Geraldine Page was one of the greatest actresses ever! She was nominated for eight Oscars over a more than thirty year span. Miss Page finally won on her eighth nomination for "The Trip to Bountiful" in 1986. When he name was called as the Best Actress winner, she had to quickly put her shoes on before going up on stage to collect her Oscar. Later she explained that her new shoes were bothering her so she slipped them off since she was not really expecting to hear her name called.
She got a standing ovation that night. The feeling was "it's about time!" And not a nomination too soon, as it was her last and she died fourteen months later.
Something similar happened to Isabel Sanford the night she finally got her Emmy. Having many nominations but no win, she had just put a piece of cheese into her mouth from a hospitality tray when her name was announced. At the podium she apologized for being unable to speak clearly on account of still swallowing the piece of cheese.
Loved her in "The Trip to Bountiful", and "Dear Heart", both sort of whimsical roles which I think she played best. She was quite beastly in "Sweet Bird of Youth" and "Toys in the Attic" -- a very convincing type of beastlines. 11/2019
The very first dramatic play (n0n-musical) I ever saw on Broadway was on June 12, 1987 at the NEIL SIMON theatre starring the legendary Geraldine Page as a fortune teller named Madame Arcati in a revival of Noel Coward's BLITHE SPIRIT. I was visiting my hometown of NYC for my 20th birthday and my lover at the time (who paid for the trip) knew how much love and admiration I had for this wonderful actress of stage and screen. He surprised me with FRONT ROW tickets. It was a very entertaining show and Geraldine Page gave a delightful performance. She was nominated for a Tony award for Best Actress in a Play one week earlier but unfortunately lost out to Linda Lavin. After the show ended a crowd gathered around the stage door hoping to see this Grande Dame of the theatre heading home for the evening. As she exited the theatre she was so kind and gracious enough to sign her autograph on many fans PLAYBILLS, including my own which I still have to this day. It turned out to be her FINAL performance as she died suddenly the next morning from a massive heart attack at the age of 62. I will always be grateful for getting to see her very final performance live in person and to this day the movie SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH she made with PAUL NEWMAN is still one of my all-time favorites. They don't make actresses of her caliber anymore.
Truman Capote - Now that I know that the great Geraldine Page was in the movie with Paul Newman I can see her through some venue that shows older movies. I am going to try to find that movie maybe on Turner Classic Movies
In my opinion, Geraldine Page had an ever present distinctive air that set her apart from all other actresses. With great precision she could navigate the very peculiar traits of the unusual characters she typically portrayed,
My first memory of Geraldine Page was the broadcast of A Christmas Memory in 1966. I was eight at the time and I always remembered how mesmerizing she was in it. A great actress in anything she did.
I didn't like Tony Randall at first, but after seeing him in a couple of episodes, I have to admit that he is quite brilliant. He would have made a very good fourth panel member. Very smart and a good game player too.
@INTERNETWORK That is a high tribute to Randall, who appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson I believe more than any other guest, since Welles could always be entertaining because he felt no compunction to ever tell the truth about himself.
Shortly after she had won the Oscar for A Trip To Bountiful I was having dinner at an Italian restaurant in Laguna Beach California and she was having dinner there also with her family. The restaurant was called Villa James and my friends and I ate there often. I did not approach her for an autograph as I am not that kind of person. She was so friendly with the staff and seemed to happy.
Loved Geraldine Page in “The Trip to Bountiful”; what a marvelous film. She and actor Rip Torn were married for 24 years until her death. Their twin sons Tony and John Torn appeared in that movie... the young men in line at the bus station.
Tony still lives in the Torn-Page apartment. It's my pleasure to know all three of Geraldine's children. Angelica, her daughter, is very much like her, methinks.
I just finished watching Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? with Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon... Great movie and Page is superb.. absolutely flawless... So sad that she died young... well, kind of young.. I mean 62 isn't THAT old... won't be long I'll be 62... lol... I was gonna say something else, but I forgot what it was...
THANKS for your comment ! I remember going to a local theater as a teen to see "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice" and my friends & I enjoyed it very much ! You are right, 62 is a young age to die ! Ms Page and her awesome and amazing talent are sorely missed !
