Tuesday
Jun112013
What actress would you put on the tail fin of a plane?
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 4:39PM Hey kids. It's Nathaniel just checking in from my vacation. I hope you miss me but I'm loving this very unplugged trip -- today I lept from a dock in remote Norwegian village into the freezing cold ocean. Invigorating!
Anyway... when I arrived in Bergen Monday afternoon I was surprised to see Wenche Foss, beloved Norwegian postwar actress staring back at me on the Tarmac.
It got me to thinking about which actresses we idolize enough in America to give them this sort of treatment. Not that we do but IF we did as we should? Who would it be? Besides Dame Meryl of course?
tagged Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Reader Comments (43)
ME!
Caleb Roth Airlines honors Gena Rowlands, of course.
Julie Haggerty or Sigourney Weaver.
Thelma Ritter.
Barbara Stanwyck; a more realistic pick would be Ingrid Bergman, who I also love.
Definitely Elizabeth Taylor. I don't see anyone else, really
LMAO at The Bening!
Um, Kate Winslet! Like, she needs a Tony, obviously, but what's an EGOT without a plane fin? Nothing. I'm sure Anne Hathaway is already ordering hers as we speak, but Kate won't have to buy hers.
In all honesty though; shouldn't Audrey Hepburn's face be everywhere? I mean, regardless of your thoughts on her acting (she certainly wasn't the greatest) her elegance is in a class all its own and if anyone deserved to have her face immortalized on the tail fin of a plane, it was her.
Tilda Swinton, of course. Even though she has no use for planes. She teleports everywhere.
I love the sound of Dame Meryl Streep! The Queen should make an exception and make Meryl a dame.
Plane actress? Big career, national/international respect AND traditionally aesthetically pleasing?
Elizabeth Taylor's a good choice (especially if it's based on an early 50s film), Audrey Hepburn is also a good one (Funny Face is her big slightly under recognized total lightning in a bottle moment, especially due to that cafe scene being an odd and overtly sexual contrast to most of the rest of her career) and Winslet, Stanwyck and Bergman are also decent choices. I'm split on the appropriateness of Swinton on a visual level (though she's very talented), and I don't buy that Bening, Rowlands, Ritter, Weaver or Julie Hagerty are going to be American's first choices of "plane actresses" at all (the first four due to not being traditionally beautiful (very talented, yes, but not really airplane appropriate, if you get me), the last one for not being a very respected actress overall)
It would totally be Julia Roberts. *sigh*
But if we're going with the classics, probably Audrey or Marilyn.
Monroe would be the obvious choice imho. But Kate Hepburn also works. I think it should be a Yank which eliminates a bunch of the so far mentioned, England can put Winslet (Branson perhaps?) on their tail.
Hilary Swank, Renee Zellweger or Chloe Moretz... just kidding.
A couple ways to look at it:
On a strictly personal level it would be Linda Darnell out of classic actresses although I love Patryk's suggestion of Thelma Ritter. Julie Christie of contemporary actresses, even if she doesn't work much anymore.
On a pop culture level I think Marilyn would probably be the most recognizable choice.
But who I thought of first when reading the headline was Rita Hayworth, the famous pose in the negligee kneeling on the bed. It's the photo that soldiers pasted to the side of the first atom bomb, it upset her terribly when she heard about it, but in a twisted way I now relate it to aviation.
Barbra Streisand
Gleen ""MY OSCAR WAS STOLLEN SO MANY TIMES FROM ME I SHOULD AT THE VERY LEST GET MY FACE ON AN AIR PLAINE" Close!....................................
Serious answer - Madeline Kahn.
Most fitting answer - it really has to be Julie Haggerty, doesn't it?
I love you all. These comments are a delicious side of LOL with my morning kaffe of skyr.
Helen Hayes, for obvious reasons (yes, with Julie Haggerty on the cockpit, also for obvious reasons.)
Is it sad that I would probably fly exclusively on that airline for that reason?
I'd go for Elizabeth Taylor too, she was a survivor after all. Marilyn would be the most All-American pop culture choice but no way would i get on a plane that had a picture of a star who met a tragic end. No Marilyn, no Natalie, no Jean Harlow, no Grace Kelly, absolutely no Carol Lombard. Liz it is. But I'd want it to be 60's Liz. When she really didn't give a f***.
@Andrew I can totally see the Winslet thing happening. First of all, even without the Tony she's certainly got and EGO (pun very much intended). And also, she's practically Mrs Virgin Airlines now!
You've been in Bergen on Monday? I live there! How exciting. I hope you enjoy your stay in Norway.
There are also planes with Asta Nielsen and Greta Garbo!
The Jolie!
The Hours trio. But Nicole (Virginia) would be at the nose of the plane. Get it? Nose? Okay.
Nat, I had a feeling you were going to Norway.
As for actresses on planes, the first name that popped into my head was Carole Lombard, which I guess goes to show that I'm a bit twisted.
Karen Black, but only if flying into Salt Lake City
Run a snake from the nose to the tail with Christina Ricci cowering at the top of the fin.
Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorleac
Shirley Stoler
By all means it should be Elizabeth Taylor but, whatever you do, don't nick name the plane the "Lucky Liz"!!!
By all means it should be Elizabeth Taylor but, whatever you do, don't nick name the plane the "Lucky Liz"!!!
Dan, great post! I hope Helen will be singing to keep the passengers calm.
My choice: Gotta be Julie Andrews. Practically perfect in every way.
You are definitely missed, Nathaniel, but enjoy all of your unplugged time.
I'd put Bette Davis or Katharine Hepburn from the past and Meryl, Nicole, Julianne and Michelle Pfeiffer from the present.
Brookesboy- I love you.
Also, Barbara ("I speak jive") Billingsley, Sally Field, cuz she can fly, Susan Sarandon, cuz she can plane walk, and Lois Chiles, cuz she's an astronaut.
But seriously, because she is an American beauty and her image would look fantastic on a plane: Ava Gardner.
Glad to see others saying Julie Haggerty, but I think I'd rather see Barbara Billingsley with some jive written alongside. :-)
Enjoy your trip, Nathaniel.
I'd go with either Elizabeth Taylor, or Michelle Pfeiffer!
I love you too, Pam! Ah, Ava Gardner... what a great choice. Such sublime beauty. My favorite role of hers is The Night of the Iguana, where that beauty is just starting to go to seed, but she knows she's still got it...and she's gonna show it, and have fun doing it! I so wish she had gotten an Oscar nom that year, but that was such a great year for actresses. And that was the year Julie won for Mary Poppins! Ah, life!
Bette Davis for sure!
Sissy Spacek as Carrie. You know which scene. 0:)
La Faye.
Barbra Air. Free Nuts on our non-stop travel to Israel from anywhere in the world. No carry on allowed as each plane houses gifts for Miss Streisand.
Cat Woman!!! (LA Pfeiffer - with Tail and MEE-OW!!)