Tag Archives: Angela Lansbury

“Quite frankly. I was all talent and no looks.” — Angela Lansbury

Posted on October 16, 2025 by sheila

It’s her birthday today. Even if you came to Gaslight clean, without knowing a thing, which is hard to believe, but let’s just pretend: Even if you knew nothing about it, it would be instantly obvious that the teenage girl … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, Music, On This Day, Television, Theatre | Tagged , | 10 Comments

February 2025 Viewing Diary

Posted on March 2, 2025 by sheila

Twin Peaks: The Return (2017; d. David Lynch) There’s nothing else like it in all of God’s green earth and I am just so grateful it exists. It’s so pure. Suze (2025; d. Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart) I liked … Continue reading →

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“Quite frankly. I was all talent and no looks.” — Angela Lansbury

Posted on October 16, 2023 by sheila

It’s her birthday today. She died just days before she would have turned 97. My tribute here, but you really need to read my friend Dan’s tribute.

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“Those of us who were 12 or 13 when the war started were absolutely thrown into the mainstream. We had to grow up instantly and take care of ourselves.” — Angela Lansbury

Posted on October 16, 2021 by sheila

Angela Lansbury in “Gaslight” (1944) It’s her birthday today. Her performance in Gaslight, at age 18, is one of the most auspicious debuts of all time. She makes a huge impression as Nancy, the maid in that crazy house. She’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day, Theatre | Tagged , | 15 Comments

“So Many Currents In Such a Little Puddle”: Dana Stevens and I Chat About National Velvet

Posted on February 27, 2021 by sheila

For Elizabeth Taylor’s birthday Introduction: Dana Stevens, film critic for Slate, and I had a conversation about National Velvet. In the middle of our planning phase for our talk, Elizabeth Taylor passed away. The coincidence was striking, certainly, not to … Continue reading →

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April 2017 Viewing Diary

Posted on May 2, 2017 by sheila

I just dash these off. Superficial bullet-point analysis for the most part. It’s a good way to keep track of what I’ve seen, for year-end lists, of course, but also for future reference. I also always love the discussions on … Continue reading →

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The Books: The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town, edited by Lillian Ross; ‘Caricaturist’, by Geoffrey Hellman

Posted on May 30, 2013 by sheila

Next up on the essays shelf: The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town (Modern Library Paperbacks), edited by Lillian Ross is a collection of “The Talk of the Town” pieces in The New Yorker, grouped by … Continue reading →

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Benevolence is:

Posted on March 18, 2008 by sheila

— waking up and smelling the coffee that has already percolated, while I slept — hearing the soprano choir boys in the balcony rehearsing when I stop off to go to afternoon mass and I get there early — calling … Continue reading →

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Tribute to Sweeney Todd

Posted on September 13, 2007 by sheila

Edward has an awesome post commemorating the original television production of Sweeney Todd. If you are only familiar with Lansbury as crime-solving mystery novelist Jessica Fletcher on TV’s Murder, She Wrote or as the malevolent manipulator Mrs. Iselin in The … Continue reading →

Posted in Television | Tagged | 14 Comments

PBS, Thank You for Broadway: The Golden Age

Posted on March 16, 2006 by sheila

Last night, I happened to catch the final half-hour of a certain fund-raising drive on my local PBS channel – and they were showing an absolutely MARVELOUS documentary called Broadway: The Golden Age. It’s eventually going to be a 3-part … Continue reading →

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