Tony Randall, after revealing Geraldine Page, turns to Alrene Francis and says "she's fantastic in that play!" [ 17:50 ] then John Daly states "...brilliantly" followed by off screen (I believe Dorothy Kilgallen) "....oh she's just wonderful!" Loved her, Geraldine Page's humble smile of gratitude by the reception of the panelist
Well said and well put ! The late great Ms Page was a true force of nature. Truly one of the greats ! Thank you for your insightful & thoughtful comment !! :-)
How interesting this episode was in 1963. It was the '63 Oscars that Joan Crawford asked to accept the award for Geraldine Page if she happened to be the winner.
I have a notion to second that emotion ! She really shined in films but they say she glowed onstage....I wish I would have been able to see her onstage ! Such a talented lady....my fave performance of hers in in Woody Allen's "Interiors", which was his first dramatic film.
@@jubalcalif9100 I consider Interiors to be Page's finest performance on film. What always strikes me is the look in her eyes, which is wholly expressive of the character's mental and emotional distress. How she achieved that is a mystery. Astonishing actress.
@@jasonhurd4379 Extremely well put, Mr Hurd ! Many thanks for sharing an unusually perceptive & thoughtful comment ! The marvelous Ms Page was a truly an American Treasure. Wonderful in everything she did; but especially magnificent in "Interiors" and also I think in "Summer and Smoke".
Anything I have ever heard or read about Geraldine Page, whether it be professionally or personally, she was real. I have a feeling we don't know, even remotely, the real Meryl Streep. As far as her talent, I think of Katharine Hepburn's appraisal..click click click.
If you've been watching these great shows chronologically, like I have, seeing Arlene back is a joy after her terrible car accident. Right arm appears to be in a cast or a sling. But she's still a delight.
RE: Mystery Guest Geraldine Page. Here she is around the time of “Toys in the Attics” and “Dear Heart.” She earned 9 Oscar nominations between 1953 and 1985, which makes her like the Spencer Tracy of 20th Century Actresses. When F Murray Abraham announced her the best actress Oscar award in 1986 for “The Trip to Bountiful,” he said that he considered Geraldine Page the greatest actress in the English language. On stage, Anne Jackson said, acting with her was like playing tennis with someone who had 26 arms. Unfortunately for that language and us, she died just a year after her Oscar win.
She was fantastic in Woody Allen's "Interiors", his first attempt at serious drama. Parts of the film were creaky, and plenty of people disliked it, but I've never heard anyone say a word against her performance, which was mesmerizing.
Heretofore, I had less than a passing interest in Ms. Page. However, after reading these comments attesting to her acting prowess, my interest is piqued and I want to look into her body of work!
@@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043 She was brilliant. But unfortunately with many actors like Page, theater was her first love. She did do films, so can see some,but so much of her brilliant work was on stage
The first time I heard of Geraldine Page was when I saw the 1977 Disney animated film "The Rescuers", on VHS as a child. She voiced the villain in the film, Madame Medusa, and did a terrific job at it. Over-the-top, and funny, all at once.
Ahh-ha! Watched that just a few days ago in the company of my precious youngest grandson! When movies appear on television, the end credits are generally cut, minimized, and/or sped up where you can’t comprehend any of it. I still consider them just as important and intriguing as the movie itself. In fact, I prefer the backstory, or how a film was made, over the finished product itself. But I digress. I’m going to look more into Geraldine Page, so thank you for the spark in lighting my fire of curiosity.
That's actually kind of rude. It sounds like it's so important that this woman who was in a horrible accident and injured badly LOOK appealing to the eye. I wouldn't care if she showed up with a sling over her clothing, as I'd care more about her health and comfort. She looks dreadfully uncomfortable trying to keep this "discreet." Ugh.
@@lilybean835 What you are saying certainly has an element of truth, however if Arlene were part of this conversation I think she might gently rebuke you with humor. She might say 'Darling, it is never bad to try to look good'. Times have changed. In this period of history it was more important to be a "good soldier" than to display an infirmity.
One expects the puns from Bennett Cerf, but I found Tony Randall's "How strange the interlude should come my way" was one of the more clever puns I've heard in quite some time.
Patrick Kerwin It's not an academic distinction I'm making here, but sure, refer to this as the way I "want to put it". Bennett was specifically known for puns, not wordplay (of which puns are only one type). Many people, myself included, consider puns to be one of the lowest forms of humor. I wouldn't mind never hearing another pun again for the rest of my life.
