Angela Lansbury - what roles could she have played over the course of her (somewhat) illustrious career had she been allowed?

Glinda, the good witch

Mary Poppins

I like to see her in evil roles

Nurse Ratched

Are we limited to films or can we also mention roles from the legitimate stage?

Mardam Arcati in "High Spirits" -- yes, she did win a Tony for the non-musical.

R3 thanks

Madam, sory

I thought she should have gone back to do a big musical after Murder, she wrote finished in 1996 and she was incredibly popular. A Hello, Dolly revival wouldn't have been out of the question as she was still very spry back then.

She would have been fascinating in the Olivia DH role in "The Heiress" in the late 40s as well.

Martha in "who's afraid Of Virginia Wolfe?" - either on stage or the film adaptation. She was used to being made up as a frump by then and does cold anger very well

It's silly but she would have made a great JennyAnyDots, the gumby cat, in Cats.

The Trip to Bountiful, that Geraldine Page’s role.

None. I've never seen her onstage, but on film she never worked. She was only too hammy, mugging constantly. It's like she didn't understand that screen is a more intimate medium and kept giving stage performances. Week in, week out she phoned in that same performance on MURDER, SHE WROTE -- the eye-popping, the exaggerated brow-furrowing reminiscent of a drag queen doing a Maggie Smith impersonation. She's just as bad in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. That over-the-top evil. At best, she might've provided a Marjorie Main-esque character role relief in comedy that didn't require too much subtlety... but anything more, no.

The film's not as good, of course, but Streep's performance is better. Less comically theatrical and broadly drawn. And more self-aware. Perhaps Lansbury came to close to the character to really *get* it. Her apparent refusal to allow Patty Duke to do a guest appearance on MSW because she beat her to an Oscar as a child decades prior suggests a certain tyrannical pettiness.

And, stone me if you want, I've never thought Ball was the calamity in MAME that she's made out to be on here.

Bo Derek's role in "10".

I shan't stone you, r13. Pity? Yes.

She just tipped into this much too easily. See below. Compare Julie Andrews in MARY POPPINS to Angie in BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS. It's exhausting watching her. She's like Betty Hutton or Ethel Merman in her ill-advised screen ventures. Unaware that she didn't have to be seen in the back row. Oh, I don't dislike her, by the way; but she had exactly the career she deserved: some character roles and a long-standing TV gig that require information to be telegramed.

Please. The only derisive laughter will be for the queens here who will insist Lansbury could've actually have sustained a career as legitimate leading lady in film. She was okay at what she did, I suppose... but then again so was Stepin Fetchin.

She is perfection in her supporting roles in Dark at the Top of the Stairs and Dear Heart.

She also seems curiously English in roles that don't call for it.

Oh, well.

Lucille Ball was good at what she did too. Better than Lansbury, I'd argue. If she had stopped around the same time she was offered THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE --- and I'd have MUCH rather have seen her in that than Lansbury in MAME --- she'd be held in higher regard today. Lack of overexposure helped Lansbury too. She does work best in small doses but we've never been left to see her limitations in full-force, unlike Ball in her increasingly pitiful attempts to keep Gary Morton in cigars. I think she'd at least have been more interesting playing Momma Rose on stage -- croaking the score aside -- than I imagine Lansbury was.

We can imagine how she was because she does play every role the same way.

I disagree about her performances - look at her in The Picture of Dorian Grey or All Fall Down - subtle and moving.

I just find the thought of her in OFOTCN so... campy.

I think we all understand why she'd appeal to the average DL queen, which is telling in and of itself. Don't get me wrong: we all need some of that in our lives -- I wish Susan Hayward's corpse was good enough to appear in MSW, or Bette Davis sufficiently cash-strapped -- but it's best when you don't have too much.

And, if you haven't noticed, it's kinda all she could do.

I think she would have been good in Simone Signoret's role in Diabolique.

I don't think I'm being harsh. I do like her. Hayward and Davis too (though Lansbury's not quite up there). But by the end of this thread there'll be all sorts of preposterous suggestions when she was actually best suited to roles where she got ham it up in a few scenes and then leave.

[quote]Oh, I don't dislike her, by the way; but she had exactly the career she deserved: some character roles and a long-standing TV gig that require information to be telegramed.

