"Taking joy in life is a woman's best cosmetic."-Rosalind Russell

We apologize for the delay, but here is the last post for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Think PINK post #3:

Rosalind Russell

Born June 4, 1907

Died November 28, 1976

Catherine Rosalind Russell was born in the summer of 1907 to parents James and Clara. She was the middle child out of 7 children in a Catholic family with Irish heritage. Growing up, Russell and her siblings all attended Catholic school. Later on, she enrolled in Marymount College for a time. She had a secret desire to be an actress, although her parents wanted her to become a teacher. When she did begin to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, she was away from home, and told her parents that she was studying education.

Even though she was working to be an actress on Broadway, her first form of recognition was as a model.  She was a natural comedian, and soon earned several bit parts in plays on the big stage. In the late 1920s,

Russell was offered a job with a stock company at Saranac Lake. She finally came clean to her parents and told them about the job offer. They were not supportive and tried to persuade her not to take it, but she eventually accepted the offer despite her parents objections. She remained in that company for about 7 months, before joining up with a new stock company in Hartford. When her run was over there, she relocated to Boston and joined a theater group run by Edward E. Clive. From Boston, she later returned to New York and continued to act on the stage. Many people do not realize that Russell also had a beautiful singing voice. She decided to take vocal lessons and was soon singing in the opera. She did well there, but eventually decided it was not the place for her. She had a lower vocal range, and her inability to hit some of the higher notes meant that she was not usually given lead roles. Having spent several years developing her craft and gaining experience on the east coast, Russell decided to officially relocate to Hollywood to see what the silver screen had to offer.

Russell arrived in Los Angeles in 1930 and within no time, she had her first film contract with Universal Pictures. She later recalled that during her time with Universal, she felt that she was passed over and ignored most of the time. She said that no one there treated her with any respect, and whenever she was working with people, they humiliated her. No matter how much she wanted to be an actress, Russell was not willing to remain tied to a studio that constantly attacked her self esteem. She terminated her contract, and managed to extricate herself from Universal without too much difficulty, and on her own terms, which was practically

unheard of at the time. Russell directly moved to Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Given that her first experience with a film studio was so terrible, she was nervous about her screen test with MGM. She did her best, and the studio liked her. Later on, she swore that the only reason they decided to hire her was because of her close up picture that was taken by Harold S. Bucquet.

Russell's film debut was in the motion picture Evelyn Prentice (1934), which gave her quite a bit of notoriety even though she did not have the lead role. It quickly became clear that she excelled in comedies such as Forsaking All Others (1934), Man Proof (1938), Four's a Crowd (1938), her famous role in His Girl Friday (1940), and many more. However, she also showed audiences that she could act in dramatic roles like Reckless (1935), or Craig's Wife (1936), and also in thrillers like Fast and Loose (1939). Despite the fact that Russell had shown that she could play in any genre, she was still subject to typecasting. She was soon pigeonholed as the sophisticated and dignified lady. Russell approached directors with pleas to help her change her image, which eventually resulted in her role in The Women (1939), as the frivolous and deplorable gossip Sylvia Fowler. The film was a hit and helped audiences look at her in a new light.

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Russell spent most of the 1940s devoting her time to comedies. One of her most famous comedic roles was as Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday (1940) alongside Cary Grant. She also excelled in the motion picture My Sister Eileen (1942), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. While she was dominating the silver screen in Hollywood, Russell was also adjusting to changes in her personal life during the early 1940s. She married Frederick Brisson in 1941. Brisson was the son of famous Danish actor Carl Brisson. The two were introduced by fellow actor Cary Grant during the filming of His Girl Friday (1940), and were married a year later, with Grant serving as best man at the wedding. Brisson was the love of Russell's life, and the two remained married until her death.

In the early 1950s, Russell returned to the east coast for a lead role in the Broadway musical Wonderful Town (1953). The play was based on My Sister Eileen (1942), and was an immediate success. She would play the lead role a third time on television in 1958. It was later that same year that she would take up the role in one of the most memorable films of her career, playing the title role in Auntie Mame (1958). She remained active in her career throughout the 1960s. Towards the end of the decade, in 1966, Auntie Mame was casting for a Broadway production. Naturally, Russell was offered the part, but she declined due to ill health.