I miss Tony Randall...I believe he was one of the most talented actors of his generation, had an exceedingly quick wit and was always such a gentleman besides. Loved seeing him as a guest panelist on this What’s My Line episode.
I thought the first contestant, Dick Tiger, was interesting. His last professional fight was at Madison Square Garden on 7/15/70, and, unfortunately, he died of liver cancer the following year at the age of 42. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Tiger
Part of the reason I love these shows is the marvelous command of English the panel members have. No "like" or "so" sprinkled throughout what they say. They mostly speak in complete sentences. Makes me sad for our current education system...
Poor, sweet Arlene appeared to still be struggling mentally and physically. Love having her back though! What a void she leaves when she's gone. On a happier note, Dorothy's hair and makeup was lovely on this episode.
The Brave Introvert - Now I would be greatly annoyed if I did not address the huge stone on Arlene's ring. The way she holds her hand shows it off. I hope I am wrong.
The comments below re: the play Geraldine Page was performing in at the time ofthis appearance on WML are QUITE uninformed. Yes, Eugene O'Neill's STRANGEINTERLUDE, the 1928 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, was 6 hours long. But it waspresented with a dinner break. It was also the first public production of theActors' Studio Theater in March, 1963 with an all-star cast that included Page,Ben Gazzara, Franchot Tone, Jane Fonda, Betty Field and even an 11-year-oldRichard Thomas. It was quite an Event and received mostly favorable reviews.It's three month run was partially dictated by other commitments among thecast members as well as a forced transfer to another theater that limited itsbox office sales. But make no mistake: this play and production were quite a Triumph!
Bennett had so many literary contacts and great stories (which he could have reserved the telling of about the dead) that I believe he would have been an interesting talk show host, on the order of a David Susskind, not a Paar or Carson of course. But he had Random House money and could live as he pleased. The Strange Interlude story made me think of that. Imagine KNOWING Eugene O'Neil in his prime; and all of the other greats he was associated with.
If I was the Middleweight Champion of the World, I would be a bit pissed off if I wasn't automatically recognised, regardless of what clothes I was wearing. But then again, I don't think many people are as nice as Dick Tiger. A brutal competitor in the ring and a true gentleman outside it who left us far too soon. Rest in peace.
Not really....many people - including those on this panel, except Tony Randall, really didn't follow sports in great detail, especially boxing. Middleweight fighters are frequently not widely known - they are not known like their Heavyweight counterparts. Chances are you wouldn't recognize today's Middleweight champion if you tripped over him...I know I wouldn't, and I've followed sports for decades. They just aren't widely recognized...nothing unusual here that he is not recognized.
@@waldolydecker8118 *ABSOLUTE NONSENSE* This isn't just boxing but boxing at the very highest level that was regularly shown on television. And why was it on television? Because there was sufficient interest for it to be broadcast both nationally and internationally. Unlike today where you have God knows how many world champions in a weight category, Tiger was the *ONLY* world champion in the middleweight division at the time, as Paul Pender had recently retired. This is the *SAME* middleweight division that is often regarded as the most exciting of all and where legends such as La Motta, Robinson and Basilio had recently competed. You shouldn't assume that your ignorance and the panel's ignorance applies to everyone else. Don't talk to me about things you know nothing about.
@@ppuh6tfrz646 - I'll talk to you about whatever I want to talk to you about, clown, whether you like it or not, capiche? Now I say again, big mouth, the proof is in the pudding...neither the panel, nor the MAJORITY of Americans knew or gave a rats azz who the middleweight champion of the world was in 1963, nor do they today. Maybe you have the IQ of a typical boxer or like some, have just taken too many shots to the head; either would explain why you think Mr Tiger should be "pissed off" that this panel didn't automatically recognize him. To the champ's credit - and the WML staff's credit - they all had more sense than you to realize that this panel most likely did not spend much extracurricular time following middleweight pugilism. There's always one nut job like yourself who has a passion for something but lacks common sense to figure out that the MAJORITY of the rest the country doesn't follow your passion closely or for that matter, have any interest in it - as the panel proved. Nice try, Skippy, now beat it.
Dick Tiger was pretty well known at the time. I'm surprised that they didn't have the blindfolds on. He was the middleweight world champion, someone was bound to recognize him.
