My Five Favorite Movie Actresses

A big yes to Sandy Dennis. Fantastic presence, always fascinating and deeply profound.

Julie Harris---Brightened up just about everything.Maggie Smith---DittoIsabelle Huppert---A flop in her English-speaking roles, she's nonetheless the most fearless actor working these days.  You think Streep would do something like THE PIANO TEACHER, if offered?Jane Fonda--It's all about KLUTE, baby.Sissy Spacek--An American original.  Probably would never have a career if she were in her youth today.

ditto w/ this list!

my list of great late '60s actresses would include these ladies + immortal Kate Hepburn, Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, Babs, Liza, Natalie Wood, Goldie Hawn, Anne Bancroft, Genevieve Bujold,  Vanessa Redgrave, Susannah York, Faye Dunaway, Gena Rowlands, Patricia Neal, Joanne Woodward, Sondra Locke, Sophia Loren, Susan Hayward, Estelle Parsons,

Simone Signoret. How could I have forgotten Simone Signoret.

Wow. What did Jane Fonda, Bette Davis and Babs Stanwyck do to deserve this?

I like that there are some not obvious choices on here, but Sandy Dennis? I think in his review of Who's Afraid, John Simon called her a a walking catarrh and a blithering idiot which pretty much sums it up for me. 

Other alternatives: Barbara Hershey, Shirley MacClaine, Sophia Loren, Hanna Schygulla, Naomi Watts, Angela Bassett

There are so many great actresses. It's the parts that are in short supply.

gawd, michael, what are you, psychic?  no sooner do i put down my vhs copy of the april fools and go to my computer, than i see this post!  or maybe the two of us are way simpatico beyond the fact that we share the same first name.  first i find out that valley of the dolls is one of your favorites, and now, the april fools! both of those are tops on my movie list.  liz i always grew up liking, too, particularly after seeing her in rhapsody, and then working once with josie cotton, who shares the same dark hair and violet eyes.  julie:  well, wasn't every schoolboy in love with maria the nun and mary poppins at the time? and altho mia is hardly at the top of my list, a dandy in aspic definitely is, too (truth to tell, i thought clipping all that luscious blonde hair after she left peyton place was a definite mistake.  it worked for twiggy, but on mia it looked more like ms. hornsby's childhood nickname, oxfam).  ...and then, there's sandy!  score again, with sweet november scoring way up there with dolls and fools, too!  but hey, you missed out on mentioning that great film that both sandy and liz starred in: who's afraid of virginia wolfe!  ah, well,  out of towners was definitely one of my favorite comedies, too, and both it and april fools score on my list for starring one of my favorite comedy actors: jack lemmon!  bravo, mr. musto!  you do us michaels everywhere proud!

Damm Musto you the MAN.

Catherine Deneuve was a stunning piece of beauty.

Maggie Smith,  Ageless.  I'd rather see her than Meryl Streep any day.

Theresa Russell--turned down the role of Lois Lane for Superman for what turned out to be an over the top performance as a boozing drugging adulterous gal in Nicholas Roeg's Bad Timing.  Also a funny performance as a hooker in Ken Russell's Whore.  An actress who was willing to take on some daring roles.

What about Sandy Kane?

My two votes go to (and not dues paying Screen Actors G.)  to:

1) Jackie O. for best actress in a worn out endess,saga  about girl with fancy name, no money and winds up "re-doing" that Model 6 in D.C., and

2) "Doors to manual" daughter of a BA flight  "hostess" Ms. Katie " waitie" Millington, aka, HRH  the duchess of Cambridge for best actress in a soon to be film with the usual British drama, without Olivier, etc.

Just my two pence, so to speak.

Great list - especially Deneuve! I would add Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Jean Seberg, and Diana Rigg.

Speaking of French actresses, I love Julie Delpy - 2 Days in Paris is one of my favorite movies which she also wrote and directed. Also love Isabelle Huppert. And Marisa Tomei.

The Tide is High: Amen re Anna Magnani -- the earth mother of Italian cinema. I love her in Mamma Roma, too -- and Bellissima by Luchino Visconti.

In "The April Fools," Deneuve, essentially, played my mother, who was at that time married to her second husband (Donald E. Westlake). My late Dad was played by Jack Lemmon, and Peter Lawford played another writer whom I'll leave out of this as he's still around. Hal Dresner, an old family friend, wrote the script, which was loosely based upon observations of my delightfully dysfunctional family, though in RL mom didn't get on the plane.

Anna Magnani - Wild Is The Wind, Mamma RomaJeanne Moreau - Jules and Jim, Bay Of AngelsMonica Vitti - L'Eclisse, Red DesertKim Novak - Picnic, Middle Of The NightTuesday Weld - Pretty Poison, Who"ll Stop The Rain

Ah, Catherine Deneuve, she was such a great actress. And such a beauty too! Belle du Jour of course, but Mississippi Mermaid is cool too!

Nice list! If you've seen Potiche, you'll know the sublime Deneuve has still got it at 67. Two more I'd add: Deneuve's French contemporary, the ever-inscrutable and feline Anouk Aimee, and Italy's radiant and mercurial Monica Vitti.

Michael choux,  Yes to all you've recalled.  Consider the great Romy Schneider as well.

Thank you for giving Sandy such a great shout out. She won the Oscar but today is considered pretty obscure. Loved her in "Jimmie Dean, Jimmie Dean."

I guess I'm Hitler.  Never cared for Julie Andrews.  I know I'm in the minority.  In Carol Burnett's memoir, though, she recalls a story where she and Julie (in fuzzy slippers and nightgowns) "pretended" to make out on a couch outside of an elevator in DC where they were appearing at an event.  They wanted to "surprise" a friend who was on his way down to their floor.  Burnett said she heard the elevator door ding, she and Julie went into their fake smooch waiting for laughs.  But none came.  Eventually, she looked up and saw ... Lady Bird Johnson with her security walking away.  Lady Bird turned around and said, "Aren't you Carol Burnett?"  "Yes Maam," she replied, "and this here's Mary Poppins!"

What about that girl from Real Genius?

Funny, I've found that folks either LOVE the late Sandy D or absolutely HATE her.

Too bad she didnt live long enough to be cast as the witty and supportive friend of a male homosexual character.

Sandy Dennis was divine, particularly after they stopped pushing her as a star and she started popping up with movie-stealing performances in the strangest places.  I wanted "Another Woman," a dreary film, to be all about her.

Another vote for Sandy Dennis! She was good on stage too but I adore her in her weird, quirky films.

I love your taste!