Russell was diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in the mid to late 60s. She greatly struggled with the disease, and eventually lost the battle. Rosalind Russell died from complications due to breast cancer on November 28, 1976 at the age of 69. In the 38 year span of Russell's career, she starred in over 50 major motion pictures, 2 films made for television, and many plays. She was nominated 4 different times for an Academy Award for Best Actress, won 5 Golden Globe Awards, and won 2 Laurel Awards for Top Female Comedy Performances. Rosalind Russell was a true actress and genuine comedian, and a strong and beautiful woman who suffered from the effects of breast cancer.

"Acting is standing up naked and turning around very slowly."

-Rosalind Russell

"A man is insensible to the relish of prosperity until he has tasted adversity."

-Rosalind Russell

"An impeccably dressed lady is always viewed with suspicion in real life and when you strut onto the screen with beautiful clothes and charming manners, the most naive of theatergoers senses immediately that you are in a position to do the hero no good."

-Rosalind Russell

"Flops are a part of life's menu and I've never been a girl to miss out on any of the courses."

-Rosalind Russell

Thank you all so much for joining in this month for what we hope will be an annual segment of Think PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness. These beautiful and talented women that we have posted about struggled with breast cancer and eventually died from complications many years ago. But there are still beautiful and strong women who struggle with the same disease today.

Always hope and work for a cure, and always Think PINK!

Join us both Wednesday and Thursday, the 30th and 31st of October for some vintage costumes and the history of trick-or-treating.

Happy Halloween!

"Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance."-Mozart

Question: What is more classic than classical music?

Answer: Nothing!

I admit, classical music is one of those types of things where, if you're not accustomed to it, it can be somewhat more difficult to appreciate. I come from a family with an appreciation and in some cases love for classical music. Naturally, I didn't pay as much attention to it when I was younger, but I love it now. And not to seem cliche, but one of my favorite classical composers is Mozart.

The Man:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Born January 27, 1756

Died December 5, 1791

Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was born in the winter of 1756 in Salzburg. It comes as no surprise that one of the world most famous composers took an interest in music from an early age. Both of Mozart's parents were musical; particularly his father, Leopold, who was a composer and music teacher, who even published successful textbooks on instruments. Mozart also had an older sister, Maria Anna, who was a very talented musician. Leopold Mozart educated his daughter on the clavier, and while her talent was considerable, it was his 3 year old son who seemed desperate to learn. Leopold was amused at his son's interest, so he began to pick out and play various tunes on the keyboard to entertain him. Amazingly, the young Mozart would listen and then play them back to his father perfectly from memory.

Mozart's obvious genius for music did not stop there. He was only a mere 5 years of age when he composed his first complete pieces of music. His sister claimed that he did so spontaneously, and would then come to his father and play them. Leopold would then write down the notes on sheets of paper.Mozart and his sister were formally trained in all subjects, with emphasis on music, by their father at home. When Maria Anna and her younger brother were 11 and 6 respectively, they went as a family to tour Europe. In front of royal courts and crowds of strangers, the two children unabashedly displayed their musical talents. It was during this tour that historical accounts say Mozart met the future Marie Antoinette and said that he loved her and asked her to marry him. Undoubtedly the course of history would have been very different for them both if that had happened. Besides royalty, Mozart's father had high hopes that this tour would bring his son face to face with famous musical names of the day, in order to further educate him on different styles and genres. Such introductions and acquaintances were made, particularly with Johann Christian Bach, whom Mozart greatly admired.

Traveling so extensively was very difficult, and sometimes even dangerous, during that time period. After serious bouts of illness it was decided that Mozart and his father would continue on while Maria Anna and Anna Maria would remain in Salzburg. It was on a visit to Italy that they were privileged to be invited to listen to a performance of Miserere--a closely guarded and seldom shared treasure of the Vatican in Rome. Afterwards, Mozart wrote it out in it's entirety from memory, therefore producing the first unauthorized copy of the musical piece.