Whereas the Widow Edwards bombed in TV twice.

I would have been intrigued by her taking on Angie Dickinson's role in Dress to Kill. Lansbury had a latent sensuality that was infrequently seen and I think she would have surprised a lot of people. I believe there's an Episode of Murder where she goes under cover and portrays a sort of sexy femme fetale and she pulled it off quite well.

[quote] Whereas the Widow Edwards bombed in TV twice.

Those variety shows? They were losing steam by that time anyway. You're right though: Andrews wasn't best suited to TV. She'd have been best on stage too (instead we got The Tamarind Seed). She wasn't really suited to sustaining a career in '70s film. Maybe if she'd arrived twenty years earlier...

But she is perfect as Mary Poppins.

The thing is Lansbury might've worked in the Glynis Johns role (is restrained). But most of the posters on this thread will tell you she should've been the lead.

"I'd have to be pretty stupid to kill someone and then right about it in my book, Sheriff Metzger."

*crosses legs*

No, she isn't, R26. She's terrible. She indicates all over the place and none of the characters are worth caring about anyway, and the book sucked, too. It would have sucked no matter who was in it.

Lansbury in B&B is the best performance ever given by an actress.

And Lansbury turned out to be the better singer, too. Her voice is less generic and has stood the test of time better.

She was marvellous as Mrs Lovett. I think she mentioned it was her toughest role ever. Helena..ugh

I've always thought she would have been perfect as The Fairy Godmother in the Rodgers and Hammerstein version of Cinderella. I can hear her singing "Impossible" in my head.

She was indeed terrific in Sweeney Todd but she seems subdued and exhausted with George Hearn in the video version. No doubt she was -- she did the part for 2 years in New York and the video was made in LA on the last stop of the months long tour that followed. There is a decent boot of her and Cariou early in the Broadway run and they are both sensational. There are usually a few clips on youtube.

Yes, on stage she probably worked. On camera, no.

As opposed to all the roles Gary Morton (wisely) talked Lucille Ball out of?

I swear, half of this thread is one tired troll, the "Patty Duke is a goddess and Angela Lansbury cruelly banned her from appearing in Murder, She Wrote despite this never having been written about ANYWHERE" troll. It keeps saying things like "Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike her. I just think she was a terrible actress and a disgraceful human being" again and again and again.

Who the hell hates Angela Lansbury? You wouldn't think she'd inspire such passion. I know a couple of actors who guested on MSW, and the worst thing they said about her was that she was a little reserved. But also always courteous, respectful, and professional. Doesn't sound to me like a woman who carries out 25-year-old vendettas, but go figure.

BTW, I think the Pro-Patty Anti-Angie troll is Poo Shoes.

If it was filmed in the 90s she would have made an interesting Barbara Covett in Notes on a Scandal. I read somewhere she would have loved the role. As it is, he would have been told old when the movie was made/

How about Julie Christie's role in Away From Her? As an older woman losing her mind to dementia. She would have got an Oscar for sure!

Miss Daisy. Ouiser.

Minnii ROSEMARY'S BABY

She couldn't be Helen Lawson because she would have had to give up playing Mame on Broadway.

Her Mama Rose in GYPSY was one for the ages and, to me, still the gold standard for the role. She was very different from Merman while still retaining some of that hard edge that Rose needs. Still, she found moments to be maternal, loving, sexy, funny, and charming. A lot of Roses just bulldoze their way through the role like they have an appointment to keep after the show. I felt like she managed to show a more nuanced Rose and her "Rose's Turn" is still the most bone chilling version of all time. There was something about the way she sang those last 45 seconds (and her bows after) that have haunted me ever since.

The only one who came close was Tyne Daly and she couldn't sing the score nearly as well. Also, Imelda Staunton live was almost as great. I'm not sure what happened between the performance I saw and the BBC taping, but that was a completely different, charm free, humorless performance they captured.

She would have been nice and camp as the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey

R36, she toured Australia in Driving Miss Daisy with James Earl Jones. It was taped and shown on PBS. The full play can be streamed from the PBS site.

[quote] She would have been nice and camp as the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey

She didn't do that because she said she didn't want to take attention away from Maggie Smith.

