OT- Virginia Patton, Actress in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ Dies at 97 (U of M)
I know, I'm a chump for watching that movie on cold winter nights in front of the fireplace.
I saw this headline and decide to read the article.
Low and behold, she has a U of M connection.
Again, O/T
From the article:
"She left Hollywood and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, after marrying automotive executive Cruse W. Moss in 1949, and they had three children. They were married for 69 years until his death in 2018.
Patton served as a docent at the University of Michigan’s Museum of Art and president and director of the Patton Corp., an investment and real estate holding company."
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/virginia-patton-actress-wonderful-life-192458873.html
August 22nd, 2022 at 9:20 AM ^
WAS a Wonderful Life.
August 23rd, 2022 at 8:31 AM ^
One other connection Virginia Patton has to U-M: She was Gen. George Patton’s niece. And of course, Bob Ufer used to refer to Bo on his broadcasts as “General Bo ‘George Patton’ Schembechler.” Not to mention, the horn off George Patton’s jeep that Ufer used to honk after Michigan TDs and FGs was given to him by Patton’s nephew — presumably Virginia’s cousin or brother.
August 22nd, 2022 at 9:37 AM ^
I think I remember reading that "It's A Wonderful Life" was Stewart's first film after returning from WWII and he was quite nervous about returning to acting for much of the production. Even so, it is a holiday staple and we do tune in when it is on over Christmas.
I know of Cruse Moss because my father spent many decades navigating the automotive industry in North America, so I know he was in on the development of the Wagoneer and was once the head of the Automotive Division of what became Jeep (later part of AMC, then Chrysler, then...well...it got rather complicated).
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
It is sometimes sad to watch what happens to people/engineers who know how to design and build good things for a focused, specific purpose get caught up in the Mergers & Acquisitions Game. I can't possibly remember every time I have tried to explain to brilliant spreadsheet guys the need to consider synergy and goodness of fit when trying to blend teams and/or entities.
Jeep was always considered the golden nugget as it got moved around from owner to owner. Hopefully your Dad was somewhat left relatively undisturbed as his "boss" changed names, HQs, languages, etc..
August 22nd, 2022 at 12:24 PM ^
Stewart, who flew combat missions rather than make movies for the Army, was afraid that his time had passed as an actor. He’d been out of the game for years and no longer a young man. Obviously it worked out.
August 22nd, 2022 at 1:33 PM ^
Jimmy had no trouble getting back on the horse, though. He had a great run of films in the ‘50s, particularly with Hitchcock. Ironically, the pair had a falling out when Hitchcock passed him over for Cary Grant in North by Northwest because he was too old. Still, he wasn’t like all those other actors, he retire from the Air Force as a Brigadier General and piloted B-24s over Europe in 1943/44 as part of the 8th Air Force. That’s bad assed.
August 22nd, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
North by Northwest is in my top three films of all time. The cinematography is absolutely stunning to me. And nearly any film with Grant in it is worth watching.
August 22nd, 2022 at 7:07 PM ^
Without the slightest hesitation I can say that Jimmy Stewart is my favorite actor.
August 22nd, 2022 at 9:43 AM ^
According to the article, Miss Patton was a niece of General George Patton.
Bob Ufer would honk the George Patton Schembechler Horn during his broadcasts. This was the actual horn from Patton's jeep.
August 22nd, 2022 at 9:46 AM ^
No man is a failure who has friends.
RIP, Ginny.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:10 AM ^
You'd be a chump if you didn't watch this movie on cold winter nights in front of the fireplace! Truly a classic.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:38 AM ^
I know, I know.
August 22nd, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
I've always enjoyed the movie, but the MGoGirlfriend has one major complaint about it. In the alternate reality segment, his wife Mary ends up as a dowdy librarian just because George wasn't born. To MGG, that makes no sense. Mary was a beautiful, intelligent, vivacious young woman, and would have caught the eye of many young men. (Remember, Sam Wainwright was sweet on her). So no George means that she ends up a dowdy spinster?
Now I can't see the movie without seeing that plot hole.
August 22nd, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
I love the movie, but you’re right. It might have been better to show her ending up as the unhappy, unloved wife of the unfaithful Sam Wainwright.
August 22nd, 2022 at 7:03 PM ^
I thought that they covered that in the scene when she tells him she is pregnant. George says to Mary that she could have had anyone for her husband. She replies that she didn't want anyone else. Ergo, dowdy spinster. However, I understand the MGG thinking.
August 22nd, 2022 at 7:09 PM ^
Sometimes the unlikely happens.
August 22nd, 2022 at 10:32 AM ^
I feel like I saw her and husband around Glacier Hills when my parents used to live there. I wish I had known she was in It's a Wonderful Life! What a film.
August 22nd, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
Thanks for this worthy OT thread. In order to keep it in line with the quickly ending OT season, I will assert that many of the chumps on this board have watched that movie somewhere between 42 - 27 times.
August 22nd, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
I never knew. When did she live in A2?
August 22nd, 2022 at 12:34 PM ^
RIP.
Top 5 movie for me.
I have to admit though, when she shows up with that "Ruth Dakin Bailey" stuff and you know George is about to get screwed I can't help but get annoyed at her character.
I guess that leaves only Zsu Zsu?
Edit: apparently some of the other child actors are still alive as well.
August 22nd, 2022 at 3:03 PM ^
Stewart won Best Actor for Philadelphia Story in 1941.
The peak achievement for many a star.
He was drafted shortly after that.
Yes, brave man, put his life on the line for his country.
One story is he used his actual anxiety about resuming his acting career for the scene on the bridge, and other panicked moments in the film.
Which bombed at the box office.
Hitchcock said casting Stewart saved a reel of film that would otherwise be used establishing his character in the film.
He was not fond of actors, likening them to cattle.
He said the director was more responsible for the emotion on Stewart's face as he leered through the window across the street. Hitchcock said the shot before, what Stewart was looking at, made the scene, and not anything Stewart did.
Great director and underrated actor.
Saw him on Carson saying that was his favorite role, though Anatomy of a Murder was close.
Which is based on a true story set in the U.P.
This concludes today's movie trivia lesson.
August 22nd, 2022 at 6:47 PM ^
I think you are mixing up vertigo and it's a wonderful life ... ?
Not sure if Jimmy Stewart is "underrated" either - seriously, he was about as famous and successful as they come.