Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,212 
Likes: 1,593
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 2, 2023 8:50:00 GMT
and may I ask our resident experts to shine a light on my latest post latest post here, thank you  |
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Oct 2, 2023 10:35:21 GMT
It's close but when things are this close I always start with "Where does comedy come in?" ......and comedy goes Hepburn in a big way - she was at least one of the great screen comediennes of her era along with Irene Dunne etc.
People who think DDL is a "better actor" than DePac or Nicholson (he's not) are likely to pick Davis though I would guess......and value comedy far less......these people exist......they look like you or me......they could be in the drive through when you get your morning coffee......they could pass you on the sidewalk..........they live! ........they are hard to spot.......mostly though they don't laugh much........
|
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Oct 2, 2023 13:00:24 GMT
Hepburn across the board. Never saw the big fuss over Davis, especially post-1942 or so when she became something of a(n entertaining) self-parody. She is way more comparable to Nicholson/Pacino than Day-Lewis.
|
|
|
|
Post by TylerDeneuve on Oct 2, 2023 13:15:11 GMT
Don't take this the wrong way Nikan but of all the members on this forum you were the last one who I'd guess would misspell Kath Arine Hepburn's name  |
|
|
|
Post by stabcaesar on Oct 2, 2023 14:59:55 GMT
Hepburn was prettier in her prime, but I find Davis a much more compelling performer.
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 1,593
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 2, 2023 15:41:19 GMT
Don't take this the wrong way Nikan but of all the members on this forum you were the last one who I'd guess would misspell Kath Arine Hepburn's name  |
|
|
|
Post by TylerDeneuve on Oct 2, 2023 16:08:00 GMT
Is neither an option? Please do give me Ingrid Bergman or Ava Gardner or Audrey Hepburn. |
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 1,593
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 2, 2023 16:19:17 GMT
Is neither an option? Please do give me Ingrid Bergman or Ava Gardner or Audrey Hepburn. Not today. We can go on doing this to other AFI-picked guys and gals though... |
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 1,593
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 2, 2023 16:23:11 GMT
Hepburn across the board. Never saw the big fuss over Davis, especially post-1942 or so when she became something of a(n entertaining) self-parody. She is way more comparable to Nicholson/Pacino than Day-Lewis. Do you say that about Baby Jane too? I now know about that performance's legacy, but seeing it for the first time - it was my first or second encounter with Davis - hit me like a hammer... she's a wonderfully pathetic creature there imo. |
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Oct 2, 2023 16:28:11 GMT
Hepburn across the board. Never saw the big fuss over Davis, especially post-1942 or so when she became something of a(n entertaining) self-parody. She is way more comparable to Nicholson/Pacino than Day-Lewis. Do you say that about Baby Jane too? I now know about that performance's legacy, but seeing it for the first time - it was my first or second encounter with Davis - hit me like a hammer... she's a wonderfully pathetic creature there imo. I think that performance is perhaps the apotheosis of self-parodic Bette Davis. It doesn't mean it's a bad performance at all, and of course it works in the confines of the movie it's in. Nicholson would do the exact same thing, often to great effect, but I think they reached a point in their career where they had a style and image that they more or less stayed in for the majority of their respective careers. Which is not a bad thing by any means, but I do think that it can be limiting, especially if you don't really gravitate towards that style and image in general. |
|
|
|
Post by pupdurcs on Oct 2, 2023 16:38:12 GMT
Hepburn in her prime was more attractive, but that's about it. Davis was a much more mercurial talent. And a better actress.
|
|
|
|
Post by pupdurcs on Oct 2, 2023 16:42:20 GMT
Hepburn across the board. Never saw the big fuss over Davis, especially post-1942 or so when she became something of a(n entertaining) self-parody. She is way more comparable to Nicholson/Pacino than Day-Lewis. Nah, Davis was giving all-time great performances long after 1942. All About Eve And Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Mr Skeffinngton etc. Arguably her two greatest performances came in the 50's and 60's. |
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Oct 2, 2023 16:43:32 GMT
Hepburn across the board. Never saw the big fuss over Davis, especially post-1942 or so when she became something of a(n entertaining) self-parody. She is way more comparable to Nicholson/Pacino than Day-Lewis. Nah, Davis was giving all-time great performances long after 1942. All About Eve And Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Mr Skeffinngton etc. Arguably her two greatest performances came in the 50's and 60's. There's good stuff there for sure, but all-time great? Sorry, but...  |
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Oct 2, 2023 16:57:35 GMT
"Arguably her two greatest performances came in the 50's and 60's."
This is kind of true to some degree at least (The Nanny is particularly brilliant) but like DDL she never had a secondary "other" side (neither did he), like Hepburn and the 3 male actors I mentioned that's why I say she's more like DDL ......just to be clear.......I do get the parodic angle......... but that isn't what I was referring to - just humor - seeing some comments that were posted subsequently .....
