FinermanWorks

Luise Rainer has died.  She was 104, her lifespan lasting fifty times longer than her film career.

She had the distinction of winning consecutive Oscars for best actress of 1936 and 1937.  Given her limited range–she basically chirped rather than acted–her talent did not justify the awards.  Nor were her victories  due to her looks.  Miss Rainer was quite cute but if the Hollywood moguls had been so infatuated with nice-looking Jewish girls, they would have married some.  Perhaps the studios were simply trying to rebel against the tyranny of Bette Davis (For you younger readers, Miss Davis had Meryl Streep’s talent but Mussolini’s disposition.)  Miss Rainer’s specialty was her ability to smile while crying.  This earned her the epithet “the Viennese Teardrop” although she actually was from Dusseldorf.

The public quickly tired of her–and she has been relegated to trivia for more than sixty years. I do pity her if only because she was married to Clifford Odets. I wonder if he was as bombastic at breakfast as he was in his writing.

“Hear the glory of the cornflakes, children of the earth, the gifts of honest toil…”

She probably wondered if she should have stayed in Germany and taken her chances with Hitler.

Miss Rainer won one of her Academy Awards in the most ludicrously cast film in history: “The Good Earth.” If you recall–and what a waste of your synapses if you do–the Japanese complained about the Chinese actresses in “Memoirs of a Geisha.” When “The Good Earth” premiered, the Chinese were somewhat preoccupied being annihilated by the Japanese. But imagine how the Chinese might have reacted to being portrayed by Paul Muni, Luise Rainer and Walter Connolly….

Wang Muni: Do you know that it is impossible to hold a bagel with chopsticks? No wonder this country has famines!

Olan Rainer: Dahling. Vould you mind putting the nightsoil on the crops? I just did mein nails.

Uncle Connolly: Top of the morning to ya! Now I want you to be remembering to vote for Tammany Tong.

No doubt, Turner Classic Movies will show it. You are free to watch, but I did warn you.

p.s.  Regarding the Hollywood moguls, in fact their first wives usually were Jewish.

Today is the birthday of Luise Rainer. She is 100; that is about 50 times the length of her career.  Miss Rainer is certainly the worst actress to win two Academy Awards. Her specialty–and sole claim to talent–was the ability to smile while crying.

The public quickly tired of her–and she has been relegated to trivia for more than sixty years. I do pity her if only because she was married to Clifford Odets. I wonder if he was as bombastic at breakfast as he was in his writing.

“Hear the glory of the cornflakes, children of the earth, the gifts of honest toil…”

She probably wondered if she should have stayed in Germany and taken her chances with Hitler.

Miss Rainer won one of her Academy Awards in the most ludicrously cast film in history: “The Good Earth.” If you recall–and what a waste of your synapses if you do–the Japanese complained about the Chinese actresses in “Memoirs of a Geisha.” When “The Good Earth” premiered, the Chinese were somewhat preoccupied being annihilated by the Japanese. But imagine how the Chinese might have reacted to being portrayed by Paul Muni, Luise Rainer and Walter Connolly….

Wang Muni: Do you know that it is impossible to hold a bagel with chopsticks? No wonder this country has famines!

Olan Rainer: Dahling. Vould you mind putting the nightsoil on the crops? I just did mein nails.

Uncle Connolly: Top of the morning to ya! Now I want you to be remembering to vote for Tammany Tong.