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Remembering the Great Julie Harris .... Dear "Batman" Fanboys — Get a Life, and Let Ben Affleck Lead His! Tuesday, August 27, 2013 by Liz Smith “WE NEVER really grow up. We only learn how to act in public,” said singer Bryan White. |
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| OR NOT. I was compelled out of a sense of duty to watch at least parts of MTV’s Video Music Awards. (I would so much more preferred to have stuck with the new PBS production of Agatha Christie’s classic,“The Lady Vanishes.”) But then, lots of ladies vanished on the VMAs. To be more precise, there were few ladies at the VMAs and some descended to new depths of sad exhibitionism. |
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| I enjoyed Lady Gaga’s energetic and multi-costumed opening of the show. She didn’t do anything new, but after five years of fame, in this culture, originality comes and goes swiftly. Speaking of swift, as in Taylor Swift, this talented young woman looked beautiful, like a grown up woman — glam and soignée. But she revealed her immaturity when seen mouthing something rude about her ex, One Direction’s Harry Styles, while he was onstage giving out an award.
Enough already. If your love life is the only thing you can write about, take a sabbatical. Try to live and interact with real people. Tons of good material there. I like Taylor Swift. She is very talented and I truly enjoyed her live show. She should rise above her old ex-boyfriends. And then of course, Miley Cyrus, who almost appeared to be having some sort of Britney-like meltdown onstage. She was gross and over-the-top. Robin Thicke, 36 years old, accompanied her in some of her onstage shenanigans. He looks older than 36, and the whole thing was disturbingly pervy and sleazy. What the hell do they do to these Disney girls over in the Mouse Factory? Are they so stringently monitored that as soon as they break away they have to prove they’re adults, while only showing a near imbecility? At least Madonna was a full grown woman of 25 when fame hit, and her tenure as a “bad influence” on her teen girl fan base was brief. She made it so. She wanted to bring her fans along into adulthood. |
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| Sometimes she went too far, but she made sure she was never presented, or presented herself as a ”role model.” I’m me, and you be you, was her message. Selena Gomez, another Disney alum and the on and off girl friend of Justin Bieber, took a Best Pop Video award. Gomez is quite attractive and a good actress — yes, even on something as silly as the late “Wizards of Waverly Place.” But she is even younger than Taylor Swift and it showed in her acceptance speech. Not that there’s anything really wrong with being a bit awkward. Don’t ask me what she won for. I mean, I haven’t seen this award-winning vid. But a friend who keeps up, said, “She’s sweet and popular and this will be good the next time she decides to deal with Justin Bieber again. But she was up against Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. You tell me if she deserved that award?” I said I couldn’t because I hadn’t seen their videos either. |
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| BUT SPEAKING of Justin Timberlake, I did stick long enough with this orgy of noise and flashing lights and lip-syncing to catch his performance. Although I prefer him as an actor, there is no denying his electricity onstage. He certainly owes a lot of his moves and vocal stylings to the late Michael Jackson. But he has his genuine own brand of “It.” His old group, N’Sync, seemed in fine form too, pleased to be back in the spotlight. (Timberlake and his bandmates are planning to re-unite for a series of concerts.) Timberlake will be seen onscreen again in the Joel and Ethan Cohen movie “Inside Llewyn Davis.” |
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| There were welcome words of acceptance and love spoken by athlete Jason Collins, who recently came out, and a touching song, “Same Love,” delivered by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Otherwise, I was pretty lost, and have to admit I couldn’t stay the course. (They did find that vanished lady on PBS. I knew you’d want to know.) |
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FAREWELL TO the great star of stage, screen and TV, Julie Harris, who died last Friday at age 87. In a career that brought her five Tony awards, three Emmys, a Grammy and an Oscar nomination (for her remarkable work in “The Member of the Wedding”), Harris specialized in sensitive, often withdrawn characters.
Or as the murderous drug addict of “Harper” who was the object of Robert Wagner’s affections in that detective thriller. She was touchingly supportive in “East of Eden” with James Dean, brilliant in “The Haunting” opposite Claire Bloom, and poignantly frustrated in “Reflections in a Golden Eye” with Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando and Brian Keith. Her eye-rolling and distaste for Taylor’s character is hilariously evident, especially in the scene in which a charmingly, amoral, clueless Taylor, breathlessly describes the mountains of food she’ll be serving at her soiree. Harris looks like she is going to throw up. And Taylor had the film's best line, about the neurotic character Harris played: “Better, you say she’s better? She cut off her nipples with garden shears. Garden shears!!” Miss Harris was a national treasure. |
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| In 2005 she received her Kennedy Center honor. I am sure Broadway’s lights will dim for this great actress, who was, by the way, the original Sally Bowles, in the unmusical Christopher Isherwood play, “I am a Camera.” This later became “Cabaret." |
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| I WAS surprised by the announcement from Warner Bros. that Ben Affleck will appear as “Batman” in the coming “Man of Steel” sequel. I thought he’d kind of given up on superhereo roles after the disappointment of “Daredevil.” But now that an actual petition is being circulated demanding Affleck be fired (These comic book fanboys are a committed bunch), I say Ben, wedge yourself into your Batsuit and collect whatever astronomical salary you’re being offered. You have recently directed three fine films — “Gone, Baby Gone,” “The Town” and “Argo,” which brought you an Oscar for Best Picture. Have some fun. |
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Contact Liz Smith here. | Click here for NYSD contents. |