"The last of Hollywood's golden era" is the way so many broadcast and cable obituaries described the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. If they're right we might have some respect for their fact-checking skills. But alas, there are at least five stars from that era who are probably saying to themselves," What am I, chopped liver?"
Olivia De Havilland, 95, and her sister, Joan Fontain, 94, probably saw the Taylor obit and yelped, although not to each other because they haven't talked in more than three decades.
How about Maureen Ohara, 91, the red-haired star of The Quiet Man, and The Miracle on 34th Street among many others. In addition to being the desk-top icon for Irish beauty, this lady's working buddies included Hollywood's big Johns: Wayne and Ford.
You think Mickey Rooney, 91, or Kirk Douglas, 95, are happy being overlooked? How could you miss Douglas' cringe-worthy, ego-busting showing at the recent Oscars when they couldn't get him off stage? As for Rooney, you can see him most any day at a Hollywood race track. Oh yeah, and he worked with Taylor.
Celeste Holm, 94, Oscar winner for Gentlemen's Agreement and nominated for Come to the Stable and All About Eve couldn't be too tickled over being ignored.
Louise Rainer, 101 (!) the first women to win two Oscars, consecutively, and the oldest living Oscar winner -- how do you miss that star?
Finally, there's Doris Kappelhoff, 89, the highest grossing actress of all time! Also known as Doris Day.
In all fairness, it was TV news and mostly the uber-hyberbolic showbiz shows like Entertainment Tonight, and Extra, that billed Taylor as the 'last star.' The Los Angeles Times, the New Tork Times and the Chicago Tribune did not get caught with their sloppy facts showing.
How do you explain this with TV? While these shows are entertainment, they deliver entertainment news. How hard is it to fact-check with a 24/7 Internet at your finger tips? Is this a deliberate screw-up that so many of them just re-screwed? Probably not. Producers along the TV news chain simply did not check their facts. It's lazy journalism and lazy journalism is bad journalism -- whether reporting critical issues of the day or movie star obituaries.
Oh, well, as Doris Kappelhoff use to sing, Que Sera Sera -- whatever will be, will be.
So sad.
But, REALLY, Liz was unique. Nothing said about her was hyperbole. I was about 10 when she and Burton were making "Cleopatra". No "People" in those days, monthly movie magazines like "Photoplay" and "Silver Screen" and there they were, in layout after layout for 10+ years. And, then they started up space in "People".
BTW, the woman who played Scarlett's littlest sister in Gone with the Wind also is still alive. She and De Havilland are the only two left.
That's calculating for inflation right?
I was just curious on why the Kennedy Ctr Honors did not recognize Mickey Rooney, a child star that had very good adult roles for a time. He may not be around too much longer.
Typo, woman, not women.. just FYI.
I thought ah how about Debbie Reynolds too?
She was a "Movie Star". She never said she was anything else. De Haviland, Fontaine, O'Hara were her equals, in fact superiors, in acting chops and are Legends, but they aren't movie stars.
ET couldn't hold a candle to the range and complexity of De Haviland and her exceptional body of work. She earned her two Oscars honestly and was so wonderful in those films. But she still could not reach the kinds of depths that Olivia plumbed in "The Snake Pit."
So while there are other, much more accomplished (perhaps even more talented), yet quieter Legends, ET was indeed the last of an era. Much like Monroe, there is/was no one like her and no one who thrilled their public in the same way or for as long. ET even managed to keep making news right up until the end of her long life and long past her acting days were done. That's what made her a Movie Star, beyond being an actress and legend. There were very few that could lay claim to that title with a capital "M". ET did.
There is Legendary Actress and movie star - DeHaviland, Fontaine, Davis, Hepburn
And then there is Movie Star, with a capital M - ET, Monroe
A Movie Star is known for far more than their acting chops.
I am sure if Oprah or anyone who has tried to get an interview with her would want to ask questions re this time of her life and she probably has or will refuse. Even if they do not bring it up, I wish she would finally give an intervew.
You forgot Kim Novak. Although I never really liked her roles too much, she was well respected and had talent. I do not like comparing actors with each other. But we all have our favorites.
one thing that Liz attained....she died, they haven't. When
their time comes the accolades will fly. For their sake,
don't rush things.