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Author Topic: In Praise of Clarice Blackburn  (Read 1973 times)

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ClaudeNorth

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In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« on: September 13, 2003, 03:28:08 AM »
Greetings!

How great to see a montage dedicated to the terrific Clarice Blackburn.  Always a supporting player, she nonetheless brought much to DS with her rich portrayals of Sarah Johnson, Abigail Collins, and Minerva Trask (forgive me if I've forgotten one of her characters).

Thanks again, MB!

John

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Offline scout75

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2003, 04:33:37 AM »
Clarice Blackburn rocks--and is one of my favorites for the opening narration.
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Offline arashi

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2003, 06:39:03 AM »
Clarice really was a great actress and should have been allowed more to do. Who didn't despise her as Abigail?

A few more villanesses on the show would have been great, though I think she could have played a heroine equally well.

~Arashi
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Offline Cassandra

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2003, 08:01:42 AM »
What?!  I didn't realize she was leaving already??  This is really sad.  Im really going to miss her fun wit as Mrs Johnson!  I wish they could have given her more future roles on the show too.  Does anyone know if it was her choice to leave or did they just run out of storylines for her?   She could have been a blast in the upcoming 1840 storyline (she was so good as Aunt Abigail!)

She was definetely a wonderful actress on the show and played out each of her different roles so uniquely and talented.

Thanks MB for posting this montage!

Cassandra
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Offline Patti Feinberg

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2003, 03:38:03 PM »
Could someone refresh my memory regarding the scene in above montage with Nich. Blair speaking to Mrs. J?

Thanks,

Patti

PS...great to see Vicki w/Abigail!!
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Offline MrsJ

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2003, 11:12:12 PM »
I didn't remember Mrs. Johnson's departure was imminent...I guess I need to pay more attention  :(

One of Clarice Blackburn's best performances (IMO) was with Mitch Ryan, during the time Mrs. Johnson was a "spy" for Burke...the subtle nuances they brought to their scenes together were superb.

MrsJ.
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Offline Luciaphile

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2003, 12:12:56 AM »
My most favorite Mrs. J moment was one of her first scenes. She ate lunch at the Blue Whale and proceeded to put Maggie through her waitressing/customer service paces, rewarding her at the end very much in the manner of the late John D.

I also loved some of her early scenes with Davy (back when he was cute and adorable and studying auto mechanics)  8)
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Offline Craig_Slocum

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2003, 12:21:35 AM »

Clarice Blackburn was great as Mrs. Johnson, I enjoy the scenes she did with Harry (Craig Slocum), nice pic of them in the montage! I always love to look at Craig.  ;)
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Offline Midnite

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2003, 12:35:05 AM »
Quote from: Patti on September 13, 2003, 03:38:03 PM
Could someone refresh my memory regarding the scene in above montage with Nich. Blair speaking to Mrs. J?

Oh gosh, I have no idea if it's the scene in the montage, but the only exchange that comes to mind between her and Nicky Blair is after Liz has escaped from Windcliff, and Mrs. J is telling him she thinks the obsession with death is due to a spell and there are evil forces at work in the house...

Gotta love that lady!
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Offline Gerard

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2003, 01:26:25 AM »
Clarice was the best.  I really wished they had made more of her Minerva character, or at the very least after Minerva was killed off, bringing her back as another character.

Gerard
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Offline The Ghost of Sarah Collins

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2003, 03:43:15 AM »
I often wondered why Clarice was not given more,  was this because she was in other shows?

    Sarah's [ghost]
Ps...
Welcome Back Cheryl   wonderful seeing you post again :D
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Offline Gothick

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2003, 03:34:45 PM »
Wow, MB, what a FABULOUS farewell salute to Clarice!  I've been watching 1966 episodes in the past weeks and really enjoying her performance.  Unfortunately, I don't have what I think must be her very first episode, which I believe had her visiting Burke Devlin immediately after Bill Malloy's death--I'll have to check the DS Memories episode guide to see if that is the case.

That scene with her and Blair was so moody and evocative.  Mrs. J telling Blair she is convinced that there is a curse on Collinwood.  It's the same episode in which Julia comes staggering in from her little constitutional in the woods moaning for Tom... one of the top ten episodes of all DS, in my book.  Grayson and Joan had some fabulous scenes in that, as well...

As for why Clarice left, I'm not sure that she had a contract for DS after Minerva's death in 1897.  She only had a couple of episodes during Leviathan, nothing in Parallel Time (she would've been great casting for Hannah Stokes--I wonder whether she was simply unavailable at that point), and then that wonderful string of episodes in 1995.

I don't know when she started working on Secret Storm.  Around this time, as well, she began her new career as a writer, in which she found a great deal of success.

There is a letter from her in that fan-published book of letters from the DS actors to fans.  She thanks whoever had written to her and asks if fans can write in asking for more of Mrs. Johnson... kind of breaks my heart to read that.

G.
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ClaudeNorth

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2003, 10:23:45 PM »
During DS' run, Clarice had a small role in PRETTY POISON, an excellent film from 1968 starring Anthony Perkins and Tuesday Weld.  In the film, she portrays Perkins' somewhat flirtatious landlady, and thankfully, is not saddled with an unflattering wig.  (For those who might not already know, CB was a redhead--just like another great DS actress... ;) )

She can also be seen in 1974's MAN ON A SWING, starring Cliff Robertson and Joel Grey.

Regarding her DS work, I'm happy to read that I'm not the only one who wishes she had been given more to do.  Personally, I suspect that, given the chance, CB could have been very effective in a lighter, less dour role.

Regards,

John
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Offline Cassandra

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #13 on: September 16, 2003, 07:42:16 AM »
Quote from: ClaudeNorth on September 15, 2003, 10:23:45 PM
During DS' run, Clarice had a small role in PRETTY POISON, an excellent film from 1968 starring Anthony Perkins and Tuesday Weld.  In the film, she portrays Perkins' somewhat flirtatious landlady, and thankfully, is not saddled with an unflattering wig.  (For those who might not already know, CB was a redhead--just like another great DS actress... ;) )

Wow, that was her?!  I had seen that movie a few times (before I got into DS again)  and had never realized that she was the actress who played the landlady.  Now I'll have to go and try to hunt it down to watch again.
It was a good movie too!  Thanks Claude.

Quote
Regarding her DS work, I'm happy to read that I'm not the only one who wishes she had been given more to do.  Personally, I suspect that, given the chance, CB could have been very effective in a lighter, less dour role.

I totally agree.


Cassandra
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Offline Gothick

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Re:In Praise of Clarice Blackburn
« Reply #14 on: September 16, 2003, 06:35:59 PM »
Hi Claude, have you ever seen the late 1950s gang drama, The Violators?  I'd love to see that one.  And Pretty Poison sounds like a real gem.  Unfortunately it does not seem to have been released on VHS.

At one Festival, they played this anthology tape of scenes by DS actors who had passed over in both DS and non-DS roles.   (I honestly can't recall what they showed for The Divine One--NotI, probably.)  For Thayer, they ran the clip of his wonderful appearance on that episode of Harry O, and for Clarice, they showed an emotional scene where she was giving testimony in a courtroom.  I always wondered whether that might have been a clip from The Violators. At the time, I thought it was an episode of Perry Mason, but then a nice friend alerted me that Clarice never appeared on that show.

G.
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