Mary Astor

February 27, 2009





If you haven't seen much of Mary Astor yet, there are three films that will cement her status in your mind as one of the greatest actresses ever: The Maltese Falcon (and if you haven't seen this yet, come on already!) Dodsworth and The Great Lie.

I'm not even going to talk about The Maltese Falcon because everything that could be said is already floating out there on the internet somewhere.

But Dodsworth and The Great Lie. She plays almost polar opposites in these films. In Dodsworth, she is understated, subtle, refined, natural, and sweet. In The Great Lie, she is bold, brash, dramatic, and selfish. If ever there was an actress who could play two ends of the spectrum to unbelivable heights, Mary Astor was that actress.

Dodsworth is probably in my top ten, and Mary Astor's performance definitely nudged it into that sacred slot. She plays such a multifaceted character; dignified and spunky, aging and young; pretty and plain. She manages to do so much with what is really a supporting role, it is astounding.

The painting is 8"x8" acrylic on canvas

2 comments:

Millie said...

This is beautiful!

L. said...

great color contrast