Quote of the Day
“For the love scenes in my first Hollywood silent picture, DARK ANGEL, I spoke in my own language, Hungarian, and my co-star, Ronald Colman, chatted about cricket and kippers.” ~ Vilma Banky.
I’m shocked now that I realise I’ve never seen a Banky film. But I have copy of THE EAGLE, copied from an off-air recording in Lindsay Anderson’s private stash… must watch that soon.
I like those stories about silent stars speaking different languages, like Lars Hansen talking Swedish to Lillian Gish in THE WIND, while she spoke English. But at least they were serious enough to say lines germane to the narrative, or I assume so anyway. I can’t imagine there was much monkeying around on a Victor Sjöstrom set.
(Rule of thumb: nobody with an umlaut in his name is going to put up with any shenanigans.)
February 6, 2008 at 8:34 pm
In the immortal words of a very young Stephen Sondheim –
“Valentino,
Vilma Banky,
Lots of sand and
Hanky Panky!”
February 6, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Beautiful!
But sad to think such a lyric would be unthinkable today, just because not one in a thousand audience members would have heard of Vilma B.
February 6, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Corrupt Nuclear Powerstation Magnate Montgomery Burns has referenced being in love with Vilma Banky on at least one occasion.
February 7, 2008 at 12:00 am
How nice! The Simpsons writers have a policy of “If we think ONE PERSON will understand a joke, we’ll still put it in.” Their favourite obscurity was Grandpa’s “Grover Cleveland spanked me on two non-consecutive occasions.”
I wanted to have the same policy as script editor on Intergalactic Kitchen, but no, they wouldn’t have it.
I like Monty Burns’ description of Rory Calhoun as “that fellow who walks and talks,” or something like that.
February 7, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Vilma passed away not all that long ago.
As I recall some articles were written about her in her later years where she was apparently living quite comfortably her in L.A.
February 7, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Yes, I saw how the IMDb says she still played golf well into her eighties. Nice, if you like that kind of thing (golf, I mean).