Anna Nicole's Film Career: Did Hollywood Hold Her Back?
Filed under: Classics, Comedy, Celebrities and Controversy, Obits
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It's been exactly one week since the not-so-shocking death of Anna Nicole Smith, and as the perspective baby-daddies fight to lay claim on a fortune that may never materialize, various media outlets are competing to tag the final footnote on a film career that never really happened. Jim Keough is one of several movie pundits to scoff at the media's insistence on setting Smith's story against that of her stated icon, Marilyn Monroe. "The comparison is unfair to Monroe," Keough writes. "Anna Nicole Smith will be remembered for her outsized proportions, her tabloid-friendly personal life and her erratic behavior, which included dozens of slurry interviews, but unlike Marilyn, she's light years from being iconic." It would seem that the bulk of Hollywood agrees; the L.A. Times reports that Smith's final film, a schlocky-sounding sci-fi flick called Illegal Aliens, co-financed by the wannabe-actress herself and co-written by Smith's late son Daniel, has been unable to find a theatrical distributor and will go straight-to-DVD this spring.
That's a far cry from the fate of Monroe's final film. Though Marilyn was fired from George Cukor's remake of My Favorite Wife, after her death 38 minutes of footage from that aborted project were cobbled together for inclusion in countless tributes and documentaries. The clip reel itself, completely divorced from Cukor's original intentions, was eventually released on DVD as part of a Marilyn Monroe box set. Cultural critic Camille Paglia agrees that the comparison to Monroe is off the mark, but insists that Smith had what it takes to become a genuine movie star -- if only Hollywood had let her. Comparing the late Trimspa spokeswoman to Jayne Mansfield, Margaux Hemingway and Anita Ekberg, Paglia laments the loss of a studio system that would have made room for Smith's "sexual charisma and comedic charm." "The real problem was that the broad, Technicolor comedic films in which Smith might have thrived are no longer made -- except in Bollywood," Paglia writes in a long column at Salon. "Smith had genuine talent but no place to put it."
One imagines Paglia is thinking of something like Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, Frank Tashlin's great live-action cartoon in which Mansfield played a larger-than life, idiot-savant sex goddess opposite hyper-nebbishy Tony Randall. Mansfield, yet another blonde with exaggerated proportions who died suddenly in her 30s, made most of her memorable films for Tashlin; Ekberg worked with the director, too, in the Martin and Lewis vehicles Artists and Models and Hollywood or Bust. In this respect, Paglia's correct: that type of film is not being made anymore. In fact, there really isn't a director in contemporary Hollywood who seems to be interested in making comedies starring women. Sure, all those Frat Pack movies have girls in them, but only as scolds, or eye candy, or both.
But even if it's truly lamentable that there's no one like Frank Tashlin making movies today, it's by no means certain that Anna Nicole would have been able to produce a decent performance under the correct tutelage. Paglia is usually an astute judge of actresses, but where is she getting the evidence that Smith was some kind of comic master -- from The Anna Nicole Show? If anything, Smith's time as a reality TV star proved she had little mastery of anything. These outtakes from Skyscraper, one of Smith's few headlining projects, are hilarious, but again, unintentionally so. My guess is that no comic auteur could have wrangled Anna Nicole into convincingly playing anything but Anna Nicole -- but it is possible that, within the right vehicle, that could have been enough.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-16-2007 @ 2:51PM
Flit said...
No. She was horrible, unintelligble, and brain fried. Just because someone dies doesn't make them a sad character.
No comedies starring women? Scary movie 1-3? I would argue that nobody wants to make comedies. The only sucessful comedy recently i can think of is borat.
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2-16-2007 @ 2:53PM
The Jeremy said...
Paglia is right on the money with the Mansfield comparison...
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2-16-2007 @ 6:48PM
Beth said...
I feel like everyone in this hole thing with anna nicole. Meaning the man who say they are th baby's father and nicole own family are only after one thing and it is not the babye well being it is nicole's money and estate.
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2-17-2007 @ 2:00PM
m lewis said...
a talentless gold-digging waste of DNA. To compare her with Marilyn Monroe is a complete joke. ANS couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. Even her 'sex/comedy' commodity was buried under being a complete moron with no class and no standards. She went from rich guy to rich guy climbing the celebrity ladder by being a whore. God help us if anyone see's her as anything other than a complete train wreck!
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2-17-2007 @ 4:35PM
Amycat said...
I think her mother should get the baby and share custody with the dad which will prove its that Larry guy. I can only say the only thing i think the mother has done wrong so far is Anna Nicole should be buried beside her son cause that is truly what she wanted. I think her mom wants what is truly best for the baby and so does Larry. I mean think about it how many agents would put there clients on stage and interviews so doped up they cant talk everyone else was out for the dollar. I think the press should leave it alone they say the public cant get enough of this story good grief its the media not the public. I dont think she could act but she is gone now and i wish the media would just give it a break already. I agree with everyone else a Marilyn Monroe she was not. I hope this matter gets settled soon so we can watch something else on tv.
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2-17-2007 @ 7:16PM
tomee said...
about as entertaining as this Illegal Aliens Flick...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOtTcP4YTTs
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2-17-2007 @ 8:02PM
TG said...
