From "Jean Marsh, ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ Actress and Co-Creator, Dies at 90/The British actress won an Emmy for her performance as the prim and proper parlormaid Rose Buck on the acclaimed ITV drama ['Upstairs, Downstairs']" (Hollywood Reporter).
I saw that yesterday and immediately watched the "Twilight Zone" episode, "The Lonely." Marsh plays a robot, given, mercifully, to a man condemned to 50 years alone on a desolate asteroid:
It's a great robot story! Watch the full episode here, on Vimeo. Great ending (with a great teaser for next week's show). I don't remember having seen "The Lonely" before, and I devotedly watched the show at the time, but perhaps not until after the first season, which aired in 1959, when I was 8.
The actor who plays the condemned man in "The Lonely" is Jack Warden. That blew my mind! I had just finished watching "Shampoo" (on The Criterion Channel) the previous night.
In "Shampoo," Warden plays the male character who is not played by Warren Beatty. I never go around thinking about Jack Warden! And yet yesterday, before I got the prompt to watch "The Lonely," I was thinking about Jack Warden. Here's the trailer, which has everything you need to know about Warren Beatty and just a bit of Jack Warden:
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31 comments:
Oooooh…if only the Dems could run that guy for President. Holy carp!
Out of respect for the dead, and for her getting there first, I will NOT do a Jean Marsh AI Sex Robot bit.
JSM
Jack Warden carried Heaven Can Wait
I remember that episode on the Twilight Zone very well, even though it's been a very long time since I watched it. And Jack Warden ! He was good in '12 Angry Men', but I thought he was very funny with Warren in 'Heaven Can Wait', especially where he meets 'Joe', the rich millionaire incarnation, for the first time.
Jean Marsh used to host the International Animation Festival TV series on PBS in the 1970s. I was into amateur animation at the time.
A precursor to other animation shows like MTV's Liquid Television, which gave Mike Judge his opportunity with his Beavis and Butthead short films.
She was extremely creeeeeeepy and Mombi in return to Oz. But in interviews she was always very grandmotherly and hoped children would "love to hate her character."
It is quite apt and reminiscent of Margaret Hamilton, who despite being the Wicked Witch, was extremely supportive of children charities.
Heaven Can Wait is another great Beatty/Warden movie.
Warden was also wonderful in The Verdict, though of course it was Newman’s picture. My wife and I also had a fondness for him in the light cop show Crazy Like a Fox, silly though it was.
"I never go around thinking about Jack Warden!"
If that were true, you wouldn't have to say it.
It’s a lonesome feeling to recognize that I’m the only one so far to recognize Ted Knight
One of my favorite twilight zone episodes.
Grok tells me that Jean Marsh got paid less for a season of Upstairs Downstairs than Valerie Harper got for an episode of Rhoda.
Feijin wrote: "It’s a lonesome feeling to recognize that I’m the only one so far to recognize Ted Knight."
I did, too! He played an annoying jerk. Working on his 'Ted Baxter' role even back then.
Warden was also great in While You Were Sleeping, another light rom-com. What a touch he had. That side-eye he could deliver!
Jean Marsh plays the evil queen in Willow. She was quite the scenery-chewer.
Jean Marsh was one of the creators of "Upstairs, Downstairs." Today, she'd get a producer's credit for that. Back then, she didn't. I wonder if she got a share of the proceeds.
The show seemed to go on forever - 66 episodes, covering from 1903 to 1930. It was only five seasons (or as the British say "series"). That's a long run for British (non-soap opera) show, but not so long in US terms.
Marsh was married to the third Doctor Who, Jon Pertwee, for a few years and appeared on the Dr. Who show. Wikipedia says that Pertwee looked a lot like Danny Kaye, and now that's hard to unsee.
I saw that episode about 10 years ago, and never realized it was "Rose" from Upstairs Downstairs. As for Warden, he's great in "12 Angry Men". I thought he was better in Heaven can wait, then Shampoo. I never bought him as a rich millionaire.
That Shampoo trailer is priceless. Perfectly chosen and edited. Better than watching the movie, which gets dismal. YMMV.
Jack Warden in "Brian's Song".
Marsh has a hairline like a Zizian in that TZ clip...not that there's anything wrong with that.
Putting in a good word here for a lesser-known Warden performance in Used Cars, an early (1980) Bob Zemeckis film starring Kurt Russell.
Russell plays a sleazy used car salesman working for the affable, unsuccessful Luke Fuchs. Luke is in competition with his scheming, successful brother Roy L. Fuchs, who owns the lot across the street.
Warden plays both Fuchs brothers in this black comedy that features Michael McKeon and David Lander (of Lenny & Squiggy fame), Joe Flaherty, Grandpa Al Lewis and '80s mainstay Wendie Jo Sperber.
Highly recommended.
I always remember Jack Warden in a dumb movie with Ryan O'Neal called So Fine. I don't recall many of the details, but Ryan O'Neal and whoever the leading lady was are staying on the main floor of Jack's house. Jack goes upstairs to bed and is roused by the sound of our leads copulating on the couch downstairs. He stands admiringly at the top stair rail, hands on his hips and bellows, "Now that's what I call fucking!"
"The Lonely": Death Valley! Ted Knight, uncredited! What exactly goes on between Corry and Alicia once he is convinced she is a woman?
warden was good at playing average joes. Sometimes vulgar. Sometimes gruff. Its why he was good in this TW zone episode. Miscast in shampoo as a millionaire.
Rose was "normal" character in Upstairs Downstairs that we were all supposed to empathize with. She was smart, but not too smart, level headed, and nice. My mother's favorite was "Mrs. Bridges". Georginia was a quite a dish.
She was in "Fatherland" which looks interesting. BTW, she wasn't just an actress - she helped create Up/downstairs with another woman.
Rod Serling had charming au naturel teeth.
Didn't really think too much about Jack Warden, but he was an underrated and under used actor. To me, he was a lot like Vic Morrow. Of their age and time they had a really subtle, soft way of presenting themselves as cool as a cucumber but kind of confused - but just for about one second! That's a classy way to way to be seen. Paul Newman did it perfectly - but he grabbed every scene. Of course, because he was paid to do that! These guys knew their roles.
I never saw "Shampoo," but I know that both Beatty and Warden were in "Heaven Can Wait" in 1978, which I did see.
I followed Ann's link to The Lonely. The interesting thing for me was to remember how we used to see an entire episode in 28 minutes and think it was a good way to see the story. I found it a little thin, or abrupt, but I enjoyed remembering TV shows from the 50s and 60s. I don't think sponsors would support that kind of programming today. Not enough glitz and subliminal messaging.
There's a dog groomer I used to drive by. Shampooch.
I love that.
oh no - It was Laundromut.
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