Once the European tours ended and Mozart returned to Salzburg he was officially employed by Prince-Archbishop Heironymus Colloredo as a court musician. While this was a very good step for developing his music, 17 year old Mozart was unhappy with this position. As his musical abilities grew even more, he had a desperate desire to compose opera, but there was no place for this in the city. On a more basic level, he disliked the lowliness of the position and it's accompanying low salary. He officially resigned in 1777 and went to look for employment elsewhere.

Mozart wandered through various different cities but could not find work, despite his popularity. While he was travelling in 1778 his mother, Anna Maria, died. This further decreased his desire to return to the confines of Salzburg, since he was very fond of his mother. Unfortunately, he would be forced to return in 1779 to accept a position that his father had set up for him as a concertmaster and court organist. The tension was still there between Mozart and his employers and it only increased over time.

Mozart accompanied his opera Indomeneo to Munich in 1781. The people of the city loved his new work and hailed him with praise that he felt was only rightfully deserved. When that praise did not extend to his employers in Salzburg, Mozart attempted to resign from his position but he was not granted permission until a month later when he was literally kicked out. Mozart dusted himself off and was happy to finally have the freedom to compose what he wished for whomever he liked. He decided that he would stay in Vienna, and things seemed to be going well. The city was kind to him, work was good, and it was during this time that, after a rocky and whirlwind courtship, he was married to Constanze Weber in 1782.

This seemingly blissful period did not last long, however. Mozart was a terrible manager and steward of his finances and insisted on living beyond his means. He and his new wife moved into a fashionable house in the city, and even hired servants. It was difficult for a freelance solo musician to acquire performance space within theaters and opera houses, so Mozart was reduced to booking any public venue he could find. Following the major success of two of his most important works, The Marriage of Figaro (1786) and Don Giovanni (1787), Mozart began to sink into financial insecurity and depression.

There is evidence as early as 1788 that Mozart was desperate to make ends meet. He was composing less and begging for money more. He sloughed through the next 3 years until things finally started to look up in 1791. The fact that he began to compose with passion again suggests that he was overcoming his depression. He also began to sell simpler compositions as well as work for hire. The letters from the Mozart household begging for money began to stop, and he slowly began to pay off his debts. Unfortunately, Mozart began to struggle with illness in the fall of 1791 while he was traveling for his work. He continued to push forward until he became seriously ill and bedridden on November 20, 1791. To this day it is not known what ailed the young composer. There are medical theories of all kinds, from complicated and extremely rare kidney disorders, to the much more basic diagnosis of rheumatic fever. He remained ill until his death at the age of 35 on December 5, 1791. By the time of his death, the musical genius had written 64 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, 4 horn concertos, 7 woodwind concertos, 18 piano sonatas, 36 violin sonatas, 23 string quartets, 6 string quintets, 13 serenades, 14 marches, 18 masses, 17 church sonatas, 8 pieces of organ music, 22 operas, 39 canons, and much more, amounting to 1000 pieces of music total.

The Movie:

Amadeus

1984

Starring Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, and F. Murray Abraham

The film is based around a trifle of a feud between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Hulce) and the Italian composer Antonio Salieri (Abraham). While it is true that there are letters which show Mozart expressed some frustration towards Salieri (and vice versa) for various reasons, the two never had an extensive and bitter feud as the plot in this film suggests.

The story is narrated by a dying Salieri to a priest after he has tried to commit suicide so as to atone for his sins towards the great composer Mozart, long since deceased. He tells about his passion for music which has been kindled since childhood, and how he vowed to God to devote his career to Him. He began to gain success and then was astonished to find the flighty, vulgar, ridiculous and immature youth of Mozart come into court life and begin to steal his glory. Throughout the movie a remarkably accurate account of Mozart's life and career is portrayed, from his first employment with the court, to his marriage to Constanze (Berridge), to his great financial difficulties, depression, illness, and eventually his death.

It is revealed that Salieri feels responsible for Mozart's death by competing with him and praying for his own success so that it drove Mozart to his untimely death. Throughout his narrative, Salieri reveals his bitterness at the fact that Mozart, who outshone him in every way despite his own equally impressive musical talents, was treated as a god who laughed in the face at Salieri's achievements. The movie ends wit Salieri dubbing himself the Patron Saint of Mediocrity, and he is shown blessing all the other invalids in the asylum as Mozart's high-pitched laugh can be heard.

