Thursday, January 28, 2021

My Boyfriend's Back

Some times you have nothing on deck with which to write about. And now and then, fortunately, or un, that 'thing' will just present itself. 

Cloris Leachman - funny woman extraordinaire has died.  Bummer. 

Oh, sure, we all loved the Mary Tyler Moore Show and while it's easy to defer to Rhoda or Sue Ann Nivens (with SueAnn it's always first name and last name!) as highlights of the show, I was a Phyllis guy.  They lost a lot when she left the show. (And her solo show, Phyllis, SUCKED). 

Of course, Cloris was so much more than Phyllis Lindstrom. 

I mean - c'mon - look above. Frau Blücher.  Her Young Frankenstein character portrayal was an instant classic. It is highly unlikely that could have happened had the part gone to anyone else. Leachman played it to perfection. 

Ditto with Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety, though to be honest, I'm not sure that would have been as good if not playing off Harvey Korman. 

I now feel the need to go back and watch the Last Picture Show, for which Cloris won an Oscar. Dith will be shocked (shocked! I tell ya!)  that I haven't seen a Larry McMurtry film adaptation, but I haven't. 

I did love the first season of Raising Hope, which was on a few years ago. Oddly enough, Leachman was the weakest link in that show. She was fine and all, but Martha Plimpton stole that show completely. 

Still, on MTM, I think her confrontation with Sue Ann Nivens having an affair with Lars was still funnier than any time she played off Rhoda - which were great too. That there alone made me love her. 

....and when Mel Brooks thinks you're one of the funniest people around, folks should take notice. Though I think they did. 

Sorry to see Phyllis go. But 94 is good long life. And she made me laugh - and no doubt will do it again, when I watch her body of work. 




Song by: the Angels

4 comments:

anne marie in philly said...

"he...vass...MY BOYFRIEND!"
been a long time since I watched "the last picture show".

James Dwight Williamson said...

I guess it’s a shame when anyone passes, but this lady did so much and to be cliche had such a rich and full life . I really liked The Last Picture Show , didn’t like the sequel but love Timothy Bottoms in anything! I think she probably had a life of ups and downs like we all do, but she sure never seemed to lack for work or admiration!

GregM said...

Move over, Dith. I, too, am SHOCKED you haven't seen "The Last Picture Show". It's in my 5 favorite films of all time. I still can't watch it without getting teary-eyed at Leachman's performance. And so many others are great in it: Ellen Burstyn. Eileen Brennan, Ben Johnson, Jeff Bridges, and yes, even Cybil Shepard.

After you watch it, watch "The Making Of The Last Picture Show", a documentary available on YouTube.

uptonking said...

She had a marvelous life. A goofy, lovely, cranky, funny broad. Best friends with Marlon Brando. She lived a charmed life, save the son she lost to drugs. Read her autobiography. It is vain and self-serving and makes no sense... but you learn a lot of facts about who she was (FROM IOWA) and how she got to where she ended up. Nurse Diesel is my absolute favorite. In later seasons of Raising Arizona... I mean... Hope... the writers allowed her character to break out a lot more... And Cloris did some strange movies as she got older... like there wasn't anything she wouldn't take on if her schedule permitted. One of my favorite roles, though? As the angel in Marlo Thomas' version of It's a Wonderful Life. Cloris steals the scenery. And she did. She was a total thief.