The Cloris Leachman part in The Last Picture Show. She could play wistful and depressed well.

Then Cloris might have ended up as Miss Price in B&B. Those movies were made the same year.

What would the Sondheim/Angela Sunset Blvd have been like?

Someone mentioned Nurse Ratched. Angela was seriously considered for the part and by some accounts it was offered to her but she turned it down.

Sunset Boulevard would have been interesting - she had a much stronger voice than Glenn Close who lucked out with the part. Wasn't Angie's second Tony win (Dear World) a similar sort of character? An eccentric woman caught in the past. I'm sure she would have been great in that.

[quote] Lansbury had a latent sensuality that was infrequently seen and I think she would have surprised a lot of people.

We are laughing so hard now, god bless you.

She would have been great as one of the Golden Girls.

Angela was originally signed to star in Kander and Ebb's The Visit and worked on it for few a weeks. Then her husband had a massive heart attack (from which he eventually died) and she withdraw to care for him. That 2001 Chicago production went on with Chita but some of the financing fell apart without Angela and it was nearly 15 years before the show finally reached Broadway with Chita. I wonder how differerent the show would be if had been tailored around Angela instead of Chita.

Angela Lansbury is not funny. Death on the Nile doesn't count because she played it like a Carol Burnett sketch. Also she had no lips. Funny people have lips. Angela's lack of lips really detracted from her latent sexuality and humour.

R51 She does have lips. Lovely lips. Juicy lips. It's just she's a lady and never shows them in public.

I read somewhere Angela was interested in playing Norma in a musical. Julie Liza and Meryl wanted to play her, too but Patti nailed it in the workshop production in 1992 and ALW gave the part to her the same night during dinner, according to Patti’s memoirs.

Patti only landed the West End version. I'm sure neither Ange or Meryl Street were willing or able to move to London to do the show. Don't forget she was in MSW then

See above, r53. Sondheim actually began writing a musical version of SB for Angela. Burt Shevelove was writing the book. They got as far as a story treatment and Sondheim finished composing the first scene. Then he ran into Billy Wilder at a party and mentioned his latest project to him. Wilder told him that the story could be musicalized but it would have to be an opera because it is the story of a deposed queen. After thinking about, Sondheim realized he agreed with Wilder and abandoned his adaptation.

OT R55 I know that and the story. Gloria Swanson also tried to make a musical, even performed few songs in a variety show on tv. Sondheim had found the recording from somewhere and sent it to Patti after she got the part with the note The Original SB musical. R54 It is very well known she originally had a contract for London and Broadway. During the negotiations she tried to get LA instead of West End but Really Useful Group was against it.

Glo gives it a go!

Vera in Pal Joey

Lansbury is supremely annoying. Thoroughly professional about it, but annoying, nonetheless. I've seen her in MAME, SWEENEY TODD (Broadway and early in the tour) and the godforesaken DEUCE. She was something to behold as Mame, but there is no moment of subtlety in that entire unnecessary thing. She mugged her way something awful through Sweeney. Dorothy Loudon replaced her and THAT was a performance to treasure.

There is nothing that I want to see Lansbury mug through, but as long as she sells tickets, keep her on the stage. Keep the supporting actors working. Employ more wardrobe people. It's all good.

Angie would have been great in Debbie Does Dallas.

Angela L. is a national treasure

I would have loved her even more if she'd played a Klingon or Vulcan in TOS.

Catherine Tramell, Basic Instinct.

She might have made a good Miss Hannigan.

Better than Lynn Stinchcomb, R64. That bitch fucked up that role. TWICE!!!

I'm back.

Oh, I guess I'm the aforementioned "Patty Duke Troll". I only mentioned that story in passing. I'm aware it's irrelevant when it comes to Lansbury's performances. I simply thought it was interesting...

And I wasn't critiquing Lansbury because I love Patty Duke. I've honestly seen only THE MIRACLE WORKER and VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. I'm not a fan.

I actually believe Meryl Streep was at the first workshop performance of Sunset, but after seeing what Patti did with the score, she felt like she couldn't compete with that and told Lloyd Webber that she couldn't play the role. If only Glenn had been as self aware....

