Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Trivia / MommieDearest

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)

Added DiffLines:

* AbilityOverAppearance: Howard Da Silva is noticeably thinner than the portly Louis B. Mayer.

Added: 771

Changed: 174

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)


* DawsonCasting: 26-year-old Diana Scarwid plays Christina from teenager to late 30s and looks identical throughout, making it difficult to determine just how much time has progressed. Ten-year-old Mara Hobel plays Christina from about four through ten, also without ever looking any different.

to:

* DawsonCasting: 26-year-old Diana Scarwid plays Christina from teenager to late 30s and looks identical throughout, making it difficult to determine just how much time has progressed. Ten-year-old Mara Hobel Creator/MaraHobel plays Christina from about four through ten, also without ever looking any different.different.
* DeletedRole: John Calvin was cast as Charlie Duval ("Uncle Charlie"), one of Joan's many lovers, but his scene was completely omitted.



** Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel's arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn't too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.

to:

** Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel's arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn't too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.[[note]]Hobel was later able to laugh this off, noting none of the injuries were severe and chalking up her reaction to that of an overemotional 9-year-old.[[/note]]
** In a deleted scene, Joan gets into a physical altercation with lover Charlie Duval (John Calvin), where each ends up striking the other. During one take, Calvin genuinely slugged Faye Dunaway by accident, for which he felt terrible. Though she managed to keep her composure until the cameras stopped rolling, Dunaway was naturally livid. Worsening the situation was a contingent of the crew, by then thoroughly fed up with Dunaway's antics, ''applauding'' Calvin for hitting her, causing Dunaway to storm off the set. Producer Frank Yablans had to give the offending crew members a severe dressing down to try and settle the matter.

Added: 413

Changed: 233

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)


* CreatorBacklash: Creator/FayeDunaway regrets having played Joan in the film version and [[OldShame doesn't like to talk about it, either]]. Christina also regretted it being made, feeling it went too far making Joan a HateSink to a point of {{Narm}}.

to:

* CreatorBacklash: CreatorBacklash:
**
Creator/FayeDunaway regrets having played Joan in the film version and [[OldShame doesn't like to talk about it, either]]. Christina also regretted it being made, feeling it went too far making Joan a HateSink to a point of {{Narm}}.{{Narm}}.
** Diana Scarwid wasn't thrilled with the ending lines, as she feared showing Christina deciding to write a book immediately after being disinherited made her look too vengeful.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)


** In a 2006 interview, Frank Yablans mentioned a Broadway musical adaptation was in development, with the idea of Joan being played by a drag queen. This never came to pass, likely due to Christina Crawford having regained the rights and disowning the film. Crawford would later produce her own musical version of the story, with no connection to the film.

to:

** In a 2006 interview, Frank Yablans mentioned a Broadway musical adaptation was in development, with the idea of Joan being played by a drag queen. Bruce Vilanch was approached about possibly writing the book. This never came to pass, likely due to Christina Crawford having regained the rights and disowning the film. Crawford would later produce her own musical version of the story, with no connection to the film.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ReferencedBy: ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' had Sophia refer to Joan beating her kids with wire hangers and in another episode, she says that she's going to go browse in the "Bitter Children of Celebrities" section.
** In ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', Saffy writes a play about her terrible upbringing called "Self Raising Flower", when Eddie is told she even says that Saffy is going to make Mommie Dearest look like Winnie the Pooh. However, on Opening Night it refers to the way Mommie Dearest is seen by the public, Eddie and Patsy come, with Patsy heckling the lines like it's a midnight movie not helped by the fact Patsy onstage is a man in drag, the actress playing Eddie is unsure if she's meant to be playing it straight or for laughs and while Saffy meant for it to be a drama of abuse the audience have embraced it as a comedy.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)


* StarringAStarAsAStar: Creator/FayeDunaway as Creator/JoanCrawford.

to:

* StarringAStarAsAStar: Creator/FayeDunaway as Creator/JoanCrawford. Also the first ever instance of one Oscar winner playing another.

