Monday, May 9, 2016

WIRE HANGERS ON THE HORIZON

 
I'm a sucker for a Ryan Murphy show. It started with Nip/Tuck followed by The New Normal, Glee, then American Horror Story. Watched Scream Queens, haven't seen American Crime Story. But then last week, FX  announced that it had ordered an eight-episode limited series from prolific executive producer Ryan Murphy that will dramatize the infamous rivalry between classic Hollywood stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. and made a little gay boy giddy with excitement. 
 
And the best part.......
 
"Feud" will star Murphy favorite Jessica Lange as Crawford and Susan Sarandon as Davis, and will be the first installment of a planned anthology series that "will explore the bouts and blows of epic conflicts and feuds through out time," according to FX.  The series will focus on the filming of the 1962 camp classic "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," a project that capitalized on Davis and Crawford's well-known dislike for each other and that was intended to revive their flagging careers. The cast also includes Alfred Molina as director Robert Aldrich, Stanley Tucci as studio chief Jack Warner and Judy Davis as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.
"Feud" will also be executive produced by Brad Pitt. I was very excited to hear about this. Not only is Jessica Lange one of my favorite actresses and going to play another one of my favorites actresses, but you may be well aware that Joan Crawford is one of the Casa's du Borghese's Patron Saints. This Murphy creation has delicious written all over it.Set to premiere in 2017, "Feud" will begin filming later this year. Can we  assume there won't be any wire hangers on set?

25 comments:

  1. i too am excited by this. sarandon almost looks TOO much like davis. what will be interesting is if they write a good script, really dig deep into the ladies' lives at that time.

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    1. Your right Norma, with good talent and a strong script and good writing, with deep juicy facts...it will be excellent entertainment. If not, this will sink faster than the Titanic.

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  2. It's a limited series? I just might watch this.

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  3. Sounds like it will be a fascinating series!
    I knew a lighting assistant who worked on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" and he claimed that there was no feud between Davis and Crawford at all.
    BUT
    I knew somebody else who witnessed a firsthand incident when Bette Davis made Crawford cry.

    Whatever the truth is - - Bette Davis was definitely the Bigger Bitch.

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    1. I have to tell you, from the few clips of joint interviews, and in many photos of the two of them, I never picked up on any kind of feud either, but that being said, back then stars had manners, decorum and etiquette, and kept matters behind closed doors. Not like these "stars" today. Childish behavior. I would too believe Bette was a bigger bitch. She always looked miserable. Joan, I think is confused with being a bitch, but I think it was a very terrible case of clinical OCD, I honestly don't think she could help herself. I don't even know if it was a clinical term yet was it?

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    2. You're absolutely right about the stars of the past having a public decorum of manners and etiquette. They restrained themselves from indulging in Jerry Springer episodes....
      And I agree that OCD wasn't a clinical term back then.

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  4. I LOVE Joan Crawford and my sister LOVES Bette Davis. We roleplay the dialogue of Baby Jane and Blanche all the time, LOL! My Rare One thinks we're nuts. She tried to watch the movie once but got bored half way through and never finished. Clearly she doesn't understand CAMP CLASSICS! I must tell my sister about this upcoming series -- thanks for the info!

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    1. I think you need to film that and then blog it. Sure to be a blog classic.

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  5. If it's in any way as good as Shaun Considine's faboo book Bette & Joan: The Divine Feud, or as good as the play Bette and Joan by Anton Burge we saw (with Anita Dobson as Joan and Greta Scacci as Bette) in 2011, or even as good as Mark Gatiss and Frances Barber in Psychobitches, then I will be happy! Great casting... Jx

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    1. Boy, no pressure from you huh? But I must check out that book.

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    2. You will LOVE it! Jx

      PS I am beginning to sound like MJ and her incessant nagging about reading books...

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    3. or directing me to the gin-cuzzi.

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    4. I drank that. Sorry. Jx

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  6. This sounds like a treat! And a can’t-lose proposition: if it’s good, it’ll be great; if it’s unspeakably tacky, it’ll still be great! The casting all around sounds inspired. Lange was brilliant as Frances Farmer; Sarandon always had those Bette Davis eyes

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  7. When I saw this I thought of you quick....I know you love your Joan Crawford!

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  8. You know this queen will be watching this! His show are like gold. Still not sure why The New Normal didn't make it. It was well written and a talented cast. Ellen Barkin was delicious on that show.

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  9. Oh, I DO so hope it will be aired on a station I can get! Wasn't much of a fan of Lange until AHS. I shall look forward to another great creation!

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  10. Do you think it will be full of bitchy remarks? I've often wondered a bitchy gay man could match a bitchy woman in the bitchy stakes.

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    1. With a gay writer, and two fabulous actresses, I would venture to say yes. And I have matched a bitchy woman once. Where I spit no grass grows.

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  11. http://travelpenguin.blogspot.com/2016/05/these-two-should-get-together.html

    off topic, but you REALLY should go make a comment on this guy's post...

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  12. Knew you'd be excited about this.

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  13. I am SO ready for this and while I j'adore Miss Lange, I am definitely Team Bette!

    My fave Bette quote about Joan?

    Gad you asked:

    "I wouldn't piss on her if she was on fire."

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  14. Nothing like good campy fun! I sure hope this doesn't mean he slide on the quality of American Horror Story.

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!