Carry on........
|
|
|
|
Post by pupdurcs on Oct 2, 2023 16:58:30 GMT
Nah, Davis was giving all-time great performances long after 1942. All About Eve And Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Mr Skeffinngton etc. Arguably her two greatest performances came in the 50's and 60's. There's good stuff there for sure, but all-time great? Sorry, but... and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? are all-time great performances for actresses. I didn't even realise that was a remotely controversial statement to make. Davis was ranked # 5 in Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances Of All-time for All About Eve.
www.listal.com/list/premieres-100-greatest-performances-all
Taste Of Cinema ranks Davis in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane # 15 in it's top 20 Best Female Movie Performances Of All-time.www.tasteofcinema.com/2018/the-20-best-female-movie-performances-of-all-time/They are both on other lists, but you get the point. These 2 are the performances that solidified Davis legacy as a GOAT level actress with contemporary audiences, not Jezebel or whatever near forgotten film she was winning Oscars for in the 30's. |
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Oct 2, 2023 17:03:39 GMT
There's good stuff there for sure, but all-time great? Sorry, but... and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? are all-time great performances for actresses. I didn't even realise that was a remotely controversial statement to make. Davis was ranked # 5 in Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances Of All-time for All About Eve.
www.listal.com/list/premieres-100-greatest-performances-all
Taste Of Cinema ranks Davis in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane # 15 in it's top 20 Best Female Movie Performances Of All-time.www.tasteofcinema.com/2018/the-20-best-female-movie-performances-of-all-time/They are both on other lists, but you get the point. These 2 are the performances that solidified Davis legacy as a GOAT level actress with contemporary audiences, not Jezebel or whatever near forgotten film she was winning Oscars for in the 30's. None of that has any bearings on what my opinion is. There are thousands of listicles that say Meryl Streep gives the greatest female performance of all time, and I think they're wrong. I know that objectively Davis has iconic performances after 1942, but that doesn't mean I have to agree that they are all-time great. |
|
|
|
Post by countjohn on Oct 2, 2023 17:42:25 GMT
Like them both a lot and this is really close but it comes down to a few things- 1. Hepburn is also an all time great in comedy while with Davis it's more or less just drama 2. Longevity. A lot more quality work post 1950 for Hepburn than Davis 3. Hepburn's work has by and large just aged a lot better. Although I still like her, a lot of the time Davis comes off like a talented ham. Not in her very best stuff like All About Eve, Now Voyager, or Baby Jane, but a lot of the time. And it probably got worse as time went on despite movie acting getting better and more realistic during that time. Again, not to diss Davis at all, there's a case to be made Kate has had the best acting career of anybody period, nothing wrong with finishing second to her. Is neither an option? Please do give me Ingrid Bergman or Ava Gardner or Audrey Hepburn. Everyone knows I am in love with Audrey but she is not even close to these two as a dramatic actress. |
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 1,593
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 2, 2023 19:19:29 GMT
To those two who voted Davis for attractiveness... I sort-of get ya? there are enough moments in Of Human Bondage and Petrified Forest in which she looks pretty... Kath in all of 30s is drop dead gorj tho.
|
|
cherry68
Based
Man is unhappy because he doesn't know he's happy. It's only that.
Posts: 3,702 
Likes: 2,126
|
Post by cherry68 on Oct 3, 2023 12:33:05 GMT
To those two who voted Davis for attractiveness... I sort-of get ya? there are enough moments in Of Human Bondage and Petrified Forest in which she looks pretty... Kath in all of 30s is drop dead gorj tho. |
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,212
Likes: 1,593
|
Post by Nikan on Oct 3, 2023 12:41:03 GMT
To those two who voted Davis for attractiveness... I sort-of get ya? there are enough moments in Of Human Bondage and Petrified Forest in which she looks pretty... Kath in all of 30s is drop dead gorj tho. Austenland flashbacks. Gurl... |
|
|
|
Post by ibbi on Oct 3, 2023 13:21:30 GMT
They're both good at inducing lolz, but Hepburn is in the race for the greatest in that category, and I don't think Bette is.
From what I have seen, I think Hepburn is fine (at best) dramatically. Long Day's Journey into giving me a Headache, and Headache in Winter proving two prominent examples of things I cannot stand. Davis remains in contention among the greatest, so I easily go with her overall.
|
|
cherry68
Based
Man is unhappy because he doesn't know he's happy. It's only that.
Posts: 3,702
Likes: 2,126
|
Post by cherry68 on Oct 3, 2023 16:49:11 GMT
Austenland flashbacks. Gurl... It took me ages to understand the lyrics line "her hair is Harlow gold". Actually I read it like almost 40 years later. |
|