Randy Bailin Sports just weren't covered as well in the media as they are now. Earlier on a show Frank Gifford was on. They had no masks on and didn't recognize him even though he was the star of their home team NY Giants.
+Randy Bailin If he had signed in with his professional name, it would have been a different story. But by using his birth name and in native costume, it was enough of a misdirection. Furthermore, he didn't particularly have any distinguishing features that made his appearance stand out. I was fairly knowledgeable about boxing at this time (going on age 11). I could have picked out champion black boxers Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson, Emile Griffith and within a year Muhammad Ali by sight. I would have had a tougher time picking out Dick Tiger by sight, especially if I was told a different name to throw me off.
It was a very different world in those days, not the global village that it is today. In those days, you’d be hard pressed to find people who’d even heard of Nigeria. Nigeria had just obtained its independence in 1960 and only became a republic in October of 1963.
Two things, kept waiting for Oscar to show up. Pope of Greenwich Village for just how great Ms. Page was... couldn't imagine dinner conversation with her and Rip.
Watching these shows in order from the beginning, and I thought it would be fun to point out improvements large and small since its early days. 1. The panel. Dorothy, Arlene, and Bennett are great together, and made even better by their friendly sparring with John. Fred Allen and Steve Allen were wonderful as regulars. Guest panelists ranged from excellent to insufferable, but averaged pretty darn good, IMO. 2. The demise of the walk of shame. How did they ever think that was a good idea? 3. The end of the free guess. It was a cute idea, but in practice it took more time than it was worth, as well as spelling a quick end to a contestant when one of the guesses was right. (Side note: even years after the free guess ended, John continued to say "We'll start the general questioning with..." When the free guess went away, he could have skipped the word "general".) 4. John stopping the practice of explaining the scoring to every contestant. What a waste of time. 5. John abbreviating the explanation for why the panel was blindfolded for a non-MG. "An element of identification" is a whole lot shorter than "It may be something in costume, or in handwriting, or ..." Any other thoughts?
@@PaulDA2000 For the first 3 or 4 years of the show, contestants had to walk past the panel and comply with "reasonable" requests before sitting down next to John. This has become known in the comments on this channel as the walk of shame.
mikejschin Oh OK so you mean the regular contestants not the celebrities? I haven’t watched many of them yet I’m more interested in watching the celebrity part.
@@PaulDA2000 Yes, it was the regular contestants. Interesting that you prefer watching the celebrities. I do enjoy seeing them in their "natural habitat" rather than playing a role, but I find the workaday people fascinating too.
JCD talks of Mary Detreaut handling "subjective" emergencies, but I believe anyone with the title of stewardess at that time was trained for emergency medical situations. It brings to mind the heroic efforts of the stewardess after the famous[& infamous] train crash of The City of San Francisco in 1939.
Dick Tiger (born Richard Ihetu; August 14, 1929 - December 14, 1971) was a Nigerian professional boxer who held the undisputed middleweight and light-heavyweight championships. Tiger was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. After retiring from boxing, Tiger worked as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. One day, he felt a strong pain in his back. Tested by doctors, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He had been banned by the Nigerian government in his country because of his involvement in the Biafran movement; however, the ban was lifted immediately after news about his condition arrived in Nigeria. He died of liver cancer on 14 December 1971 in Aba, Nigeria, at the age of 42.
A bit of irony here, in that I happen to be watching this installment on Father's Day, 2020, which originally aired just shy of 9 years before my late father was included in that observance (with my birth). It is now a longer interval since he was alive to mark his final one, with his passing occurring nearly eleven full years ago.
I can only say that G Page is an actress that is up there with ANYONE and even better than these loud mouths now a days. She could even make stone face Glenn Ford show emotion in Dear Heart" NOt a huge hit but Ms Page just exudes such real feelings and its like you are seeing a lady going thru so much. Check it out, its a cute tender film
They said the play that Miss Page was performing in was 6 hours long. Can you imagine?! I looked it up and it was only on Broadway for barely 3 months so I'm guessing most didn't want to sit in one place that long.
The bridal veil salesman gave the brand name of his product -- at first I thought he was saying "Marionette" which seemed a little incongruous for a bride. On second thought I'm wondering if it was spelled "Marry-in-net" and pronounced as marionette.
![What's My Line? - Geraldine Page; Tony Randall [panel] (Jun 16, 1963)](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
