Three Most Favorite Joan Bennett Characterizations

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Thanks for supporting the first four polls, and here's another batch. 

After voting, please feel free to explain why you voted the way you did, or wait until after the poll expires on 01/18/05 to do so. 

And again, have fun!

[Maria_Merriweather]

Loved her as Elizabeth Stoddard. She was so good in that first ep in that elegant evening gown. 

[CastleBee]

I always thought of Elizabeth as one of the main, cornerstone characters of the show.  It just wouldn't have been the same without her and Joan Bennett was perfect for the part.  When Barnabas arrived and they did the first time travel storyline, in my childhood memory, she was just as important as Barnabas' mother Naomi as Liz was as the matriach in modern times.  Later, when I had the chance to re-watch the entire show on SciFi, I decided that the part of Flora was a chance for her to try her skill at a completely different personality type and I thought she did a very good job.  I sensed she was having fun with it too.   

[VictoriaWintersRox]

I voted for Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (present), Judith Collins Trask, and Flora Collins. I loved how Bennett portrayed Elizabeth's strength in the early episodes, and she also conveyed her weaknesses very well. I loved the way Flora was originally written - as a giggly, giddy woman very unlike Joan's other characters. I hated when they changed Flora's personality later in the storyline. 

[ProfStokes]

I voted for Judith, Naomi, and Elizabeth.

Judith Collins is probably my favorite female charatcer on DS.  She was strong-willed and intelligent in a time when women were supposed to be seen and not heard, and she surpassed her brothers with her sense and abilities.  I love watching her taunt her brothers with the will, and torture Gregory over the phone.  Joan Bennett played this role to the hilt.

Elizabeth, especially in the pre-Barnabas episodes, was also very strong as well as graceful, elegant, and commanding.  When I started watching the show, I wanted to be just like her.  Although the character deteriorated greatly over the course of the show, Liz was a lot of fun to watch in the beginning, particularly during her interactions with Roger, Burke, Jason, and little David.

Naomi was such a tragic figure, perhaps the biggest victim of 1795.  Again, Bennett poured a lot of her talent into the role and made me very sympathetic toward the character.

ProfStokes

[michael c]

although barnabas became the stand-out character on the show i think that it's a good thing that the first year ran without him.it gave the other characters time to establish themselves when later that might have been impossible.this is especially true of elizabeth.she is ,for me,one of those cornerstone characters that made d.s. what it was even though her prominence on the show eventually diminished.she had great presence and lent class to what could have been viewed as a shlock operation.

and ms.bennett was outstanding as naomi collins.she is the only character in the entire story that actually moved me to tears on a few occasions.

[Sandor]

I particularly enjoyed Joan Bennett's scenes with Louis Edmonds, Alexandra Moltke, and Nancy Barrett.
One of my favorites was when Roger brought home Cassandra/Angelique as his new bride, much to the general shock of the family.  There's a great scene where Elizabeth and Roger go at it in the study, as Liz wisely suspects Roger is off his rocker.  Joan was very classy, but you could tell she was also down-to-earth, and had a sly sense of humor that made her characters both sympathetic and engrossing.

[Luciaphile]

My picks were Elizabeth (present), Judith, and Flora (RT).

Her best work I think was Judith. Bennett, her bright red llpstick notwithstanding, clearly had a blast with the role. Judith is in turns weak and strong, vicious and kind, and at all times believable. I love her in this part.

Until they turned into a coffee-bearing, valium-taking zombie who had no clue what was going on, Elizabeth was a great character. She had her flaws, but she was strong and she didn't take crap from anyone.

And Flora, before they had her tone it down, was just such a hoot.

[The Ghost of Sarah Collins]

Joan Bennetts performance's in every character was wonderful to say the least... although my favorite is first Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, she was in every way the mistress of Collinwood.

[Philippe Cordier]

Naomi (1795), Judith (1897), and Flora (1840).

I guess the period characterizations just did it for me!  And each of these characters was SO different, they really showed Joan Bennett's talent: Naomi, tragic; Judith, tough as nails in petticoats; Flora, flightly and delightful.  I probably am overlooking her performance as "present day" Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.  Although I love the character and acknowledge that Elizabeth is the anchor of the family, I think that at times over the stretch of five years Bennett didn't always sustain the acting level that she seemed to in the somewhat briefer period roles.

(Confidential to Luciaphil:  I finally saw "Scarlet Street" - don't remember if there was a separate thread on that.  Yes, Bennett WAS good, really creating that low-life femme fatale.  I could see her doing Scarlett O'Hara now more than ever after seeing her in this part.  Her looks would have been a perfect match for Margaret Mitchell's description, and Bennett was certainly capable of portraying a self-centered attitude ... though I must say Vivien Leigh was excellent.)

[Cassandra Blair]

1. Judith
2. Elizabeth (early days)
3. Naomi

Judith is just so multi-layered, and finally gave Bennett the chance to go all out with a character, when she'd been kept reined in by the lack of story for her characters in the previous storylines.  She does an especially convincing job of playing a woman who's been held back for too long and wants to show everybody who's really the boss.  I can think of no better character in the series to give a Trask his comeuppance!  Grandmama would have been proud in spite of herself!

Particularly love the early Elizabeth, right up to the 1795 flashback, but esp. pre-Barnabas.  She was so regal and authoritative, yet really showed a fragile, neurotic side too.  The writing for this character just wasn't up to much after they returned from the first flashback - though she had some nice moments as the vengeful Leviathanized Liz.

Naomi was truly a wonderful 'lady' - in the best sense of the word.  You really feel sorry for the tragic life this character had, and that's totally to the credit of Joan Bennett.  And Flora almost needs to tie with Naomi here, she was a hoot!

Even though I love so many characters on this show, it just would not have been the same without Joan Bennett.  What a class act!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I'm surprised that Leviathanized Liz didn't do as well as I thought she might. Bennett was absolutely riveting in her scenes opposite and about Paul - I mean, who can forget the icily way she delivered the line: [spoiler]"What made you think - for even one moment - that I wanted you back?"[/spoiler] But at the same time, I'm not at all surprised by the top three.