She was meant to play the old last in The Grand Budapest Hotel

Indeed she would have, r64. Imagine those brats fearing they'd end up in pies.

[quote]Patti only landed the West End version.

No, Patti had signed contracts to do Sunset in both London and New York. Then Glenn opened the LA sitdown while it was still running in London and she got generally better reviews and much better box office than Patti. So he signed Glenn to open in New York and offered Patti a pittance to buy out her New York contract. Patti responded by suing him for breach of contract and got a million dollars from him.

PRECIOUS.

Say what you will about Prettybelle, it did provide us with two DL anthems......

and......

How about Desiree in A Little Night Music, she certainly knows her way round Send In The Clowns!

I guess that sums it up then. I think she had the career she deserved.

Let's be honest. She found her best role in BLUE HAWAII, playing Elvis Presley's mother. It gave her the opportunity to do all the mugging and carrying on that she does better than anyone else.

I would have loved to see her in Cries and Whispers or Persona. Angela and Bergman...now there's a pairing.

She could have played any role. Somewhat.

Two words: Nomi Malone

Either Blanche or Jane Hudson would be right up her alley. She's not too old, even yet, to play them.

Someone fund this. Let her play both. She can mug up a storm and the performances can be seamlessly joined with CGI.

She does not mug!

Really...

That was when she was playing a nosy old fool in order to get some essential information on a murder!

Yes. They used that premise several times on the show. And she played it with all the subtlety of a eighteen-wheeler truck -- as she did the rest of the time too. How anyone ever fell for it I'll never know.

Titular character in Sophie’s Choice.

Remember: Half of DL unironically thinks if Mae West had lived a few more years she'd have been perfect in Sophie's Choice.

[quote] If she had stopped around the same time she was offered THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE

Lucille Ball wasn't [italic]literally[/italic] offered the role, as you are claiming. Frank Sinatra only suggested Ball to John Frankenheimer for the role of Mrs. Iselin.

What?! So Gary Morton never talked her out of it? That old meme is based on a lie? I'm shocked.

It did inspire a great thread though.

I don't know any genuine film fan who'd have been more interested in seeing Lansbury do MAME onscreen than Ball do THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE.

Carrie Bradshaw.

Here she goes....

Coarse acting at its best.

Showgirls

A few years ago she could have played Philomena Lee, the Irish woman searching for her son. We know Ange can do an Irish accent and having lived in Ireland on and off for years would have been quite at home filming there

[quote]We know Ange can do an Irish accent

Yes, an overdone stage one. She'd be arrested in Germany if she attempted the Yiddish accent we also know she can do.

Pity she didn't go ahead with The Chalk Garden on Broadway last year. Lazy old bag!

Angela could have played Margaret White - but I don't think she would have been as loopy or unhinged as Piper was.

Interestingly, Joan Fontaine was the first choice for Margaret White but turned it down.

Angela turned it down as she doesn't believe in smut. Talking about dirty pillows is un-ladylike

[quote]Angela could have played Margaret White - but I don't think she would have been as loopy or unhinged as Piper was.

I think she'd have looked too old for it. More like Carrie's grandmother than mother.

Angie was only 50 when the movie was made. They could have done her up really nicely

If a director could pry some warmth out of her, she might succeed in a bio pic as Tessie O'Shea.

When she was making those TV films in the summer breaks of Murder, She Wrote she might have made a good Mrs Delahuntly - the ageing romance novelist played by Maggie Smith in My House in Umbria. She was a drunken old tart.

Question is, would Ms Lansbury have been brave enough to bare her left tit in that seduction scene?

Angela has admitted on more than one occasion, that were the role to require it and it was tastefully done she would have no problem with doing nudity, full-frontal or otherwise.

Oh, thank God that offer never came.

Full-frontal nudity on camera being done tastefully is an oxymoron. Especially in Lansbury's case. Oh, well, she's still working though. So never say never.

Sophia in THE COLOR PURPLE.

Did she ever bare her titties in anything? or pussy?

Unfortunately not. What a loss.

I could actually see Angie as Margaret White. She'd have been pretty fucking scary. Also, the Louise Fletcher role in Flowers in the Attic. She could have killed that role.

Marnie in Hitchcock's "Marnie". She'd have out tippi-ed Tippi Hedren.