"Nevertheless the passions, whether violent or not, should never be so expressed as to reach the point of causing disgust; and music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music."

-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."

-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Despite the fact that it probably can't truly be classified as a classic film since it was released in the 1980s, I adore Amadeus. I've owned it on VHS since I was a tiny tot and I have watched that tape over and over again so many times that I am amazed that it still works. It was also enormously successful at the time of it's release, being nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning 8. It is also worth pointing out that, other than exaggerating the feud between Mozart and Salieri, the film is a historically accurate portrayal and representation of Mozart's life, which also (of course) features much of his beautiful and extraordinary music.

Here is the trailer of the film:

"Winter must be so cold for those with no warm memories.."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #7

Today is December 15th, so we've got 10 days til Christmas!

Crazy!

An Affair to Remember

1957

Starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr

During a winter holiday on board a cruise ship heading from Europe to New York City, an unlikely pair meets and falls in love. Nickie Ferrante (Grant) is a very wealthy, playboy, socialite. Terry McKay (Kerr) is just your average, beautiful, well-educated woman. The only problem is that Nickie is in a very well publicized relationship, headed to the altar in a short period of time, and Terry is also in a relationship.

The two of them can't deny their attraction and feelings for one another, so just before the ship arrives in New York they make a deal. In six months' time, if they still want to be with each other and they can get themselves respectable careers, then they will meet at the top of the Empire State Building and get married.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the two meditate on their feelings each day that they are apart. Nickie decides to actually do something with his life and becomes an artist. At the end of six months the two are both excited and anxious to meet one another just as they planned. Nickie arrives at the top of the Empire State Building first, so he waits. Terry is just a few blocks away, within sight of the building. In her excitement, she is looking up as she is running across the street and she gets hit by a car. She survives, but she is taken away for special treatment. Nickie is shown waiting at the top of the building, not knowing what is happening as sirens are heard from down below.

Some time later it is shown that Terry, now a teacher, is confined to a wheelchair. It is also revealed that she never contacted Nickie to tell him what happened because she didn't want him to see her as an invalid. At the beginning of the Christmas holidays later that year, Nickie and Terry both happen to attend the same ballet. Terry is still in her theater seat when he sees her, so he still has no knowledge of her condition. Bitter, believing she just stood him up that summer, he simply nods and says, "Hello," as he passes.

On Christmas Eve, Terry is at home by herself in her apartment when she gets a visitor. Nickie looked up her address and came to confront her about why she stood him up that day. He tries to bring up the subject, but she dodges all his questions, not wishing to talk about it. eventually he puts all of the clues together, and sees her wheelchair in her room, finally realizing that she never intended to leave him there. Completely apologetic, the two of them embrace and the movie ends on the positive note that as long as Nickie can paint and they can work on it together, then Terry can learn to walk again.

There are certainly sad parts to this movie, but it is also very heartwarming. There is a lot of wit and humor, and of course it is a romance with a happy ending.

To view the trailer, click this link:

An Affair to Remember trailer

If you are interested in giving this as a gift, or just in buying it for yourself, you can price/buy it if you click on this link:

Amazon: An Affair to Remember

Hope you enjoy this classic Christmas film.

Come back tomorrow for another post on a fun Christmas tradition.

And in the meantime, have A Very Vintage Christmas!

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings.."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #1

It is officially the 1st of December, and therefore A Very Vintage Christmas starts RIGHT NOW!

And for the benefit of your knowledge, it is officially 25 days until Christmas.

It's A Wonderful Life

1946

Starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Henry Travers

George Bailey (Stewart) is an all-around genuinely good man. He is a loving husband, a doting father, an efficient and hardworking business man, and he always loves his neighbor as himself. He lives in a small town--the kind of town where everybody knows everybody else and their mother. Yes, George Bailey is your average, good man. But on Christmas Eve in 1946, prayers are sent to heaven asking God to help George who has found himself in a bit of trouble and is in desperate need of help and encouragement. So, after he is briefed on George, his background, and his situation, an angel by the name of Clarence Odbody (Travers) is sent to help him.

