| Alan Bennett as Alan Bennett. | |
| Posted by: portenopete 10:30 am EDT 07/15/23 | |
| In reply to: The film of Alan Bennett’s “The Lady in the Van” with Maggie Smith is on WNET tonight (Saturday). - kieran 01:30 am EDT 07/15/23 | |
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| It may be apocryphal but I seem to remember a story that Maggie Smith wasn't particularly keen on committing to a six-month run (or whatever was being proposed) in New York away from home. Her husband Beverly Cross had recently passed away (the year before the London production) and I can imagine she might have wanted to be close to her sons at that time. Apparently she said she would do it if Alan Bennett would agree to play himself (not sure which iteration) but he was equally uninterested in returning to the stage. (I guess his last performance was at the NT 50th Anniversary where he joined the original cast in a scene from The History Boys, replacing the late Richard Griffiths as Hector, a role in which he would likely have starred had the play been written 10 or 20 years earlier.) She never really seemed to have much interest in making a career for herself in the States. I guess during the period where she was a major leading film star after winning the Oscar in 1969 she did Beaux' Stratagem, Three Sisters, Design for Living and Private Lives in Los Angeles, but only the latter played Broadway, which was her first appearance in NYC since New Faces of '56. If Wikipedia is complete, she has only appeared four times on Broadway: New Faces, Private Lives, Night and Day and Lettice and Lovage. I'm sad I was too young to see the incredible lineup of great roles she did at Stratford (Ontario) from 1976-1980: Millamant, Cleopatra, Masha, The Actress (in The Guardsman), Queen Elizabeth (in Richard III), Rosalind, Judith Bliss, The Scottish Queen, Amanda Prynne, Beatrice, Arkadina and Virginia Woolf in Edna O'Brien's play. I think she considers that period the pinnacle of her stage career, especially the productions she did with Robin Phillips. I first saw her in Lettice and Lovage on Broadway and was lucky to see her in Three Tall Women, The Lady in the Van, The Breath of Life and A German Life. Her performance as A in Three Tall Women was breathtaking. It's tempting to want to link her to someone from an earlier age, but was there quite anyone like Maggie Smith before Maggie Smith? I only know the people I've seen in movies. There were very funny actresses like Edith Evans and Margaret Rutherford and very beautiful actresses, but she was such a delicious combination of the two. Joan Greenwood was delectable but never became an iconic star (at least not stateside). Anyway: it's a great thing that the film of Lady in the Van was made and that it is so good. I hope the film of A German Life gets done because she was extraordinary in it on stage. |
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| Previous: | The film of Alan Bennett’s “The Lady in the Van” with Maggie Smith is on WNET tonight (Saturday). - kieran 01:30 am EDT 07/15/23 |
| Next: | Boy, I wish there were a film of Peter Shaffer's 'Lettice and Lovage,' starring Maggie Smith - WaymanWong 03:41 am EDT 07/15/23 |
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