You forget just how beautiful she was. She was so unafraid to go wherever the role took her that it was easy to overlook just how breathtakingly classic her looks were.
I had the honor of meeting Cloris Leachman in 2012 at a small bar/Italian restaurant in Westlake Village. She was clearly having a VERY GOOD time, going around chatting with everyone and enjoying her fame! She playfully teased me to quit smoking cigarettes! The funniest part which I thought was so rare (especially in 2012) was she didn’t have a cellphone! Toward the end of the night she told the bartender to “call my daughter to come pick me up!” And her daughter showed up and got her! I’m assuming she must of lived close and wanted to party and is a regular at that bar! She was the life of the party, and so lit! Lol!
As a 37-year-old geriatric mother, thank you for the hearty chuckle after seeing the trailer for the new drive-in horror flick "Three Women in Their MID-30s." I can't wait to see these graceful grandmothers accept their lifetime achievement awards.
I do a lot of community musical theatre. I just turned 30, but had already been told "Well, you look too old to convincingly play a teenager but too young to convincingly play an adult in this show" more than once (sigh).
Not enough people talk about how much of a talent Cloris really was. They first time I saw her was as Phyllis it took me over 20 more years to find out about the rest of her carrer.
Fun Fact: My great aunt was one of Cloris Leachman's personal assistants for a few years! I believe this was when she was living in Los Angeles in the 1980's-1990's. According to my great aunt, Cloris Leachman was hilarious and was as much of a "larger than life" character off screen as she was on screen. She has a lot of fun memories from that time. I believe she still has some personal thank you notes from her stored away somewhere. It's really cool to see that you've done a retrospective on her. I'm a big fan of your channel! ❤
I loved her voice acting as Dola in the English dub of Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky. She did a great job portraying someone with a gruff exterior who is really a kind person underneath.
Firstly, can I just give a legitimate and heartfelt thanks to YOU, this amazing channel. Youre one of the defining reasons I decided to make a channel. You inspire me so much. Secondly, im reqlly glad you're giving props to Cloris. I feel like ib the 2010s, when Betty White was seeing so much resurgence and getting the love, a deserved love, Cloris got lost in the mix. She didn't get her flowers in the same way that she shouldve
@@crawfordianoI specifically mentioned her later years in the 21st century ☺. Betty never had a chance at an Oscar because her career was almost entirely tv based
My introduction to Cloris Leachman was her guest episode of the Muppet Show. Even in only 25 minutes, she demonstrates some next-level comedic chops, and it’s one of my favorites to revisit.
“The Last Picture Show” and “Young Frankenstein” are all time great films. And in each one Cloris knocked it out of the park. The video also showed how versatile she was. Thank you.
She’s one of my all time favorite comedy actresses. I first saw her as Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein but she’s hilarious as Maw Maw in Raising Hope and I liked her a lot in Facts of Life.
When Raising Hope was happening, I read that they just adored her there , that she was adventurous and fearless, up for anything. In one episode she had a =tarantula= crawling ON HER FACE as she (as MawMaw) was sleeping, she didn't flinch one bit , and it was her idea!
I watched her on Mary Tyler Moore and her own show when I was a kid. I was a bit young to know/see The Last Picture Show. She, like Agnes Moorehead in Bewitched, was such a well respected and talented actress and as I grew older and started to retroactively see her earlier movies I learned how great she was (just like watching Agnes in Citizen Kane/The Magnificent Ambersons). One of her later movies that I thought she really brought a lot to the part was Spanglish. Her role as Téa Leoni's strong willed mother in a film I feel gets sadly overlooked. I really enjoyed this video!
As Cloris said, she was an actress. An impossibly good one, who was beautiful inside and out. She was on her memoir tour and it was a small group, had us wrapped around her finger. I was so excited to have her autograph my copy. If anyone has the opportunity to see "A Girl Named Sooner" watch it. Cloris has a small role, but the whole production sears itself into your brain.
My introduction to Leachman was as Mrs. Garrett’s sister on “The Facts of Life.” I was a kid then, but as an adult I explored more of her work, including watching “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Phyllis” on Nick at Nite. And after learning that she’d won an Oscar, I rented “The Last Picture Show” and saw what a formidable dramatic actress she was.