Clarence arrives just in time--as a dispirited, discouraged, and fearful George is just about to jump off of a bridge on the outskirts of town. Clarence comes out of nowhere and jumps into the freezing water instead, knowing that a man with a good heart like George will make it a priority to help someone else in need, despite his own troubles. That's exactly what happens. George pulls Clarence out and the latter informs him that he is George's guardian angel, sent to earth to help him and hopefully earn a set of wings in the process. George naturally doesn't believe it and thinks it much more likely that Clarence is some loony, old man. George is more dispirited than ever and he audibly wishes that he had never been born. Knowing that George does not understand the severity of his wish, Clarence grants it for a time, just to show George how different life would be and how his loved ones would fare if he had never existed at all.

So, Clarence serves as a kind of Ghost of Christmas Past and takes George to view his life without his presence. George is devastated by what he sees. He is forced to open his eyes and see that, no matter what troubles he is facing now, he still has so many blessings that outweigh them, and he has done so much good to so many other people. George sees that it was wrong to have contemplated taking his own life, because he still has a purpose. He becomes desperate to go back to the way things were, and to return to his life and his family, knowing that it will be worth it no matter what consequences he has to face.

His prayer is answered and he is granted his life once again. Overjoyed, he runs home through the snow-covered town. Authorities are at his home to arrest him when he arrives for the financial difficulties he was facing, but he is so happy to be reunited with his family that he does not even care--he just runs around the house, kissing his wife Mary (Reed) and their four children. And then, George fully realizes how wonderful his life really is when all of the townspeople arrive at his home with enough money to help him avoid his arrest.

The whole town, all gathered together in the Bailey house, begins to sing a Christmas carol and a bell is heard ringing, signifying that an angel somewhere has earned his wings.

If you are looking for a feel-good holiday movie to help you really get into the generous and grateful spirit of Christmas, then this is the perfect film for you. It is simple and sweet, with romance and humor, and just like every good Jimmy Stewart movie, it has a lesson to be learned.

If you would like to watch this movie right now, in it's entirety, please click on this link:

It's A Wonderful Life Full Movie

And, since Christmas is also the gift-giving season, if you're interested in pricing or buying this film then please click on this link:

BUY NOW: It's A Wonderful Life

Please check back with us again tomorrow afternoon for a post on a classic Christmas tradition.

And be sure to have yourselves A Very Vintage Christmas!

"Children say that people are hung sometimes for speaking the truth."-Joan of Arc

Fall of '48 post #8

Joan of Arc

November 11, 1948

Starring Ingrid Bergman, Jose Ferrer, Francis L. Sullivan and J. Carrol Naish

Released on this day in 1948, the Victor Fleming film Joan of Arc tells the story of the life of famous 19 year old French heroine and now canonized saint. It begins with a scene in a cathedral,with a voice reading out the official proclamation for the canonization of Jeanne d'Arc, Maid of Orleans (Bergman). It then jumps into the story of her life, beginning at the time when she believed that God had called her into action through a holy vision, to drive the English out of the region, help escort Charles VII to his coronation, and help put a stop to the Hundred Years' War. Joan claimed to be around the age of 12 when she first saw three other saints in a divine vision.

By use of family connections, after previous failed attempts, Joan managed to come in contact with Charles VII, then nothing more than a Dauphin or royal prince. She told him of her plans and her visions and how she wished she could be of help to him, citing God as her leader and inspiration, and therefore turning the page of the war to a more religious setting. Charles was very interested in what she had to say and wished to let her proceed with her plans, as some of her predictions had already come to pass. He could not act too hastily, however, because if he should follow her lead and achieve coronation without having her religious background confirmed, then it could lead to disaster with the people saying he inherited his position from the devil. So, a background check, of sorts, was done and word was received saying that all evidence supported that Joan was a humble, honest, Christian young lady.

