Best Actress 1962, Part 3: Lee Remick and "Days of Wine and Roses" 

GREAT segment for one of my all time favorites. I had the pleasure of seeing Lee Remick, Geraldine Page, and Amanda Plummer in the 1982 pre Broadway tryout of “Agnes of God” in Boston. It was one of my first theater experiences ever. I had already been mesmerized by Lee in film, and we went to stage door to meet the three performers. They gladly all signed the programs, and I still have mine over 40 years later. I remember telling Lee that I always admired her work. She graciously said thank you. Lovely woman, who should have been with us much longer.

What happened to Lee Remick's career was an example of the double standards in Hollywood: she made four flops in a row, but that didn't hinder the career trajectory of her male costars, Laurence Harvey and Alan Bates (THE RUNNING MAN, 1963), James Garner (THE WHEELER DEALERS, 1963), Steve McQueen (BABY, THE RAIN MUST FALL, 1965) and Burt Lancaster (THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL, 1965). But she also began to do more work in the theater, beginning with the (flop) musical ANYONE CAN WHISTLE (though it would bring her into the orbit of Stephen Sondheim) and continued with the huge success of WAIT UNTIL DARK. And she was one person who had her own opinions, and wasn't ruled by the idea of "success": though WILD RIVER now has the reputation as one of the best films by Elia Kazan, it was a box office failure in its time, but she always defended the movie, and said it was one of the best experiences of her career. But at the time (1962), it looked like DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES would point to further triumphs; instead, it proved to be the culmination of her career.

A remarkable talent who left us far too early, The Broadway show that flopped so badly was Stephen Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle, her singing on the cast recording of the title song is poignancy itself.

Hurrah ! Fritz has posted ❤🎉

THANK YOU for this wonderful presentation. I have always viewed Lee Remick as a "Class Act" and your documentary only confirmed this. My two favorite films with her were "Day of Wine and Roses" (also one of my favorite songs), and "The Omen." I think the great Gregory Peck described her performance as "so incredibly real," because that's the kind of person she was.

Hurrah ! 🍺

I'd love to see TV version of DAYS OF WINE & ROSES 🌹

I saw Lee playing Cherie in The Seven Year Itch in London, and had the pleasure of meeting her afterwards. She was just as l had hoped she would be - a perfect fusion of charm, beauty, intelligence and talent. She gives one of my favourite performances as the immoral Irish nurse Fay in the film version of Joe Orton's extremely black comedy Loot, which is well worth seeking out if you haven't seen it.

I always thought she should have played Holly Golightly. Lee Remick had this lovely feral quality and a lot of darker emotions and bruised sexuality under all that prettiness.More of what the character should be. A very fine actress to be sure.

One of my all time favorite actress and performance. She should have had a better career. Thank you for doing this video.

The amount of work that you put in your videos is outstanding. Keep up the great work as we are watching and learning!

I first saw Lee Remick at the age of 12 when I would see "Days of Wine and Roses" on TV. The movie had a big impact on me mainly because of how it ended (for those who don't know, the film doesn't have a happy ending). But I was totally taken by her and I would watch any movie that had her in it. And she remained my favorite until she died in 1991. I had a difficult time believing people would say her career peaked early. She ALWAYS was working. And commercially, she got another boost from "The Omen" in 1976. She had a predominant part in the very first miniseries for TV "QBVII". It wasn't beneath her to work in television, and some of her best performances was in TV. Did anybody see her excellent turn as Margaret Sullivan in "Haywire"? And did you know she was almost picked for "Ordinary People"? If she hadn't been taken so soon she would have continued to do what she loved doing. Damn, I miss her to this day, and there has been nobody like her since.

What a beautiful tribute to Lee Remick. Your research and care in presenting the career of these great actresses is admirable. I love your work.

Such a classy and gifted lady. Loved her performance in "A delicate balance" also...

Brilliant! Thanks Fritz

Thank you for showing a small clip from Merchant Ivory’s “The Europeans.” She’s wickedly devious and just as funny. A great performance.

Fascinating stuff

Her creation of Carol Garth in Wild River is my absolute favorite of all her roles. Jo Van Fleet as the grandmother in the same film is incandescent.

Always loved Lee. She was a really talented actress.

Beautifully made video and so informative. I agree that Lee Remick's performance in THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES is unforgettable. I've only seen the movie once or twice (and the teleplay once). Even though the character is prey to Joe's whim's, her simplicity and depth make the "quiet" choices of both actress and character devastating. Thank you for giving us these moments with such a beautiful actress.

Love Hepburn and Davis, like Bancroft, don't really like Page, but Remick is probably my fave among this group. Thanks for recapping her career. Many films I haven't seen.

Fritz, your film analysis- comprensive, well researched, compassionate is second to none on YT ( the Be kind rewind lady a close second). Dunke Schoern!

Lee Remick definitely one of the most underrated actresses ever.

When I was a teen, my mother took me to see Lee Remick in Wait Until Dark, I believe at the Colonial Theater in Boston. With a young Robert Duvall as the villain. In all these years, Ive never forgotten it.

The only acrress today that could be compared to the great Lee Remick would be Nicole Kidman. She was a natural All-American woman. She should have gottenthe Academy Award for "The Days of Wine and Roses" God bless her sweet soul. She passed away much too early because of that 'damn' cancer.

She was most likely runner up for the best actress that year.

If you're a bonefide film buff, you know exactly how marvellous an actress Lee Remick was. If not, seek out her exceptional back catalogue.

At times she resembles Carroll Baker.

Experiment in Terror! Ross Martin was so CREEPY in that!

24:52 Something's GOT TO GIVE is the 1962 unfinished Monroe film. Something's GOTTA GIVE is a decades-newer comedy, I think with Duane Keaton.

As the famed German acting teacher (and acclaimed actress) Uta Hagen would say, there are 2 acting styles. There is the "Representation" style which holds Meryl Streep and her sublime gifts as the beacon. The actor is technical and intellectual. They convey a performance in a planned, technical way. The other style is the "Presentational style" which would be those actors who live their part. I have heard them also called natural actors. Anna Magnani, Joanne Woodward, Shelley Winters, et al, come to mind. [Method acting fits here.]. I heard someone say once, "Lee Remick can do anything." I don't agree. I never have gotten very much past watching an actress act. Mostly it is like a worker punching a time clock...a pretty face, a pert nose and enthusiasm. But in the Representational School of acting she does her finest work---work to be proud of in "Wine and Roses." Even as a young actress I found her a little sad overall and joyless. And age, with exceptions like this one, did not make her more interesting. There's a wind-up doll quality to her which leaves me a little cold.

I think this movie made me grow up and be an alcoholic.

Piper Laurie - "hard, domineering, . . ." Uh, NO0!

A deutscher accent kann indeed sound niedlich. Let's hüpf' zu Bette Davis!