Hits and Misses

[undyingking]

The first time I saw Julia McKenzie, I was 15 or so and she was playing Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre. I was sat quite near the front, and when she flung off her mink coat during her big number 'A Person Could Develop a Cold', it made a forceful impression on my youthful mind.

Last night she was playing Miss Marple on TV. From sex symbol to little old lady in what seems like the blink of an eye. How did that happen? I really feel old now.

Any of you had a similarly chilling experience?

Comments

[celestialweasel.livejournal.com]

I think that is a chilling enough experience. As you may recall (or it may be before your time) she was a PE teacher in a sitcom called Maggie and Her (or something like that - CBBTG), which provided ample opportunity for her to wear track-suits.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I don't remember that, but I shall seek it out keenly.

[sparkymark.livejournal.com]

Similar: seeing Alun Armstrong as young buck Petruchio in Taming of The Shrew at Newscastle c. 1984. He's old now.

I had a dream last night where his New Tricks character was in "Reservoir Dogs", which I must ponder.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

He seems to have aged very rapidly after looking the same for absolutely ages. Perhaps it's because of his son popping up on TV now.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Only this morning I saw a bit of Deadly 60 and they had Terry Nutkins on as a guest star looking like an old man.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I don't suppose that sealion of his is holding up too well either.

[hatmandu.livejournal.com]

A similarly chilling experience? Every time I look in the mirror. Or, every time I think of something that happened and realise it was 20 years ago. Sigh.

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

In connection with a nice young boy at work I ran off the old broad's put-down "I've got underwear older than him!" and I thought I was joking until I remembered that a couple of my bras have name labels sewn in them by my mother from my boarding school days, and then I did the sums......

[the-elyan.livejournal.com]

Not scary, but a few similarly odd ones:

Hoover (I think) in Animal House (1978) = John Hoynes in the West Wing.

York in BBC Henry VI (1980-ish) = Theoden in LotR.

I'm sure there are more I've forgotten.

[chilledchimp.livejournal.com]

There was a wonderful review of Julia Mckenzie in the Daily Express in the 80s which described her as looking like "a surprised panda stuck up a tree". I've had a sneaking fondness for her ever since. But Joan Hickson's my Miss Marple.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Joan Hickson for me too, I must say. Perhaps another sign of age is that I don't much like these new Marples, jazzed up with incest, homosexuality and guest stars, and with no more than passing similarity to the books after which they're named. Murder is Easy doesn't even have Miss Marple in it, for goodness's sake.

[crowleycrow.livejournal.com]

Daily. Too many to mention. Including the elderly and distrait person in the mirror. Where did he come from?

Lately: Nastassia Kinski, wrapped in her python, with her baby-fat and solemn child-face -- she is 50 this year. "Well preserved," "handsome" -- yeah, all that.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the python is still around: they can live for quite a while. If it was a live one in the first place, that is.