Marilyn Monroe wasn't exactly a hard working young woman herself she was just as slutty as ANS. ANS didn't know who to sleep with to make it to the top.
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2-17-2007 @ 11:24PM
catrina said...
to the ones who have nothing good to say about anna nicole.. Just take heed people, she was bought up poor, and got over that hurdle, with a baby also, to bring up, even if the people that took her nearlly to the top, thru the back door and the trashy way, she still did something with her life, and will always be remembered, and she loved her children. rest in peace nicole. i hope you have happiness now with your son. .
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2-18-2007 @ 5:56AM
Lynn P. said...
I am in agreement with the person who said that no one is really concerned about Dannilynn,with the exception of the Grandma and the real Daddy (the photographer).He claimed Dannilynn when no one else was willing to stand up and be a MAN!He loved Anna and both of the children.But I do think that if the money is legally found out to come to Anna (Dannilynn),I think that there should be a certain amount to be given to her caregiver,but not the total amount,but enough to raise her the way her Mama Anna would have wanted,and the largest amount put into a trust for Dannilynn when she gets of age,she can get a certain amount,and so on as she gets older.There needs to be someone to look out for the baby's best interest at all times!And whomever gets custody of that precious baby should have to account for every dime spent out of the money given to care for her and her well being.And as for the rest of it,if Anna had of been just a regular person,all of this talk and disrespect wouldn't be going on!Please let her "Rest in Peace",isn't that what we are suppose to do when someone passes away?She was thrown out in the public's eye,the
"Spotlight" enough when she was alive,and made fun of.She had no one to respect her then,or they would have told her to slow down,or that the way she was doing looked bad for her,but instead,the one's that were suppose to love and care for her,practically lead her to the slaughter house by allowing her to go through with the things she did!She was a train wreck,and at times it was hard to turn away,but there are those that were getting paid to look out for her best interest,but instead they cared only about her money and their own paychecks,not their loyalty to Anna.It is those that will have to stand before Our Lord when they pass away.And they need to think about what is going to be said about them when they leave this earth themselves!!!And now that Anna is gone,who will want to hire them as their assistants,caregivers,lawyers,stylists,makeup artist,and such?I wouldn't!!!But that's only my opinion!!!And we all know what those are like,Right? Lynn P. Cowpens,S.C.
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2-18-2007 @ 3:56PM
crazypainter said...
Comparing her to Marilyn Monroe? Why not? Marilyn Monroe was another junkie and mediocre actress. That's not such a leap...
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2-18-2007 @ 11:26PM
Cheryl said...
What has happened is a very sad event indeed, yet Anna is being treated so disrespectfully in the media. Those who are profiting currently from her untimely death, are the same people who have chased her to the ends of the earth for their next pay check, essentially selling their souls to the devil for “MONEY” (the same thing that Anna is being criticized for). Shame on them for the irresponsibility that they have brought to the craft of media reporting, we seem to have lost all the “Peter Jennings” of the world for simply profit and ratings. However Dannilynn will grow up knowing all the negative behavior of the press during her Mother’s lifetime. Anna Nicole Smith became whom she was largely due to the overwhelming attention over her appearance, whether it was her playboy spread or her overweight years and so on. When Anna was younger I know that she didn’t have a grand plan of how things would go in her life. She was an average person who was a frontline worker, married and had a son. What changed was she discovers topless dancing and how much money there was to be made from the oil wealth in Houston as well as the rest of Texas. Howard J Marshall wasn’t thee only wealthy person in Texas. Topless clubs wouldn’t have been available to Anna (and others trying to make a better living the best way they can) if it weren’t for the men that frequent them and keep those types of businesses open and growing. Anna learned a new way of surviving and also realized that men would take care of her due to their attraction towards her appearance. So when punishing her in the media for what is believe to be wrong behavior on her part, you need to look at the root cause of Anna Nicole becoming who she was. One thing is for certain men and their wealth in general greatly facilitated Anna becoming who she was good or bad. She gave what she thought the world wanted. As far as her mother goes I don’t feel that her intentions are honorable, she has the same simple life that Anna at one tine had. Also Anna excluded her mother from any part of her life, including the fame and fortune that Anna had access to. Her mother wanted to benefit from Anna’s wealth while alive, after having six children and living a poor life I am certain her mother was bitter that she wasn’t benefiting from Anna’s wealth (for raising Anna) and in essence she wants to rise above her poor existence just as Anna did. I hope for the sake of Dannilynn that Howard is the father and can continue to live in the Bahamas. I fear her living with anyone else but Howard would greatly affect her quality of life. He cares deeply for Anna and will be able to give Dannilynn a better perspective as to who she was and how much Anna loved her. None of the persons claiming Anna’s estate and child are in a position to raise her in a balanced fashion due to negative attitudes they have towards her mother and who she had become out of financial necessity. Howard is suffering a tremendous heartbreak losing the love of his life. Thank goodness Howard’s family is stable and close knit, which will aid him in his grief. I am glad for Anna that she no longer has to suffer over her loosing Daniel.
