Tin Roof with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor their scenes remind me of the tension J.R. and Sue Ellen shared. As poor as Dallas TNT was when J.R. and Sue Ellen shared a scene you could see that spark once again. Gee, if I had my way with Dallas TNT I would have placed John Ross, J.R. and Sue Ellen at the centre of the story. I'm not indicating J.R. and Sue Ellen to be together. It would have been great to see J.R. teach John Ross how to play dirty while protective mother Sue Ellen attempted to keep him on the straight and narrow. I can picture great scenes between J.R. and Sue Ellen at loggerheads over their son.

 

[Karin]

Oh I love Elizabeth Taylor so I've seen Cat On A Hot Tin Roof several times. I read an old article once where the press speculated that Michael Wilding Jr's guest stint in Dallas was really a ploy to get Elizabeth on the show so she could act opposite Larry. I doubt that was true though but the National Enquirer does love to make up stuff!

Anyway I agree with you about JR/SE their scenes on Dallas TNT sparked. Everybody could see it and talked about the magic between them. It's a shame they didn't get to share more scenes together on that show and it should have been a crime to cut out the scene this publicity still belongs to:




It's the type of scene that we fans had waited years to watch and yet the showrunner was so clueless that they ended up cutting it.
I think it sucks that the scene didn't even make it onto the DVD release among the deleted scenes as it definitely should have. Also notice how she's wearing Miss Ellie's pearls that JR gave her in this scene.




It would have been great to have seen more scenes with them and John Ross too. They had such a rich backstory to draw upon and honestly I don't think JR and Sue Ellen were that bad parents as the TNT version made them out to be. Or what do you all think?
Were JR/SE bad, average or good parents?



I think they did their best and were as good parents to John Ross as they could be given their circumstances. Sue Ellen did have her drinking problem to battle with and JR did run after other women a lot and wrecked his marriage. Yet they did both love their son lots. Sue Ellen really proved how much she loved John Ross when she let him live with JR at Southfork because it made him happiest even if it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted what was best for their son. JR risked his life for John Ross when he was kidnapped by BD Calhoun. Also when Southfork was on fire he rushed up the stairs to save Sue Ellen and John Ross without thinking of that he was endangering his own life. JR also took John Ross hunting and taught him to swim. He worked a lot but at times he could be an active father. So no I don't think they were that bad parents at all.

Then finally here's some more Dallas TNT photos:





I love this photo of the new cast as it seems natural with happy people and not just photoshopped with gloomy expressions like lots of the publicity photos tends to be these days.




See what I mean?

Anyway that's enough photos from Dallas TNT for now.

Thanks for the Return to Southfork caps Southfork88. I love that reunion so much.

Take care,
Love:
Karin

 

[Rove]

I read an old article once where the press speculated that Michael Wilding Jr's guest stint in Dallas was really a ploy to get Elizabeth on the show

Imagine that happening? I would have loved to see Elizabeth Taylor introduced into the Dallas mix during those first several seasons. Now I'm figuring out what character she could have played. I know, Lady Jessica Montford. No offense to Alexis Smith (since she played the role beautifully) but Elizabeth in that role would have been a hoot. Just picturing Elizabeth sharing scenes with the likes of Howard Keel and Barbara Bel Geddes gives me goosebumps.

 

[Karin]

Interesting idea with Elizabeth portraying Clayton's younger sister. I'm sure she would have brought something completely different to the role, after all she was quite a bit younger than Alexis Smith. The only thing I'm not buying though is her as the biological mother to Dusty. There is only a 9 year age difference between them. Then again so it was between Larry and BBG. But I don't know somehow BBG looked older. Anyway since you also like Elizabeth, have you checked out the thread I started about her and Richard Burton in the movie section of the board?

There's a poll there for their best movies and discussion too.

Also for this post not to get completely off the topic, here's another JR/SE photo:



A Swedish women's magazine posted this photo in 1983 together with some story that Larry & Linda were dating for real, which I of course didn't believe a word of when I first read it 18 years later. lol

 

[southfork88]

A seduction scene ...

 

[i love jr ewing]

Great pictures.

 

[southfork88]

Mandy Winger as Valentine Lingerie Girl

 

[i love jr ewing]

Great pictures.

 

[Karin]

Thanks for the screencaps Southfork88. I loved it when Sue Ellen got rid of Mandy by making her the Valentine girl. She totally outsmarted JR and Mandy!

Then finally here's another JR/SE scan:

 

[southfork88]

Sue Ellen Shepard Ewing Lokwood

 

[southfork88]

Clayton or J.R.?

 

[Karin]

JR of course. Sue Ellen saw Clayton as a father figure, while JR was the love of her life.
They might have been dysfunctional but they were obviously meant to be together.

 

[Mrs Bobby James Ewing]

Karin and southfork88, I love all of the photos and screen caps that the both of you posted in this awesome thread dedicated to JR and Sue Ellen. Seeing the pictures of JR and Sue Ellen from TNT's Dallas make me sad. The writers should have written for them more during season 1 of TNT's Dallas before Larry Hagman passed away. They were the best part of TNT's Dallas.

 

[i love jr ewing]

Great pictures.

 

[Sarah]

Great to see this thread moving again and thanks for all the great pics. I will have more time to post later.

Until then - Mandy's a twat.

I don't understand how some never saw the spark that JR and Sue Ellen always had. They could wipe the floor with Pam and Bobby in terms of chemistry and sexual spark.

 

[Sarah]

I've never thought of them as having a golden era of Hollywood vibe to them before but come to think of it I think you are right.

WHAT??

Karin, I leave you alone for 6 days and you've gone mad.

Hollywood vibe was WRITTEN for them - didn't you hear Larry once say 'We're like Hepburn and Tracy??'

 

[Karin]

Sarah, do you have the full quote where Larry compared them to Hepburn and Tracy?
I would love to read it in context. Unfortunately I can't remember him saying it right now but I find it interesting that he compared them to Hepburn & Tracy.

But yes it was subtle things that made JR/SE so magical to watch as a couple. I love how them just talking in the background made the producers/writers aware of what a special chemistry they shared and started giving them better material as a result of it.

Also photobucket is down tonight so here's an old interview from youtube to watch instead:

Enjoy!

 

[Sarah]

Yes Karin - Larry said this to Linda and then she repeated it on her Wogan interview in 1990

I'll see if I can find the full interview

 

[Karin]

Thanks Sarah. I don't think I've ever seen that Wogan interview so I hope you'll find it as I would love to see it.

In the meantime here's another Linda interview I found on youtube:

This one was new to me.

Also for those of you who have missed it, I posted a new JR/SE video last week.

That's all for now,
Take care,
Love:
Karin.