Added: 310

Changed: 82

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)


* BillingDisplacement: Second-billed Creator/DianaScarwid does not appear until 75 minutes into the film.

to:

* BillingDisplacement: BillingDisplacement:
**
Second-billed Creator/DianaScarwid does not appear until 75 minutes into the film.film.
** Third-billed Steve Forrest disappears from the film entirely after 39 minutes.
** Rutanya Alda, the only other cast member besides Dunaway to appear consistently from beginning to end, is billed sixth under “Also Starring”.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** The lobby cards issued for the film contain scenes from several sequences that were deleted from the final cut of the film, including: Joan driving through the MGM lot in her car, apparently just before she visits Louis B. Mayer and finds out she's fired and adult Christina talking to Joan while wearing the same dress she wears to the awards ceremony at the film's conclusion.

to:

** The lobby cards issued for the film contain scenes stills from several sequences that were deleted from the final cut of the film, including: Joan driving through the MGM lot in her car, apparently just before after she visits Louis B. Mayer and finds out she's fired fired, and adult Christina talking to Joan while wearing the same dress she wears to the awards ceremony at the film's conclusion.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)

Added DiffLines:

* WorkingTitle: Christina originally planned to call her book “Mother of the Year”, because Joan had once won the U.S.O’s Woman of the Year award.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)

Added DiffLines:

* ThrowItIn: Rutanya Alda improvised the little claps when waking Christina and Christopher up during the rose garden scene.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Amended example(s)


* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: As originally presented, the rose garden scene featured dramatic and intense underscoring, and this is intact on the original VHS and Betamax releases. Since the film’s DVD debut, however, the scene features no music. It’s been claimed this was due to audio damage on the negative, but the missing track can still be heard separately on the offical soundtrack release and could theoretically be restored.

to:

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: As originally presented, presented on home video, the rose garden scene featured dramatic and intense underscoring, and this is intact on the original VHS and Betamax releases.underscoring. Since the film’s DVD debut, however, the scene features no music. It’s been claimed Some sources claim this was due to audio damage on the negative, but while others say the missing track can still be heard separately on the offical soundtrack release and could theoretically be restored.score was intentionally unused in most presentations.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Creator/AnneBancroft had been cast as Joan initially (a choice that thrilled Christina), but left the project after the screenplay was completed. She viewed the film as a "hatchet-job", many other actresses having turned down the part for it being too unsympathetic towards Joan.

to:

** Creator/AnneBancroft had been cast as Joan initially (a choice that thrilled Christina), but left the project after the screenplay was completed. She viewed the film as a "hatchet-job", many other actresses having turned down the part for it being too unsympathetic towards Joan. Christina Crawford reportedly tried to buy the rights back after Bancroft departed but was unsuccessful.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)

Added DiffLines:

** In a 2006 interview, Frank Yablans mentioned a Broadway musical adaptation was in development, with the idea of Joan being played by a drag queen. This never came to pass, likely due to Christina Crawford having regained the rights and disowning the film. Crawford would later produce her own musical version of the story, with no connection to the film.

Added: 440

Changed: 198

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* DVDCommentary: The commentary is done by Creator/JohnWaters, as he's a fan of the film and doesn't consider it all that campy. He actually makes some very interesting points while managing to be totally hilarious.

to:

* DVDCommentary: DVDCommentary:
**
The commentary is done by Creator/JohnWaters, as he's a fan of the film and doesn't consider it all that campy. He actually makes some very interesting points while managing to be totally hilarious.hilarious.
** Drag queen Hedda Lettuce recorded a new commentary for the Blu-Ray release. Aside from pointing out a few bloopers, Hedda doesn’t provide any factual information, but rather makes bitchy quips and jokes about the film’s camp reputation.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** A lengthy scene showing Joan being injured on the set of ''Ice Follies of 1939'', but persevering anyway, was written to take place after the opening titles. However, production delays (by many accounts, largely caused by Dunaway) ultimately meant the filmmakers no longer had time to shoot it. Frank Yablans was especially heartbroken by this.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** Rutanya Alda has written about a number of scenes with Carol Ann that were either shortened or omitted. When she first saw the film, she was quite taken aback at how it was edited, lamenting that many of the more tender scenes were cut. She felt the final result became largely cold and impersonal as a result.

to:

** Rutanya Alda has written about a number of scenes with Carol Ann that were either shortened or omitted. When she first saw the film, she was quite taken aback at how it was edited, lamenting that many of the more tender scenes were cut. She felt the final result finished product became largely cold and impersonal as a result.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** Rutanya Alda has written about a number of scenes with Carol Ann that were either shortened or omitted. When she first saw the film, she was quite taken aback at how it was edited, lamenting that many of the more tender scenes were cut. She felt the final result became largely cold and impersonal as a result.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** Initially, a televised special was scheduled to promote the film. It would’ve been shot on the mansion set and was to feature models wearing Joan’s costumes. However, Faye Dunaway vetoed the project because she didn’t want anyone else wearing her clothes. Frank Yablans, the producer, was very angry about this but was unable to change the outcome.

