I told my tbm dad that Lauren Becall passed away. My tbm baby sister thought I was talking about Pamela Andersen instead. So I went to the computer and showed her Lauren Befall on the Internet Movie Database. I told her that she was prettier than Pamela. I also told her that she was from "old school" Hollywood. Maybe she didn't remember her because she's 24 and I'm 41? Are there others like her who are unaware of yesteryears old fashion movies star still with us? Granted they're not tabloid fodder of course!
Of course. Just like many of today's young sports fans have no idea of Jim Brown or Mickey Mantle, today's young movie fans don't know Bogart of Bacall.
I'm in your age group, & most of the people I grew up with in our age group did not know about actors from decades past, unless they were an older actor on a TV show (like when Ernest Borgnine was on "Airwolf"). I knew who they were because I read books about film & film history.
I grew up on late-night TV so I've seen all the old classic 30s, 40s and 50's horror and SF films like "Frankenstein" and "Dracula." I've even seen all three of the original "Buck Rogers" serials thanks to public television and the Internet. I also like the old film noir crime dramas and Bogart films. Purposely put off seeing "Casablanca" until I could see it on a date in a real movie theatre.
I'm in my late twenties. I can't imagine NOT knowing who Lauren Bacall was, or Humphrey Bogart, or any classic Hollywood actor. It's an essential part of a pop culture education. How could anyone confuse Lauren Bacall with Pamela Anderson? It's the difference between class and trash.
I'd hardly call it 15 minutes or 50 years ago. She was in some great films then, yes. But she also did Broadway in the 70s and 80s, and she got a Golden Globe and an Oscar nom in 97.
rt Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Lauren who? > > Can't blame a person for not knowing someone who > had their 15 minutes of fame 50 odd years ago. > > Just like you don't want to be blamed for not > knowing who's hip today - and it's not Pamela > Anderson. > > It's all vanity...
Well, my students know some old-time Hollywood stars, since I make them watch Bogart and Bacall in "The Big Sleep" when we study noir fiction. :-) It's true, though, that most of them haven't heard of any stars of earlier eras. Occasionally a student will have an interest in film studies and be an exception.
Over ten years ago, I showed "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" to a Utah studies class. Most of them had never heard of Pual Newman or Robert Redford.Poor kids.The girls loved Redford.
When my dad told mom and I about Lauren Bacall, I didn't know who he was talking about. But if we think about it will the next generation know some of the famous actors or sports figures from today.
Not only do I not follow old actors, I don't even follow new actors. I am so out of the pop culture loop that I don't know who the kardashians are, nor do I care.
I see all these names on the covers of the tabloids at the supermarket and I have no clue.
I love TV but haven't watched it for years since I live in west Kansastan colorado and the only way I could get TV is to pay for satellite which I am too cheap to do. Why should I pay for a hundred channels when I only like three of them ?
Can't blame you, Dave. I have 17 free broadcast channels, and when anything about the Kardashians comes on, I change the channel. I know very little about them on purpose. I know enough to know you are missing nothing, Dave.
My son is a fan of the old Universal horror movies from the thirties and forties. He knows Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney Jr. He definitely knows John Wayne from westerns shown by local broadcasters. Marilyn Monroe and Betty Davis he could probably recognize. We see a lot of old horror movies presented by Svengoolie on Saturday nights.
If a millennial has grown up in a show business area, they often have personal ties to the classic (or notable, or famous) performers, or to specific films or TV shows, which means that they often are very much aware of the actors in those productions.
A few years ago I (a full adult) became an auxiliary part of a specific school, and the millennials I got to know there were often highly-knowledgeable about film and television history...
...either because they were related to it (someone in their family was, or had been, a notable/famous performer), or because they had some personal connection to it (an area near their home had once been owned by [fill in the name of the star]), or because they were working child performers themselves, or because they knew/dated/grew up with child performers, or because they wanted to enter some sector of the entertainment industry in their personal futures.
Many of them, when it came to Hollywood/show business history, could out trivia me A-N-Y day!!! :D
When my daughter was born (she's 34 now) my wife and I disagreed on almost every name, although we were sure she was going to be another boy.
We decided on a few both boys and girls and I don't remember the exact details now, but when she was born I suggested Lauren, after Lauren Bacall and I'm not sure now why. I have always loved her (and Bogart) in The Big Sleep and To Have and Have not.
So we named her Lauren, my family and hers both hated the name to begin but after we trained to pronounce her name Lau-ren, not LORRIN (I used to say, don't pronounce it like Orrin Hatch.) they all learned to love it. She still has to correct people when they say her name and she's not a bit shy about doing so.
Ha. You remind me of the pretentious Hyacinth Bucket on "Keeping Up Appearances." She was always correcting people on the pronunciation of her last name, insisting it was "Bouquet."
Do you know about younger stars? No? Then I don't get why this is an issue...There are plenty of amazing films and television shows being made currently. Generations have different pop culture references...seems intuitive to me.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2016 10:54PM by woodsmoke.
Richard : " It wasn't ' Bouquet ', until I met you" I love that show, poor Richard and his early retirement . She's always trying to impress the creepiest of people. Poor Emmit too, and Elizabeth, well everyone's her victim
British humor is the best. One needs to let it evolve on you, before you know it, you can't get enough..... Benny Hill, Mr. Bean, Mrs. Brown's Boys to name a few.
They don't know who Wilma Flintstone is either. The cartoons now a days are crappy. Where's Felix the cat? (Not Fritz the cat ) They don't know of him either , including yours truly. I just remember seeing the ad for it in the movie section when I was a kid and wanting to see it, since I had a cat then and loved cat cartoons, like the Aristocats. My parents were telling me that Fritz wasn't for little kids. It wasn't like Felix
"Lady of the house speaking " Here come Daisy and Onslow, sorry Elizabeth, you have to go ! And don't spill your coffee on the way out Better go see what mess daddy and arose are getting into Keep forgetting about Violet Love that show. Didn't the guy who played Onslow died a year ago? I also love the show where she's the lady detective, her and that young " Lad"
My parents watched a lot of old movies on VHS and then dVD when my siblings and I were growing up, so I know who a lot of them are. My mother's hope chest from her youth was a genuine "Deanna Durbin" hope chest that had been her aunt's. It came with an 8" by 10' glossy of actress Deanna Durbin in the inside of the top, held there by a built-in wooden frame. I would have been easy enough to remove, but neither my mo nor her aunt bothered, so I know what Deanna Durbin looks like, though I don't think I've ever seen her in a movie. I remember that my sisters especially liked Doris Day movies.
The Christmas classic movies ("It's a wonderful Life," "White Christmas," "Christmas in Connecticut," "Miracle of the Bells," etc.)used to be played on one channel or another every year (probably still are) and we watched them as a family tradition with whatever kids were still at home. I never really liked many of the movies, but we had popcorn at least (sometimes something better) and hot chocolate, My memories of the times are fond. I remember as a little guy watching "Miracle on 34th Street" and thinking as a little boy that Natalie Wood was rather hot. It made me sad when I asked about her and my mom told me she had drowned a few years before I was born.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2016 04:57AM by scmd.
My mom is on a western streak so I am seeing a lot of old actors like Steve McQueen, Jim Arness, and John Wayne. I am actually kind of liking most of them because there isn't much to some of the newer shorts out there now and I think the acting is much better to.
Do most baby boomers even know of classic old-school silent film Hollywood actors? I know a few, but not many and not many details. Which isn't surprising.
Just like it's not surprising that most millenials don't know the Hollywood actors of our time.