Members EricMontreal22 Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 Not a huge name in soaps, but she was in the primetime Dark Shadows. Another huge talent lost (I remember her most from the movie version of Guys and Dolls, and her role in the London cast and CD of Sondheim's A Little Night Music) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chris B Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 I remember her from Dark Shadows and that great film where she played a preacher. What was it? Elmer Gantry? I believe Shirley Jones was in it as well and Burt Lancaster. So sad to hear she's passed away as well! RIP to Jean Simmons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ann_SS Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 I remember her from Dark Shadows and other roles. RIP, Jean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted January 23, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 She was also in Spartacus--I forgot! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLooMzB_lgc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfpTKNwWrgE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphanguy74 Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 What a great actress. Believe it or not, THIS was my first exposure to her, playing the iconic character Helen Lawson (this is the mini-series opening credits, the title song is WONDERFUL): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted January 23, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 I adore Dionne (though more her 60sBacharach era) and had never heard of this show, or song! Thanks! In another thread we were talking about the classy Grande Dames of 80s prime time soaps--Jean woulda been ideal. DarkShadows bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc7OTI3nRjY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphanguy74 Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 Eric, it was a two part (4 hours), made for TV mini-series that aired in 1981. A really good remake, IMO... Lisa Hartman as Neely O'hara, and Jean as Helen Lawson were great together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paul Raven Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 Jean Simmons had other soap connections- She also appeared in the short lived primetime soap Angel Falls with Kim Cattrall,James Brolin and Peggy Lipton as well as the primetime soap pilot of Midas Valley with Robert Stack.Also a TV movie Golden Gate that I think was a pilot for a soap about a publishing company.Jean's co stars included Richard Kiley.John Saxon and Melanie Griffith. On the movie side I loved her in the 1947 film Uncle Silas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 Jean was a huge fan of the original Dark Shadows. She watched with her daughter, I believe. So to see her playing Liz was a nice treat. I wish she'd had more to do, but she brought real grace and class, and in that way was a worthy successor to Joan Bennett. She was also great in The Actress, with Spencer Tracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkH Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 OMG, off thread but those credits/cast were AMAZING. PURE 1970s television cheese! That was so ornate, it MUST have been intended as a possible pilot, right? I only saw Susann's ex-husband as Executive Producer, but I'm shocked Aaron Spelling wasn't behind this? That just seemed like a total Aaron Spelling deal. And Lisa Hartman! I will love Ciji till my dying day! Back to the thread: Simmons was pretty remarkable. Am I wrong, or was she also in Upstairs Downstairs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaytimeFan Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 I don't think she was in Upstairs Downstairs, though her North and South co-star, B&B's Lesley Anne Down, most certainly was. Sad for Lesley Anne, she was very good friends with Jean Simmons. I wasn't super familiar with Simmons' work, but I loved her in The Thorn Birds as the pathetic Fiona Cleary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alphanguy74 Posted January 23, 2010 Members Share Posted January 23, 2010 Mark, as far I know... it wasn't intended to be a pilot, just another gloriously trashy mini series that we all love so much. If I remember right, they did this remake of Valley Of The Dolls, because of the raging success of "Scruples" the year before which starred Linday Wagner and Barry Bostwick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted January 24, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 24, 2010 Aww Carol Lawrence the original West Side Story, Maria How do you get guest star status for a miniseries?? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MoTheGreat Posted January 24, 2010 Members Share Posted January 24, 2010 I love Guys & Dolls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cat Posted January 26, 2010 Members Share Posted January 26, 2010 I loved Jean Simmons as Estella in Great Expectations: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNPou58Lvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNPou58Lvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNPou58Lvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> She was only 14 and already very beautiful. Later in life she played Miss Haversham in another adaption of GE. She also had a small role in my favorite film, Black Narcissus (1940s trailer attached): <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6iiJk-LHOE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6iiJk-LHOE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6iiJk-LHOE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> She was married to Stewart Granger, the hammiest actor of the 50s (and that's saying something). Apparently, he was making Bowhani Junction with Ava Gardner in 1956 and Simmons was in Guys and Dolls with Frank Sinatra at the same time. Simmons and Sinatra started an affair and Gardner, incensed, tried to start a revenge affair with Granger. Granger claims he refused her advances. Snort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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