She voiced Dola, the sky-pirate in the English dub of Studio Ghibli's Laputa (Castle in the Sky), which was my first exposure to her. Dola is an eccentric old lady with a glint in her eye and complicated morality. Which fits Leachman's type perfectly.
Thank you for featuring Cloris. I feel like I grew up and grew old watching her on TV all my life. She was one of my favorites all of my life and I’m so glad you did this to show the longevity and variety of her career. From Tennessee Williams to Mel Brooks ! 😊😊😊
Several years ago she came to the Florida Film Festival for a Q&A after a screening of The Last Picture Show. Afterwards, she jumped behind the bar outside of the theater where people often gather to socialize in between shows and started serving drinks to everyone. She was as gregarious as she was talented. Here's a brief video of it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PGSmBoIORuY.html&ab_channel=FloridaFilmFestival
What a legend. Two of my favorite moments of hers will always be her appearance on the Muppet Show (and she can really belt a tune) and that fake movie from The Office with her and Jack Black.
This may be my favorite of all your videos, and I truly didn't understand the depth and range of Leachman's career. Even in her brilliance as Phyllis, you get a glimpse of her dramatic prowess, especially in the episode that introduces Sue Ann as the "other woman" cheating with Lars. But my absolute favorite moment of her character in MTM is when she's worried her brother might be falling for Rhoda and is tremendously relieved to find out he's simply gay - no sitcom had handled the subject so succinctly and so humorously.
YES, I remember that! My family loved it so much because they had a theatrical background & lots of LGBTQA+ friends & they all babysat us a lot , or some we at least got to see at holiday parties, LOL! In fact, I recall being very shocked in Middle School when I found out some people didn't like LGBTQA+ people & interracial marriage & just BIZARRE stuff like, the ladies worshipped in MY house were: Streisand, Liza, Liz Taylor, Cher & Marilyn (primarily) & then I'm forced to visit relatives in Texas, & they were OK, but everyone ELSE considered them "WHORES" ~~~ WTF??? I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! So, despite other things, I am grateful to my parents SO much for being open~minded, at least, LOL!
I've had the luck of seeing Cloris Leachman twice in my line of work and she made an unforgettable impression both times. Thank you for featuring her! She is dearly missed. xx
This may be my personal niche of media consumption, but I feel like we should shout-out Cloris Leechman's role in the 2003 Disney/Buena Vista dub of Studio Ghibli's Laputa: Castle in the Sky. She has a very distinct voice that I feel adds to her humor and intensity, something that the character Dola in Castle in the Sky embodies. It both leans into her "Grandma era" while also giving her a diversity of hats to wear. She's a villain, a leader, a greedy thief, a mentor and a protector all in the span of one movie. Her particular performance of the character fleshes out these contradictions and it's very exciting to witness. It's like if Cloris Leechman were playing an evil Donald Duck in Pirates of the Carribean. Ya love to see it.
One of the funniest lines she delivered in High Anxiety was at one point Nurse Diesel (Leachman) leans over to Harvey Korman and says under her breath "If you're good, I'll let you wear my panties" Her delivery and timing was so perfect and I laughed at least 5 minutes.
I found Leachman through my favorite movie, Young Frankenstein. What an absolute treat it is to hear you cover it! This has inspired me to explore her work further.
Thank you so much for this!! 🤗 It's always sad when one of your favourites dies but I was particularly saddened by Cloris Leachman's death. I grew up with her on the Mary Tyler Moore show then, as the years went by, got to see her astonishing range as an actress, especially for comedy! (for me, her portrayals in two Mel Brooks films, "High Anxiety" and "Young Frankenstein" are so memorable and I still thrill (and laugh my ass off) to those performances to this day) She was such and enormous talent; thank you so much again for doing this great lady such a tribute! 😘
Cloris Leachman had a screen presence that shone through in everything she did. She deserved to be a bigger star. She is simply amazing, amazing in the Last Picture Show.
Love the "Frau Blucher" clip, too. Favorite Cloris Leachman line from a Mel Brooks film is in "High Anxiety": "Those who are late do not get fruit cup." Something about the way she delivers is sublime! Shawn R., Mo-Mutt Music
Cloris Leachman was a beautiful, talented, wonderful actress! I loved her in everything.
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As always I loooove your essays. I fondly remember Miss Leachman as Hipolyta, Queen of the Amazons and mother to Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman in the 70s TV series' first season and I like to think about her exactly as a Queen and an Amazon full of wisdom, beuty and courage. May she rest in power.
