Sunday, March 24, 2013

1960s Era Final Match-Up

I'm a big fan of both Diana Rigg and Shirley Jones, but to be honest with you, I didn't know anybody else was and I fully expected Dame Rigg and Mrs. Jones—both seeded seventh in their respective brackets—to lose in the opening round. Instead, each of these Cinderellas has put together a magical run and one of them is advancing to the Final Four.

You'll have to ask Monty at All Good Things, the host of this annual Tournament, but I don't think a lower seeded actress has ever advanced to the Final Four.

Once again, your contestants:

Diana Rigg
Birth Name: Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg
Tourney Bracket and Seeding: "British Invasion" #7
Birth Date: July 30, 1938
Birthplace: Doncaster, Yorkshire, England
Height: 5' 8½"
Academy Awards: none
Katie-Bar-The-Door Awards: best supporting actress of 1969 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
Three To See: On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Hospital, Theater of Blood
How She Got Here: defeated #2 Julie Christie, 43-19; #6 Angela Lansbury, 44-40; #1 Julie Andrews, 48-21; #1 Catherine Deneuve, 38-13

Shirley Jones
Birth Name: Shirley Mae Jones
Tourney Bracket and Seeding: "Song and Dance" #7
Birth Date: March 31, 1934
Birthplace: Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Height: 5' 5½"
Academy Awards: 1 win (supporting actress, Elmer Gantry)
Katie-Bar-The-Door Awards: best actress of 1962 (comedy/musical) (The Music Man)
Three To See: Carousel, Elmer Gantry, The Music Man
How She Got Here: defeated # 2 Shirley MacLaine, 45-42; #6 Liza Minnelli, 34-18; #1 Natalie Wood, 34-26; #1 Anne Bancroft, 34-18

The matches to determine the winner of each of the other eras should be up some time today. Remember:

Monty of All Good Things is hosting the 1930s bracket—Barbara Stanwyck v. Carole Lombard (click here).
Desiree of Rosalind Russell: Dazzling Star is hosting the 1940s bracket—Bette Davis v. Rita Hayworth (click here).
Kristen of Journey in Classic Film is hosting the 1950s bracket—Doris Day v. Ava Gardner (click here).

8 comments:

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

Remember what the boys down at the precinct house say:

[Barber shop quartet dressed in 1930s LAPD uniforms enters stage right, sings:]

"The up is jig
if you
don't vote for Rigg
The Rigg whose first name is Diana
Di-annnnnn-ah"

monty said...

This was not the final match for this era I had anticipated either. I was expecting Natalie Wood to three-peat! It was quite shocking to go. As far as this match goes, I have no idea who will win this one. Should be quite interesting!

Uncle Tom said...

So its Butler vs George Mason for the title is what you're saying. Sure, everyone is all agog over the lower seeds advancing but by the middle of the first half, a large portion of the TV audience has flipped to a rerun of the "What's Going Down" episode of "That's My Mama".

I say you lock Shirley and Diana into a self-storage unit somewhere off Dickerson Rd in Nashville, throw in one bottle of water, two large knives and then come back in a week to see who comes out on top.

Mythical Monkey said...

I say you lock Shirley and Diana into a self-storage unit somewhere off Dickerson Rd in Nashville, throw in one bottle of water, two large knives and then come back in a week to see who comes out on top.

My guess is that Diana Rigg would wind up picking her teeth with Shirley's bones.

VKMfanHuey said...

...well, again, I am a big Ma Partridge fan (but let's delineate...I am NOT an 'obsessed Partridge Family' fan...that would be a bit weird...I guess...) - but, it appears Ms. Rigg will prevail - although I have honestly never seen one of her films...but at this rate, I will need to look one or two up!

Hu
---

Mythical Monkey said...

at this rate, I will need to look one or two up!

I think if you're only going to watch one, I'd go with On Her Majesty's Secret Service -- she was coolest Bond girl ever.

Or if you can't wrap your head around George Lazenby as James Bond, try The Hospital, which stars George C. Scott in a satire of health care written by a particularly cheesed off Paddy Chayefsky.

Clarence Darrow said...

You can lock 'em up with me.

hubba hubba

VKMfanHuey said...

...thanks for the suggestions...I'm pretty sure I saw ..secret service a LONG time ago, as a kid, probably before I fully appreciated (much less comprehended) the attributes of a Bond Girl... so it appears a 're-viewing' is in order...