Madeline Bassett?

Steve Rinn

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Jan 30, 1995, 3:48:54 AM1/30/95

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In the "Granada" Jeeves and Wooster series, now playing on PBS, have
they changed the actress playing Madeline Bassett? I don't mind the
woman playing Madeline now, but the previous woman's Madeline was
brilliant. A mere toss of her head emanated the serene knowledge
that "stars are God's daisy chains", and that "every time a fairy
blows its wee nose a baby is born."

pip-pip,
-steve

Deryk Barker

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Jan 31, 1995, 1:30:24 PM1/31/95

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J Storrs Hall (jo...@planchet.rutgers.edu) wrote:
: Steve Rinn <sr...@halcyon.com> writes:

: >In the "Granada" Jeeves and Wooster series, now playing on PBS, have

: >they changed the actress playing Madeline Bassett? I don't mind the
: >woman playing Madeline now, but the previous woman's Madeline was
: >brilliant.

: Well, I'd agree that the current La Basset lacks a certain soupiness,
: but I thought the previous one was too harsh and acidic for the part.

: The only major casting dud, I thought, was Stiffy. The "real" Stiffy
: of my imagination would be younger by a tad, smile more, and generally
: be less Aunt Agatha-like. I had the notion of someone so irrepressible
: you'd enjoy it while she was slipping the poisoned blade in your back.

: The major carp at this particular episode was strings left untied.
: Did Madeline forgive Gussie the curtain episode? Whatever happens
: to Stinker and Stiffy? Is the dog Bartholomew immured in durance
: vile?

: On the whole, tho, I liked it, I must say. A good Spode, a good
: Gussie, a serviceable Sir Watkyn. Loved Totleigh Towers, it's just
: as I imagined it.

I agree - neither Madeline was right. Although too old, the actress
Madeline Smith (older viewers will remember her) has always seemed the
very idea of MB to me.

One of the serious problems with these adaptations has always seemed
to me the young women - the aunts are fine, although I was distressed
to see that Brenda Bruce had been replaced as Aunt Dahlia, she was
perfect.

But Madeline, Stiffy, Honoria Glossop et. al. have none of them seemed
quite right. With the possible exception of Las Glossop Berite surely
describes them all as pippins. Niam Cusack as Bobbie Wickham seemed
the most successful so far.

And as for the mangling of the plots! Am I imagining it, or did we see
Spode during the last series? So why did he and Bertie not know each
other in the jewellers? Because they are making ths stories out of
order. Have these people no respect?

Bianchi

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Feb 4, 1995, 1:46:53 PM2/4/95

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In article <3glvk0$c...@news.camosun.bc.ca> dba...@turing.camosun.bc.ca (Deryk Barker) writes:
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>uring!dbarker
>From: dba...@turing.camosun.bc.ca (Deryk Barker)
>Newsgroups: alt.fan.wodehouse
>Subject: Re: Madeline Bassett?
>Date: 31 Jan 1995 18:30:24 GMT
>Organization: Camosun College, Victoria B.C.
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I was watching something about movie history on PBS and saw oldies with
Katheryn Hepburn and Barbara Stanwyck and thought they would have made
wonderful Bobbies and Stiffies. The actresses today haven't had the fire and
anything goes needed. Too nice.
Bianchi Internet: m...@sam.neosoft.com

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