Reader of the Day: Bill
Friday, March 25, 2011 at 5:18PM For today's reader of the day meet Bill. You know him as "Billy Held an Oscar" in the comments. Enough with you 90s babies ;) Let's have a few earlier babies! Billy discovered The Film Experience through those now defunct Stinky Lulu Supporting Actress Smackdowns (RIP). I believe it had something to do with Maureen Stapleton, his favorite actress. So let's start there.
Billy Held THIS Oscar
Nathaniel: You got to hold Maureen Stapleton's actual Oscar for Reds (1981), right?
BILL: Yup. Shortly before she passed away, I was able to spend an evening with her at home in Lenox, MA. A few years prior, I had created a site that detailed her career. As a result, a friend of Maureen's contacted me and asked if I would like to join him to visit her. It was truly wild. Maureen told me how she knew Humphrey Bogart and we talked about her role in 'Queen of the Stardust Ballroom'. The walls were adorned with autographed pictures, inscribed to her, from Clark Gable, Ethel Merman, JFK, Cary Grant, etc. If you looked to your left there was an Oscar, if you turned right there was an Emmy and a Tony, etc; Sensory overload. We also talked about our hometown (I grew up a few blocks from her childhood home). The best part of the evening was when Maureen's nurse came in and said, "Maureen, one of your films is on Turner Classic Movies". We watched as Robert Osborne introduced 'Bye Bye Birdie' and made mention of "future Oscar winner Maureen Stapleton". You don't have too many nights like that one in your lifetime.
I don't imagine, no. I mean, I can't imagine. Whose Oscar would I most like to hold in their presence? Hmmm.
Okay before Maureen there was... What's your first movie memory?
My first moviegoing experience was when my parents took me to see Grease. But my first movie obsession was Nine to Five. Having just seen The Electric Horseman on this new channel called HBO, I had fallen completely in love with Jane Fonda. Shortly thereafter, the television promos for Nine to Five aired and I was mesmerized. Jane Fonda, Dolly, and Edith Ann all in the same movie.
Fonda, Edith Ann, AND Dolly?I went through all of my grandmother's magazines (McCalls, Redbook, etc) and cut out any full-page ads I could find for the film; I checked the paper every day and clipped the 'Coming Soon' and 'Now Playing' ads too. Then I hung all the ads/clippings on my bedroom wall, along with a 'Nine to Five' sign that I made out of construction paper, and began campaigning for my parents to take me to see the film. I still have the ticket stub.
Oh how I wish I'd kept my early ticket stubs. Did you ever dress up as a movie character for Halloween?
C-3PO. It was horrible. I hated it. Who I really wanted to be was the Bionic Woman but my parents killed that dream.
Are your coworkers aware of your movie addiction?
Coworkers are painfully aware that I am a huge movie fan. They know that the Oscars are a day of worship. I've run an Oscar pool at the office in years past. People really get into it. They research info online regarding the nominees and last year I had one co-worker attend a showing of all the nominated short films so he could cast an informed vote on his ballot.
In addition to Stapleton, I know you love The Bening. Any new actresses that are exciting you out there?
I still remember the rush I felt seeing The Bening in The Grifters and sadly, I haven't really had that rush with many of the younger actresses. Carey Mulligan came close in An Education, as did Emily Blunt in The Devils Wears Prada. For now, I am very happy devoting myself to Annette Bening and Maureen Stapleton. Another will come along ... I'm always on the lookout.
Reader Comments (12)
I'm an 80s baby! :P
I wanna hold an Oscar...
I have held an Oscar but it was only in one of those touring exhibits. Billy's story has me yearning to hold someone's actual Oscar.... but whose? My favorite ladies never win them. [sniffle]
so i guess I vote for Meryl Streep's Oscar. i'd like to hold that one ;) or maybe Anna Paquin's just for (hyperventilating) kicks.
Tilda's Oscar!!!! That's the one I wanna hold and kiss in the buttocks...
Anna's wins is easily the cutest Oscar win. ("I should've got a haircut" guy from this year is a close second.) But Anna keeps it hidden in a closet. If you get to hold it, Nathaniel, just keep it.
The first movie that made me cry was not E.T.. It was The Electric Grandmother.
Love the interview - such a cool story. I totally want to hold both of Kevin Spacey's Oscars. And then I'd send the picture out so everyone could write their own captions, lol.
http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2006/09/blogosphere-multiplex-jay-lassiter.html
yay for JANE!
xxoo
Your selection of a character actress over the ingenues and leading ladies means I'm not alone. It's hard to disuss actresses when everyone else only cares about The Streep and all the others who can't get a bone because The Streep is hogging all the juicy parts -- (Nathaniel if you read my email you know I love Silkwood, Ironweed and Sophie's Choice Streep) --
Anyways my favorites were Anjelica Huston, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kathy Bates -- I latter liked Huston less when I found out what a bitch she was about Goldberg and Bates -- Whoopi really isn't an actress or a comedian -- she's a personality -- Huston as awesome as she can be from the 80s and early 90s really belongs to a bygone era -- sort of like Judy Davis belongs to the days of Bette Davis. Bates is a veteran I'm rooting for to get her 3rd whirlwind -- she saw it begin with Misery, Fried Green Tomatoes, Dolores Claiborne, Diabolique, The Late Shift -- 2nd Titantic, Primary Colors, About Schmidt, The Family That Preys, Revolutionary Road -- 3rd Harry's Law, Midnight in Paris -- possibly the Mattie Fae role in the August: Osage County movie? -- or Elizabeth Edwards in the Aaron Sorkin directorial effort?
Whose Oscar would I like to hold? The Women of the 90s -- I want to hold Kathy Bates' Oscar so everyone who disagrees with her win can be bashed by it in the knees by me -- Dianne Wiest for Bullets Over Broadway because I'd like to feel like Dianne Wiest winning for Bullets Over Broadway -- Jessica Lange's for Blue Sky because Lange finally won in her proper category -- Marisa Tomei's so I can mail it to Judy Davis without the engraved ban -- I think that's it.
What a great story and interview.
I too remember The Electric Grandmother. They showed it to us in school. That movie broke my heart.
Concerning E.T., I recall crying as it was losing one category after another on Oscar NIght ... AND I HADN'T EVEN SEEN IT YET!
Lovely post! Maureen Stapleton was a force of nature and a phenomenal actress.
Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this series - it was so much fun !! I truly cannot thank you enough. :)
AWWW...I really want to hold an Oscar statue of my favorite actress...but still can't since my favorite actress hasn't received yet :( If she wins, I want to hold Anette Bening's trophy!!!
I hope she gets one soon...