Oscar History
Film Bitch History
Welcome

The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)

Follow TFE on Substackd

Powered by Squarespace
COMMENTS

 

Keep TFE Strong

We're looking for 500... no 390 SubscribersIf you read us daily, please be one.  

I ♥ The Film Experience

THANKS IN ADVANCE

What'cha Looking For?
Subscribe
« Live Blog Golden Globe Arrivals | Main | 9 Days 'til Nominations (Globe Predictions) »
Sunday
Jan162011

Susannah York (RIP)

Sad news to report. The lovely, talented 60s star Susannah York, aka Superman's Mom (the biological one back on Krypton) has died at the age of 72. Here's why she'll live on though... They Shoot Horses Don't They? (1969)

They Shoot Horses Don't They (1969)

They Shoot Horses is my personal favorite film of 1969 and an all-time Oscar record holder (most nominations without a corresponding Best Picture citation, a grand total of Nine!) but it's sadly underdiscussed these days. Susannah was nominated for playing Jane Fonda's main dancing rival in the marathon contest at the film's center, a neat metaphorical object, human suffering as entertainment. Susannah's psychotic break in the shower rivals any femme unravelling in Black Swan.

York also holds the distinction of being the only female cast member of Best Picture winner Tom Jones (1963) to not be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. I'm exaggerating but since an incredible three women were nominated from the film (the most ever -- though that 60% of the category trick has happened twice in Best Supporting Actor) it felt like it.

Other highlights include Freud (1962) with Montgomery Clift and Robert Altman's Images (1972) for which she won Best Actress at Cannes. She was so beautiful she could play an adult version of Michelle Pfeiffer in Falling in Love Again (1980, Michelle's first large film role after a few tv series and an itty bitty movie role)

Further Reading: Moving Pictures Blog and MUBI

 

 

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

EmailEmail Article to Friend

Reader Comments (3)

1969 oscar trivia, All the five suporting actress nominees were blondes

January 16, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMagicub

I liked The Killing of Sister George too, although I haven't seen it for a long time. I remember crying when the actress Beryl Reid had to play a cow on a kid's show. Another one I liked with York was The Silent Partner (written by Curtis Hanson) with an absolutely chilling Christopher Plummer as the villain, and Elliot Gould as the hapless hero.

January 16, 2011 | Unregistered Commenteradri

Oh no, I just noticed the sidebar while I was reading the Globes recap; that's dampened my mood considerably. Susannah York not winning for They Shoot Horses... is one of the great Oscar missteps of all time. Love that film, love her performance.

January 16, 2011 | Unregistered Commenterpar3182
Member Account Required
You must have a member account to comment. It's free so register here.. IF YOU ARE ALREADY REGISTERED, JUST LOGIN.