It is said that she had the idea and desire of her own to ride into battle as a knight, or any good man. But she did not have the means to make her own armor, so she depended on donations for all of her necessities. There are accounts that say that she then took the initiative to actually lead the armies into battles, and thanks to her holy visions, they achieved many great victories which simultaneously paved the road for the Dauphin to his coronation and changed the tide of the war. She was known for persevering despite the odds and showing great courage to those she worked with, which is why they viewed her as one of the last fragments of hope they had left. She approved of an aggressive approach at a time when they were afraid to approach the enemy, she captured a fort with the aid of only one other, and during one battle she was wounded in the neck by an arrow but soldiered on and returned to the front lines to lead the final charge. She eventually used her influence with Charles VII to take over the position of co-commander of the army. On March 23, 1430, just about a year after her participation in the first siege, Joan was captured after a battle with the English. At first she adamantly refused to surrender. 

She was put on trial for heresy, and although it was an unfair trial with the appointed bishop lacking judicial authority over her case, the trial was opened for political reasons without any adverse evidence, and Joan (who was illiterate) was forced to sign an official abjuration document without knowing what it was. Nonetheless, she was convicted of heresy and sentenced to death. She was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431 and her ashes were thrown into the Seine.

This 1948 adaptation of the story of the French heroine was one of the first extensive American productions of the entire story of her life, rise to fame, capture, and death. The film won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in Color, and Best Cinematography in Color; it was nominated for Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. The film was fairly well received but audiences and the film studio were outraged to learn of Ingrid Bergman's affair with Roberto Rossellini shortly after it's release, and because of this, the film was edited or "butchered" before it was sent out for general release. Much of the content that was cut was feared to have been lost, and the film was not fully recovered in total and put back together for almost 50 years.

The Snake Pit

Fall of '48 post #7

The Snake Pit

November 4, 1948

Starring Olivia de Havilland, Leo Genn, Mark Stevens, and Betsy Blair

Juniper Hill State Hospital is a large ward for mental patients. One of it's patients, Virginia Cunningham (de Havilland), originally comes from a wealthy background. She has a loving husband and a lovely home, but she was sent to the mental institution supposedly for schizophrenia. She hears voices, and eventually gets so that she cannot keep track of reality, so she is sent to Juniper Hill for safety and healing.

When she is first admitted, Virginia is so lost that she does not even know who her own husband, Robert (Stevens) is. Virginia's doctor, Dr. Mark Kik (Genn), works with her to try and bring to light what it is that unhinges her. Through the use of shock therapy, and hypnotherapy among other things, they begin to make good progress. She tells him about traumatic events from her childhood, a previous failed engagement, and about how she met her husband.

The hospital is split into 12 different wards, Ward 1 being the best and 12 being the worst. Dr. Kik manages to get Virginia a place in Ward 1, believing that as she continues to progress, it would be beneficial for her to be away from less critical patients. Virginia undoubtedly would have continued to improve even more, but one of the nurses in the new ward believes that Dr. Kik coddles her too much, so she is very strict, harsh, and even brutal towards Virginia. Eventually she torments Virginia so much that Virginia has a breakdown and is sent away from Ward 1 in a straight jacket. Dr. Kik hears what happens and knows that unless she is given special attention very soon, Virginia will have a full setback, so he begins to work with her more extensively again. Virginia improves once more, but she is now in the 12th Ward, and she knows she has a lot of work ahead of her still. In order to leave the hospital, she has to have a full interview in order to be sure that it is safe to release her. When Virginia gets to the point where going home becomes a possibility, she is terrified that she will have a relapse and that she will not be able to leave. In the end, her husband Robert comes to take her home, and she is successfully discharged.

The Snake Pit was a film adaptation of a novel of the same name by successful author Mary Jane Ward. The story was allegedly written by Ward as a commentary on the state of psychiatric facilities at the time, urging for reform. The 1948 film was a delicate masterpiece. Olivia de Havilland portrayed Virginia Cunningham, a character which was the polar opposite of the roles she was usually cast in. But de Havilland's hard work payed off, because the film was very well received. The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound Recording and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing Adapted Screenplay; de Havilland, who had already won an Academy Award the previous year, was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

"It was strange, here I was among all those people, and at the same time I felt as if I were looking at them from some place far away, the whole place seemed to me like a deep hole and the people down in it like strange animals, like...like snakes, and I've been thrown into it...yes...as though...as though I were in a snake pit..."

-Virginia Cunningham, The Snake Pit