I loved this video on Cloris Leachman! I learned so much about her early life and career that only raises my appreciation of her talent. I'm old enough to say that I saw The Last Picture Show in the theater, and I had NO idea that she was the same woman who played the polar-opposite Phyllis on the MTM show. What range, right?! Keep the fabulous videos coming, Ms. BKR. I look forward to the next installment.
When she passed away in 2021, it was hard to find one singular essential Cloris Leachman performance. Everyone is unique and stands out. I didn't know much about her early career until she passed away. I did want to go out and buy The Last Picture Show (1971) when she passed away, because her performance is a masterclass. Also, I feel like Polly Platt doesn't get enough credit, and when I did listen to You Must Remember This, I was thinking if there ever was a movie/miniseries on her, it would be similar to Fosse/Verdon. Thank you for covering this innovative, versatile actor that is Cloris Leachman.
Cloris was on stage on a panel with Mel Brooks when they honored an anniversary re-release of Young Frankenstein. Maybe it is TCM or The Academy, but I saw it on You Tube. Recommend it for her casual re-enactments when she was in her 90's.
He first movie role in 'Kiss Me Deadly', is short - but, certainly memorable. She was the perfect character actor - she could do serious, heavy drama, or she could be absolutely hilarious in her comedic roles. She was an absolute treasure, and she is missed. Thanks, for the lovely tribute to an amazing woman. :)
Thank you for unearthing this gem. She really was in the fabric of our cinematic lives. Rarely the main character but her presence… she was mesmerizing. Like Vernon Scott said the most recognizable but also the most underrated. Great job as per usual, I’ve noticed a lot of new channels are emulating your style but you remain the best 👏🏾🫶🏾🙏🏾
Leachman has NINE Emmys, if counting Daytime Emmys. I first saw her as "not-Mrs. Garrett" on The Facts of Life, and really loved her later work on Dancing with the Stars and even her small part at the end of You Again, but I love learning more about her earlier career! Thanks for this video, Izzy!
One of my favorites is when she was mom/mother in law/grandmother in Spanglish. It was a small roll but she had the perfect mix of zaniness and sincerity. It was uncanny how perfect her timing was. She always hit the right note. One hundred percent believable regardless of her role. Not many can do what she did. And oh my gosh those cheekbones!
I just recently watched “The Last Picture Show” and BOY does her performance still hold up. The entire movie in general does. The sadness she brought to Ruth is astonishing it all felt so real especially that monologue at the end. That Oscar was DESERVED! To me Cloris is the ULTIMATE character actress of her generation these new girls could never. I had my own thoughts of what the movie was going to be like and boy was I wrong. It really shows was teenager’s go through during their senior year (I just graduated) with the first love, exploring their sexuality, and losing friendships. Sonny was so relatable for me he lost so much and Ruth still wanted to be their for him even though he ignored her for months. Man if Cloris was still alive to this day just imagined if her and Allison Janney worked together that would have been epic.
I can honestly say that yours are the only videos I can't help to watch almost as soon as the notification arrives. Always a pleasure to take some time to chill and enjoy a great quality video essay.
THANK YOU, BAGGAGE CLAIM!! I first saw Cloris Leachman in "It's a Good Life," a soul-shattering episode on the original Twilight Zone, when I was ten. After that I always recognized her on TV. Then The Last Picture Show blew everybody away. I'm so happy to see her celebrated on your channel. A stunning actress in every way... and by the way, having and raising five kids during all that? Yeesh!
I love Cloris Leachman. I’m around your age, but my mom was a surprise baby for my grandparents who were 40 when she was born. She grew up watching all the classic shows and films like Mary Tyler Moore so in turn, my siblings and I grew up watching them on Nick at Nite, TV Land and TCM etc. Cloris Leachman was amazing, an icon in her own right. Double Double Toil and Trouble was my first exposure to her. I didn’t see “The Last Picture Show” until I was in my 20s and I was blown away. She was so talented. I love that you make videos about all of these Hollywood legends.
A nod to Prancer, yay! It's not only my enduring favorite Christmas movie, but it really is one of my all-around favorite childhood movies. It definitely put Cloris Leachman on my radar. I always recognized her when I often don't recognize anyone.
