My posts on Joan Rice (1930-1997) are always very popular and I would
like to thank you all for your kind messages. It makes it all worthwhile to
read comments from my readers.
Christian is a regular visitor to this web site and recently
sent me some lovely pictures of our Joan, including these from her last big
movie, His Majesty O’Keefe (1954). I have also included some of my own.
Sadly, this film, with Burt Lancaster, would be the pinnacle
of Joan’s very short rise to stardom. Why she faded from popularity with
Hollywood remains a mystery. But her memory lives on in the pages of this web
site and one fascinating article that I posted a few years ago, gives us an
insight into how she felt, flying out to America for the first time.
The Picturegoer Magazine dated September 13th
1952, printed a ‘letter’ from Joan Rice about her experiences flying to the
States to film ‘His Majesty O’Keefe’. In this remarkably candid letter we read
of her experiences of home-sickness, stage nerves, height problems, engagement,
her plans for marriage and preparations for film production.
Below is a short snippet:
“His Majesty O’Keefe’ is a period picture, and as well as
sarongs I am going to wear two lovely gowns. One is lavender lace and velvet
wedding dress with a bustle. I hadn’t seen the script then, but I knew there’s
an amusing scene where I try on the dress and then refuse to wear it, because I
have got it on the wrong way round and I don’t like that “hump” (that is the
bustle) in front.
The studio hairdressing department is like a Bond Street
salon. Even in the waiting rooms the appointments are magnificent. Hollywood
really tries to make its stars feel good. And the clips they used for waving
hair are better than ours. They give a softer wave without risk of breaking or
making a “line” in the hair.
They had to build me up on the chair because I am rather
short in the body. I didn’t quite reach the dryer. They piled cinema magazines
under me, so I really sat on the stars. I noticed the picture on top was of Ava
Gardner. Some of the Warners stars very kindly came to say “hallo” to me as I
spent those long hours in the make-up and hairdressing chairs. I couldn’t talk
to them (ever tried to talk with your head in a dryer, or while a man’s
painting your lips?), but it was all very friendly. Steve Cochran was
particularly charming.
Friendliness is one of the things about Hollywood. Leroy
Prinz, the director, said I was to come back to Hollywood and he’d put me in
musicals. I don’t know about that. I only know I’m booked for four months on
this film, in Fijii with Burt Lancaster, whom I’ve met only once – at a Royal
Film Performance. (I was very nervous-it was my first stage appearance.
Afterwards he grinned and said: “Well, it wasn’t so bad, was it?”) I think the
really surprising thing about Hollywood is that it’s just what you would expect.
If you’ve seen it in the pictures-you’ve seen it. People do just the same
things, in the same way, as on the screen. Of course, the sunshine is
indescribable-there just aren’t the words. It’s sun, sun, sun. You almost
expect it to blaze all night.”
To read the complete article, please click here
3 comments:
Thanks to Christian for the pics of Joan Rice.
Joan Rice (1930-1997)
From Joan's letter she says that she had met Burt Lancaster at a Royal Premiere in London before His Majesty O Keefe. He was in England to film The Crimson Pirate in 1951 and left here on 8 December 1951 so by then Joan would have finished on Robin Hood in the summer of that year. The Royal Premiere in 1951 was Where No Vulture Fly which I think was in November 1951 so she must have met him there. Also she says that she appeared on stage at this event which was often the case with these film stars. One good thing about the internet is that we can look up all these events and come to some conclusions but as I have said before it tends to leave more questins than answers.
Should have used my name Neil and NOT Anonymous. Clicked the wrong button in my excitement.
Neil
Post a Comment