From James Whale’s The Old Dark House, 1932
Rebecca Femm (Eva Moore), to Margaret Waverton (Gloria Stuart): You’re wicked too. Young and handsome, silly—and wicked! You think of nothing but your long straight legs and your white body and how to please your man.
(grabs Margaret’s silk nightgown)
That’s fine stuff—but it’ll rot.
(pokes a finger into Margeret’s clavicle)
That’s finer stuff still; but it’ll rot in time, too!
Well, it hasn’t gone rotten just yet. Happy 100th birthday to the very great and very gracious Gloria Stuart.
Happy 100th, Gloria.
I wonder who, fate permitting, will be the next cinematic centenarian? The director of ‘Onibaba’, Kaneto Shindo (born 1912)? Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (1913)?
Stuart’s commentary on THE OLD DARK HOUSE LD encouraged James Cameron to seek her out for TITANIC. And thus a star was reborn.
Nice Film Experience post about senior Oscar nominees and other stars/film folk getting up there: http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2010/07/gloria-stuart-centennial-and-25-oldest.html
I have always thought that a big part of what makes Titanic work so well is the sound of Gloria Stuart’s voice. I love the movie and a lot of the magic comes from her beautifully performed voice over.
You can watch ‘The Old Dark House’ for free on youtube if you’ve the time.