She was 😂😂😂 hilarious in Bad Santa, without barely speaking. That's talent. My favorite role is her portraying the witch in an old gem, Cannon Movie Tales Hansel and Gretel.
Wonderful as always…Never knew just HOW NICE it would be to be reminded how nice it would be to spend thirty minutes recalling this extraordinary woman’s career
I never realized that Frau Blucher will be the one role that she will be most remembered by until she died, and every tribute I saw from my friends on social media, and in the media in general, were about Frau Blucher (neieieigh!). Could she have imagined this when she took on that role?
I never thought you'd make a video about the wonderful Cloris Leachman, but, on second thought, of course you would because you have impeccable taste when it comes to actresses from the by-gone era of hollywood. I adored her in The Last Picture Show. Wow, what a performance. I was so happy that she won the Oscar and that she wasn't cancelled out because Ellen was also nominated. I felt Ellen's character was not as well fleshed out as Cloris' (Ellen should've won for Requiem for A Dream). I also just adore that film as a whole, all the moving parts are splendid and engaging from start to finish. On the other hand, I loved her in Malcolm in the Middle. Hilarious work, every time she opened her mouth i laughed. Great GREAT range
Cloris is one of my absolute favorites! On MTM she was my fave, on The Last Picture Show she broke my heart and on New York I Love You she made me cry! What a career…. I was born in the 80s in Puerto Rico and when I discovered her on MTM i couldnt stop!
Cloris was such an amazing talent, and I feel like people are only starting to realize it now more than ever, like all true artists. I think my favorite roles is such a stereotypical choice, but I can't not pick Frau Blucher (insert horse whinny here). She had some of the best comic timing, even alongside folks like Marty Feldman and Gene Wilder.
I remember becoming cognizant of her in Now and Then! And then realizing wait thats the lady from Young Frankenstein! Whoa! And then watching Mary Tyler Moore I just fell in absolute love with her!! She just always shows up and blows you away when you least expect it.
People forget, in the 70s there was still just three major television stations so if a show did well it was really kinda baked into the ethos at the time. MTM was one of those shows..
Stage, screen, tv, tragedy, comedy, musical, heroine, villian, temptress, dowager... didn't matter. Some people can act, or sing. Some are triple threats. A very few command such mastery that the performance seems both effortless and defining, no matter what genre they are working in. Cloris Leachman appeared to effortlessly define roles for decades. She could be subtle and broad, quiet and explosive, hilarious and heartbreaking, oftentimes in the same role. I can't think of anyone who played so many different characters, someone so impossible to typecast. Her one-offs were as memorable as her repeated roles, and her ability to sustain a character is unmatched. Thanks for this tribute/retrospective. She deserves a hundred more. Watching this made me think of another actor, someone who was as talented, but not as well known. Maybe you could look into Susan Oliver? She was a ubiquitous guest star on tv shows in the sixties in seventies, best known for her appearances on Star Trek. Thanks Blucher!
Thank you!🙏🏼 As a child of the 70's, I remember her character in MTM also, young Frankenstein and I adored her in Raising Hope. I had no idea how large her body of work was and her versatility!! This was truly a treat and now I'll be adding several movies you've mentioned to my queue. ☺️🍿
I'm a member of MST3K alum Mary Jo Pehl's "Clubhouse," which has a monthly movie night where we typically watch a made-for-TV Movie of the Week from the 1970s. We've seen some big faces there, and Cloris was in one of the most recent ones! We remember being really surprised; I only know her comedy work, and really only from her later years. Her "Grandma years" as you put it. It was a psychological drama that she was really effective in though. We were riveted! She brought life to what otherwise would be a middling Movie Of The Week.
Really excellent, informative and loving tribute to Cloris. One thing I would mention was that the theme song and opening credits to “Phyllis” were both catchy and hysterically funny ❤
I am 64 years old and tend to watch MeTv and Antena TV. Young and old Cloris Leachman is everywhere. I saw her in an episode of Mannix last night and who can forget that she is the mom in the Twilight Zone 's It'a Good Life ? Leachman was in my hometown of Rosenhayn NJ filming some of the scenes of The Migrants when l was in high school. Btw, Lassie is a rough collie, not a border collie
I had no idea that Cloris Leachman was in so many movies and shows that I watched as a kid, Sky High, Beverly Hills Hillbilly, Raising Hope, Malcolm in the Middle. She is truely amazing
The Facts of life & Joan of Arcadia were just two of my favorite Cloris tv shows not mentioned.❤🎉 Cloris was both poignant & hilarious & can make anything worth watching. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Love that you've highlighted Cloris! She is fabulous! My introduction to her was from the Facts of Life when she took over for Charlotte Rae. I enjoyed her in that series, but nothing compares to the love I had for her as Phyllis in Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was absolutely spectacular. Thank you for opening up my eyes to her movie performances. Definitely going to look up her film. Thank you again for you hard work and dedication to the channel!
