I only wish that I had seen more of her theater work. She had an extraordinary uniqueness and sensitivity. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. Truly unforgettable.
I'll remember her more from "Knots Landing." I never had the chance to see her perform in a play. Here is Julie Harris in "The Belle of Amherst." Note:
The original Broadway production of "The Belle of Amherst" by William Luce opened at the Longacre Theater in New York on April 28, 1976 and ran for 116 performances. Julie Harris was won the 1977 Tony Award for Actress in a Drama and recreated her stage role in the filmed production. Julie Harris in The Belle of Amherst
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
RIP -- I had the great luck to see her in the Luce play about Isak Dinesen, and in a revival of THE GIN GAME.
I can't say I remember much about the Dinesen play, except for one remarkable monologue where she describes meeting Marilyn Monroe. I'll never know how she did it, but Harris managed to conjure the ghost of Marilyn Monroe on that stage with her, there was no gimmickry or tricks or impersonation, nothing vulgar like that, but I'll swear that Harris by her self brought Marilyn alive.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
A friend of mine wrote this on Facebook. I will protect his identity, but it makes me very sad and frustrated to read this:
Sad Julie story: she was the original Sally Bowles in "I Am a Camera" before it became "Cabaret". When Terri Hatcher opened in LA in "Cabaret", Howie Mandel was doing interviews on the red carpet. I was a guest that night and walking down the carpet, off in the crowd, there was Julie with Bobby Morse ( How to Succeed in Business..,), completely ignored and unrecognized, watching the celebs dazzle. I grabbed Dixie Carter and showed her, and when she got to the microphone with Howie, she called them up. Nobody knew who they were. One reporter, from the National Enquirer, took their picture - with Dixie...Julie laughed about it later, saying that was the price of being "only" a Broadway star in Hollywood. She was greater than any celeb Hollywood had to offer that night.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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Musicals will always be a more popular form of entertainment and Ms. Harris was primarily a dramatic actress, so that's one of the reasons why she's not as well-remembered today as she should be. Even though she had a pretty successful film career that earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Nevertheless, she'll be remembered as one of the greatest actresses of American stage. There should be a theater named after Ms. Harris.
She was always so memorable, even in the smallest roles. One role that comes to mind is her role as a drug addicted prostitute in the Paul Newman detective vehicle, HARPER. The film co-starred Janet Leigh, Lauren Bacall, Robert Wagner, Pamela Tiffin, Arthur Hill and Shelley Winters and Julie Harris set herself apart from all the rest. It wasn't a huge part, but a pivotal one and at least for me, a memorable one.
Musicals will always be a more popular form of entertainment and Ms. Harris was primarily a dramatic actress, so that's one of the reasons why she's not as well-remembered today as she should be.
Most people today haven't heard of the Lunts, Katharine Cornell, Laurette Taylor, or Helen Hayes.
Julie Harris is in good company.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Julie Harris was also very effective in 1968's THE SPLIT, a heist picture based on the novel "The Seventh" by Donald E. Westlake. She's cast against type and she really blew me away in the part she played. It co-stars Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Donald Sutherland, James Whitmore and Warren Oates.
It's available now through Warner Archive Collection.
You are very tasteful gentlemen indeed. And the lights should definitely be dimmed on Broadway. After Helen Hayes, Julie Harris became First Lady of the American Theater. I was fortunate to see her on stage several times, including her Mrs. Lincoln and Emily Dickinson. She was incandescent in East of Eden and Member of the Wedding. My favorite theater actress and one of my inspirations for majoring in theater. Every time I wrote her after seeing a performance she answered promptly and sweetly.
Thank you for posting that lovely comment from Kazan.
My favorite story was something I think I heard Chas. Nelson Reilly recount on a talk show. The greatest compliment she ever received was from peer Shirley Booth. Julie performed "Belle of Amherst" for her on Shirley's porch (at Sag Harbor?) and when she was finished, Ms. Booth looked around and said, "Where did Julie go? Where did Julie go?"
Such sad news about such a wonderful talent. I never had the pleasure of seeing her perform on stage but The Haunting is one of the most memorable films I have ever seen. Incredibly eerie and frightening. Sort of a Trip To Bountiful gone very wrong.
Also, I've been watching all of Knots Landing over again and her portrayal of Lilimae Clements added such class to the show. Ms. Harris's scenes with Alec Baldwin (who played her troubled son Joshua) were some of the finest moments of 80's television.
I never saw her on stage (which is a shame) but I used to love her as Lillimae on KNOTS LANDING. When a very young Alec Baldwin played her son in the series, he told an interviewer that he always had to be on his guard when he did a scene with Miss Harris because she turned every scene into theater.
I am so sad to read of Ms. Harris's passing. The only good thing is that she had a full, successful (and hopefully happy) life. So many well-known individuals who have died over the past few weeks were so young....
didn't seem like there was much coverage of her death today. Hopefully it's just because it's the weekend and there will be more things about it in the news over the next week......