Jump to content

Elaine Stritch has died


Neil

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply

No!!!!!!!!!!!!! :( :( :(  This too sad. What a force of life.

 

Item in Variety:

 

 


Actress Elaine Stritch, star of Broadway hits including “Elaine Stritch at Liberty” and “Show Boat,” who was nominated for multiple Tonys and Emmys, winning three of the latter, has died. She was 89.

Stritch, an atypical star of stage and screen known for her association with Stephen Sondheim, quickly gained a reputation for the worldly, acerbic wit that often defined her characters. In her one-woman show “Elaine Stritch at Liberty,” Stritch talked candidly about battling the bottle and her colorful, albeit destructive, love life. Her role as the drunk yet lucid Claire in “A Delicate Balance” earned her a 1996 Tony nomination for best actress. Roles in “Bus Stop,” “Sail Away” and “Company” snagged her three other noms while “Elaine Stritch at Liberty” won her the 2002 award for special theatrical event.

On television, Stritch was memorable late in her career for her recurring role on NBC’s “30 Rock” as the crusty, goofy mother to Alec Baldwin’s character, drawing five nominations for the role and winning in 2007. She was also impressive as a fierce but notably ethical defense attorney on two episodes of “Law & Order,” winning an Emmy for the role in 1993. A P.A. Pennebaker documentary of her “At Liberty” stage show won several Emmys in 2004, including for her the award for outstanding individual performance in a variety program.

Stritch did not restrict her candor to the stage, once telling Variety’s Army Archerd that she “flipped over Rock Hudson — and we all know what a bum decision that turned out to be,” referring to her failed romance with the closeted actor. These gritty, honest revelations contributed to the unique style Stritch brought to her work.

 

http://variety.com/2014/legit/news/elaine-stritch-dead-1201264068/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ONE OF THE GREATEST, ONE OF THE BEST, there's NOBODY like her now and never will be again.  Multitalented, a force of nature, now THIS ONE I will miss terribly.  Google her acceptance speech for her EMMY for Liberty, it's awesome, as the lady herself always was.  SHE WILL BE MISSED!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got to see her in A Little Night Music. Something special about seeing a living legend doing what she's known for.

 

Have a vodka stinger in memory. Everybody rise.

And perhaps a piece of Mahler's.

 

A trouper until the end.  Her late in life career was perhaps more eventful, certainly more memorable, than her first 6 decades.  Not discounting her earlier work, but for someone who was not a household name, she seemed to blossom even more in her 70s and beyond. 

Lost in her credits is her 1960-61 CBS sitcom "My Sister Eileen" based on play, movie and musical.  Co-starred Rose Marie right before Dick Van Dyke.  I saw the pilot.  I can see why they picked it up.  Too bad Elaine on TV didn't catch on. Perhaps subsequent episodes didn't hold up.  Single Cam/laugh track style that most of them were in 1960.

 

Here's "Stritch Today" in honor of one of the greats. Notice that she interchanges some lyrics towards the end, but covers nicely.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODyz9vMoFZU

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd forgotten about her other sitcom, playing mother to Ellen Burstyn.  She was 7 years older than Ellen.

The pilot episode was done on film.  Subsequent episodes went to videotape and it's a prime example of how film is better for sitcoms.

"EB" had LWL as its lead-in, of course and was canceled at the same time.  Ratings for the final week put EB at the very bottom of the list.  At least it had the dignity of having a summer run in 1987, where I assume unaired episodes were shown.  Don't know what time slot it returned to.

Would it have made it if it hadn't followed LWL?  Perhaps. It wasn't bad and Elaine was the highlight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Lost in her credits is her 1960-61 CBS sitcom "My Sister Eileen" based on play, movie and musical.  Co-starred Rose Marie right before Dick Van Dyke.  I saw the pilot.  I can see why they picked it up.  Too bad Elaine on TV didn't catch on. Perhaps subsequent episodes didn't hold up.  Single Cam/laugh track style that most of them were in 1960.

 

I think I've seen three episodes of My Sister Eileen and they were enjoyable. Elaine was terrific. She did have success in a series of her own in England, Two's Company. Elaine starred in what was perhaps the second sitcom ever on TV after May Kay and Johnny, The Growing Paynes. Elaine, age 24, played the mother of a 12 year old. In the one actual conversation I had with Elaine, I asked her about this. She replied, "Tallulah Bankhead said, "I was born. Then I was forty."   :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all who put up clips of this marvelous sensational exquisite entertainer.  Yes, she was terrific in her Britcom Two's Company, saw every episode and she was the best thing about it of course.  She was a female Chevalier, didn't matter if she hit the right notes, she was such a force that you were mesmerized by her, you didn't worry about her singing, you just enjoyed the performance regardless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Elaine as Vera instead of Mame, Janet Blair, really?

She really is a perfect Vera. She did play Mame successfully in stock. There's the famous story that Judy Garland wanted to do Mame on Broadway and Elaine said that she should do it with her and they should switch off parts. Whoever had been drinking less that night would be Mame. (Judy's response: "But what about matinees?")

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...