The astounding talent Cloris Leachman was one of the most prolific, consistent and versatile performers in Hollywood history. Please feature another great actor also from the brilliant Young Frankenstein ensemble - the late great Madeline Khan. Her hilariously cheeky and eye popping entrance in "Paper Moon" is seared in movie history and In a sea of cutthroat scene stealers in "What's up Doc", she expertly held her own.
That Oprah episode I was 39 y/o! 😂 Check out Leachman's performance in the revival of "Mad About You" Helen Hunt said Cloris arrived in a wheelchair got up in front of the studio audience and knocked it out of the park! I think it's a testament to her talent!
My introduction to CL was in "The Facts of Life", my favorite tv show when I was a kid. I knew of her Oscar win, MTM, and Young Frankenstein, but I had no clue of her extensive list of credits. Thanks for the Hollywood history lessons!
When I was in my late teens and getting "into film" and I watched the Last Picture Show for the first time I had a double, triple, or quadruple take. I knew her from Mel Brooks' movies and sitcoms in 90s and 00s. I couldn't believe Cloris Leachman was playing THAT role! That she was a "real" actress and a beautiful one.
This was An Awesome look at an Amazing Woman's Career in "Moving Pictures", as well as "Theatre". Yet you never mentioned the fact that Cloris played Lynda Carter's Momma in "Wonder Woman". I loved this content, You were able to give Cloris yet another revival even after many that she had while she was alive. Can I mention how I Live For Mel Brooks and his cast of Zany Players and All Their Loveliness of 🎭 Performing. I would love to see one on 'Marty Feldman's, I was and still obsessed with him. Thank You For All You Do.
Cloris was a treasure ❤Her range, the diversity of work is just insane and def. iconic! She was really a fantastic actress. My late mother was a huge MTM Show fan, so naturally I became one, so that's when I first became a fan of Cloris' talents. Also (and to show my elder millennial age) but I remember renting School House Rock VHS's back in the day and there was Cloris introducing the songs like an MTV VJ! Seriously. Cloris was every-freaking-where, y'all! Her turn on 'The Facts of Life' is also so underrated, so much so you didn't even touch it here! It was rough going b/c Charlotte Rae was so beloved as Mrs. Garrett, and some of those late season plotlines were...a choice, lol, but as a fan of that show, Cloris was great and made what was a stand-in afterthought part into something special as Beverley Ann. She even had that quintessential "grandma role" in that one too in a wacky episode where the girls had a 'flash-forward' of them as elderly women. The FOL girls deserve credit b/c they held it down w/ Cloris who was chewing up the scenery as always. Thanks so much for giving Cloris her flowers 💐💐and for all that you do w/ these wonderful deep dives and tributes!
I grew up watching her on MTM and Cloris was my fav, too. She did a guest appearance on Bob's Burgers as Meryl Winters, an elderly resident at the Elegant Doily retirement home, whom Tina befriends and helps to find her long lost WWII era beau. Great episode, and I swear, Cloris might've ad libbed some lines cuz they are so real. Love your channel.
What's crazy is that I actually forgot Cloris Leachman was American because I mostly saw her in my youth playing vaguely Eastern European/Germanic women. I didn't really watch the MTM show until college and for whatever reason it didn't click to me that Phyllis was Grandma Ida from MITM. She was fantastic on Raising Hope and should've won another Emmy. Also sidenote: someone should do a video about ostensibly American/Canadian actors playing European so often you forget they're actually not. Victor Garber also comes to mind
I love both the book and the movie version of The Last Picture Show. It's one of the book to screen adaptations where I feel like every person feels like they walked directly out of the pages of the book.
She was such a funny woman but also had some dramatic chops considering “Last Picture Show” netted her that golden statue. And it’s funny to remember she was Mrs. Glick in “The Simpsons” for years
