Jane Wyman - "The Joan Blondell of the Bs" 

You might say that each (big) studio did have an acting coach to work with its contract players. Funny thing regarding MGM's Lillian Sidney. Debbie Reynolds swore by her, praised her as a great teacher. Esther Williams derided her "one-style fits all" method.

Coming from Ireland, i so agree!

Q

And her biography is fabulous

I wondered as well, born in 17, interview is in 95 which puts her at 78 at the time of this interview.

Oh wow, I wish I was 28 again! Even though I liked the era then, I hate getting old!

Watch The Yearling

Highly recommend the lost weekend if you enjoy Jane Wyman

Watch " Miracle in the Rain"

Every time I see her I think of her movie Miracle in the Rain

Yes, yes, yes! I cannot say it any better. I love jane Wyman ever since I first saw her...and I am very grateful she got the Oscar for Belinda years ago. All I remember of this very young, very intelligent, incredibly beautiful actress is the finest performances and now I am very old, in 2023, and I still am happily watching her films and I always believed that what we see here, in interviews as this...this is the Miss Wyman... truly...she comes across being so honest and kind, everything that is good. Since a young boy in the 1940's-50's I saw her, adored her. I wish I would have met her any time in my life. She is wonderfully different from many "big" stars or important persons...she praises very many who helped make her into the great star she became and she is not acting here. I will ramble on this woman of all women that very much brought us the "Golden Years" of Hollywood & stayed in that time all her life...(so humble always.)

I agree with everything you say. She was brilliant I'm Falcon Crest. She came out of retirement to do the series and the show always introduced old hollywood stars back to television I love the way she described respect. Soo eloquently spoken!!!!!!!!!💯🇺🇸🌷

I heard one comment that Ms. Wyman had about Reagan. Right after their divorce she told Bette Davis, "He's so boring. Oh well, at least I never have to see that damned King's Row again." Lol

I loved bumper stickers at the time which read "JANE WYMAN WAS RIGHT"

@@rah62 Actually Jane Wyman was wrong. She could have been First Lady of the USA. She vastly underestimated the talent and skill of her husband.

@@piustwelfthand manipulation of Nancy!

@@gardenroom65 "manipulation"? Lol. She's the one who pursued him, and she changed him from a liberal Democrat to a conservative Republican. You really need to GET INFORMED!

Exactly.

I saw "Lucy Gallant" on the Late, Late, Late show as a teenager and remember the fashion show part. Edith Head was in it!

Her personality was much different that her stern portrayals in later TV roles which is how many were introduced to Jane Wyman. Her daughter Maureen had the same personality.

I don't think anyone forgot how much of a star, an icon really, that Jane Wyman was.

Have you seen any since you wrote this?

But apparently not to Tommy Kirk in Bon Voyage. Below are two of his recollections: "I thought Jane Wyman was a hard, cold woman and I got to hate her by the time I was through with Bon Voyage. Of course, she didn't like me either, so I guess it came natural. I think she had some suspicion that I was gay and all I can say is that, if she didn't like me for that, she doesn't like a lot of people." "She was very mean to me. She went out of her way to be shitty...but she was a total bitch and I think she was homophobic."

@@Garsons-oq4lh not denying Tommy Kirk’s comments but she had many openly gay chums, could very well be that they just didn't hit it off for some odd reason. She was a perfectionist and didn't have much patience for lesser than that could have been part of it as well.

Wow. that's amazing! I've read that Jane Wyman converted to Catholicism and became a Third Order Dominican. When she died, she was buried in the same kind of habit that St. Rose of Lima wore. Thanks for this information.

I agree. Ms wyman was very intelligent and we'll spoken.

I missed a lot of American movies when I was young because I didn't speak English and couldn't understand them. But now I do. I just happened to recently watch "Magnificent Obsession" with Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson and was bowled over by how they thoughtfully interacted with each other. Wyman was at least 6-7 years (?) older than Hudson, but she was so elegant and honest in romancing the Hudson character. Lesser pairs of stars could inadvertently make such scenes cringey, but not so Wyman and Hudson. They were absolutely understandable and believable as screen lovers. Thank you for your explanation.

@@marietta1335 I'm so happy you have seen Magnificent Obsession!! It's a wonderful film with two big and lovely Stars. I have a book writen by Rock Hudson and he wrotes how wonderful Wyman was with him. They made two films together. 🌹

This is the first movie I saw Jane Wyman in. MAGNIFICENT 😊

She meant that she will always recall the date of her contract, May 8, 1936, because May 8 was also V-E day in 1945--the ninth anniversary of the signing of her contract.

Yes, the term trivializes them. I'm sure we all liked them: men and women.

Hotel? The TV Show?

Anne Baxter was in Hotel, the tv show. Jane Wyman was in Falcon Crest, the tv show.

@@lezliehayes5346 Exactly, Jane was never in Hotel. Bette Davis was in the TV movie that eventually became the series with Anne.

94 years old Miss Jane had on earth.

It was she that dumped him -- not visa versa. He tried to win her back, to no avail.

I thought the same. Was there a VE day for WW1? Maybe she's just referencing just because she remembers it's on or around May 6, although it hadn't happened yet at the time of her story.

@@hudsony777 The end of WWI is celebrated on Nov. 11 which for many years was called "Armistice Day" but is now "Veterans Day". Wyman was obviously confused since I'm sure she was aware that WWII ended in 1945. Advancing age likely accounts for such mistakes.

@@piustwelfth Yes, I forgotten Armistice Day...also, I don't think she was confused about the year, she simply was referring to the date itself as being VE day even though it hadn't yet happened. It was a confusing reference, although she made a slight mistake about the exact date in May. Otherwise, she's quite clear about everything.