Rest In Peace Anna & Daniel
You are together again forever
Howard and Dannilynn I wish the
best for your future.
Cheryl
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2-18-2007 @ 11:50PM
webwitch said...
I can only hope that the little baby is well taken care of and loved so that she does not turn out to be like her mother. I think ANS looked for love in all the wrong ways and with all the wrong people, and if there was anyone that truly cared for her, (Larry) she was too drugged up and out of it to care back.
Rest in Peace,
and please be a guardian angel to your little girl, as she didnt ask to be born into this mess.
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2-19-2007 @ 9:19AM
Isabel said...
Fire your editor. And look in the dictionary for the difference between perspective and prospective.
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2-20-2007 @ 10:08AM
foracause said...
Eveybody wants to be Danyellyn dad,just for the money,i hope they won't get a red penny! But in the case of her ex-boyfriend the photographer he always said since day one he is the father before she past away,i hope he's the real father...BTW she doesn't looks like Marylin at all.
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2-22-2007 @ 4:28PM
Kelly said...
Anna Nicole Smith was a stripper who capitalized on her looks and silicone enhanced sexuality to get known. She was famous for being famous, they used to call it "infamous". While I will be the first one to say that she was at the least entertaining. She kept us thinking well at least we're not that screwed up! But she was strung out on drugs she made extreemly poor decisions and am sure she was completely worthless as a mother i.e. 20 yr old son on two anti-depressants and Methadone, which happens to be what was in her system when they found her... but to compare her to Marilyn Monroe is sickening and as soon as the furor over her death and paternity suit ends we will be saying Anna Who?
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3-05-2007 @ 3:17PM
tiffany t said...
1. great, interesting article 2. the way some of u talk about anna is completely disgusting and will make someone look down on you as if you are, what you're calling her. she was a human being. don't forget that. a h b never in no shape or form deserves to be spoken about like that. "a talentless gold digging waste of dna"? how rude can you get? u can say talentless and goldigging (which i don't see is a problem), but it's a shame to say, waste of dna. that is attacking the human being. you are attacking Vicki and not Anna Nicole. let's please be fair. it's as if most of you don't dislike her; you hate her. i don't see why there is this hate. and geez the lady lost her son and is now dead! how cruel can you people be? there is no remorse or sympathy and i find it appalling, sadistic, and despicable. and i think there is a lot of envy going on. and i see nothing wrong with being a golddigger. u gotta do what u gotta do; you have to survive in this mean, increasingly expensive world. if there are old, rich, unattractive men wanting a beautiful girl, then there is a supply and demand. why do people always pick on the women? 3. anna had to had something special to make it. making it in HW, especially back then is like winning the lotto. a 1 in 175 million chance. so she stood out. she wasn't just ordinary or average. and i personally don't think she was.
4. i admit that she should not be classed with MM. She should not be iconic b/c she brought nothing special to any type of art. was beautiful in Guess but a lot of people are. 5. I am a HUGE MM fan and love her to death, but i am also a very fair, unbiased honest person and will admit that (from reading almost every MM book), MM was slutty just like Anna. and i agree with the person who said, the only difference is anna just didn't sleep with the right people. 5. i don't agree with the article's statement that there are no women in comedies. i just don't see that. 6. anna nicole to me was strange, she seemed a little loopy but she made me laugh a lot with her loopiness. don't know if that was an act, but she was very entertaining. (she might be a little off but i knew she wasn't dumb. nobody makes it in HW and marries a billionaire and is dumb). she got your attention. she seemed so happy, like there wasn't a mean bone in her body. like she wanted everyone to love one another. she didn't seem like a bitch. like she was very loving and sweet. and the philosophy i live by is i don't care if you're gay, crazy, fat, ugly, poor-if you're nice and kind, you are right in my book. and that's why anna is. i wasn't a fan, but i liked her. also when i first saw her, which was in Guess, i said thats one of the most beautiful women. now after her devastating tragedy i like her even more. i don't think she should be labelled an icon, but she will be iconic b/c her story became so globally huge. she has gotten what she always wanted; a place in history. i am from the bahamas and am grateful for her, that she gave this country a huge boost. she put us on that map so to speak.lol...when i heard about her son over the radio i was stunned. my body became cold, i had goosebumps; a young and innocent had died, and it was so, so unexpected. i knew who he was, had watched her reality show a bit, and from that had picked up that he was an extremely shy, quiet, kind, loving boy. he couldn't hurt a fly. i don't have a child, but i felt for her SO much. i was so sorry. i heard she had to be put on medication and screamed his name in the hospital room. words could not express how sorry i was for her...and now she is dead. that astonished me too. evrything is so eerie to me. she always wanted MM type fame--and she got it. she wanted to be with her son, but wasn't planning on dying--and she got it. i hope she and daniel are together now and finally anna has peace and she doesn't have to hurt over what ignorant, jealous people say about her. i hope her adorable daughter will be ok in the future and anna will guide her..hope, hope. that's all you really can do. Most of us loved you Anna. RIP Anna & Danny, for that place you are, we all must go someday.
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3-12-2007 @ 5:47AM
ana L said...
I WISH PEOPLE stop talking bad about ans she was beutiful
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