Added: 705

Changed: 219

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* WagTheDirector: Barbara was supposed to help Carol Ann pull Joan off Christina when she attacks her, but Faye Dunaway was legitimately hurting Rutanya Alda, and so Jocelyn Brando refused to go near her out of fear of being injured too.

to:

* WagTheDirector: WagTheDirector:
** According to Rutanya Alda’s diary and other sources, Faye Dunaway’s sway over the film was so strong that she not only forced the production to hire her boyfriend as an executive producer, she also had shots restaged to only show her face, took lines from other characters, and had certain cast members removed from some scenes. Frank Perry was essentially unable to direct her too much, because she had the power to have him fired if he stood up to her to any significant degree.
**
Barbara was supposed to help Carol Ann pull Joan off Christina when she attacks her, but Faye Dunaway was legitimately hurting Rutanya Alda, and so Jocelyn Brando refused to go near her out of fear of being injured too.

Added: 446

Changed: 192

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* LoopingLines: Practically all of Joan’s rant while chopping down the rose garden was added in later. Though her face was largely in shadow, viewers can spot that Faye Dunaway’s mouth is never forming words.

to:

* LoopingLines: LoopingLines:
**
Practically all of Joan’s rant while chopping down the rose garden was added in later. Though her face was is largely in shadow, viewers can spot that Faye Dunaway’s mouth is never forming words.words.
** When Joan corrects Christina about calling her Mommie Dearest, her original response was, “When I asked you to call me that, I wanted you to mean it”, as seen in the trailer. The word “asked” was dubbed over with “taught” for the theatrical release.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

** Carol Ann was meant to appear in the scene depicting Joan’s wedding to Al Steele, but Faye Dunaway had her removed because she thought Rutanya Alda looked too good (the only occasion where Carol Ann would’ve been seen in dressier formal attire). Naturally, Alda was very upset by this.


Added DiffLines:

* WordOfGay: Rutanya Alda played Carol Ann as a deeply closeted lesbian who harboured feelings for Joan.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


--> '''Frank Yablans:''' “I had two husbands to deal with...David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster.”

to:

--> '''Frank Yablans:''' “I "I had two husbands to deal with...David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster."
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


--> ''Frank Yablans:''' “I had two husbands to deal with...David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster.”

to:

--> ''Frank '''Frank Yablans:''' “I had two husbands to deal with...David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster.”

Added: 2138

Changed: 755

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* CreatorBreakdown: Faye Dunaway admits to feeling like she were haunted by Joan Crawford's ghost.
--> “At night I would go home to the house we had rented in Beverly Hills, and felt Crawford in the room with me, this tragic, haunted soul just hanging around. … It was as if she couldn’t rest.”



* DisownedAdaptation: Christina felt the film was awful for going overboard in making her mom Joan a hateful harpy, saying:

to:

* DisownedAdaptation: Christina felt the film was awful for going overboard in making her mom Joan a hateful harpy, saying: harpy. When asked years later in an interview how accurate the performance was, she replied "only the make-up".



* OnSetInjury: Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel’s arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.

to:

* OnSetInjury: MethodActing: Rutanya Alda, a method actress herself, tried to make sure she always stayed on Faye Dunaway's good side because that allowed her to play Carol Ann; who constantly tries to appease Joan.
--> "I say nothing, because I have to justify everything that Joan does. Now, I also have the conflict in life that I have to justify everything that Faye does. I have to be loyal to Faye as I am loyal to Joan. It is in straddling these two worlds that I will be challenged continually."
* OnSetInjury:
**
Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel’s arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.her.
** Rutanya Alda also describes her as "out of control" during the scene where Joan attacks Christina in front of a reporter, and she legitimately hit her in the chest and knocked over twice.
** Dunaway herself destroyed her vocal chords while filming the wire hangers scene, and it took special coaching from a doctor recommended by Frank Sinatra to get her to a point where she could even speak again.



** She hoped the part would be her return to the kind of films she had been making in the early '70s that led to her Oscar. She had taken it after producer Frank Yablans and director Frank Perry convinced her they would try to humanize the domineering, abusive mother Christina had depicted in her controversial bestselling memoir. However, Christina was afraid the producers were trying to tone it down ... so she got her husband, David Koontz, hired as executive producer to look out for her interests. Dunaway responded by getting O'Neill the same title. And both of them made the most of what would be their only movie credit ever by regularly being present on set and loudly arguing their cause with the producer and director, requiring them to walk an extraordinarily thin line creatively.

to:

** She hoped the part would be her return to the kind of films she had been making in the early '70s that led to her Oscar. She had taken it after producer Frank Yablans and director Frank Perry convinced her they would try to humanize the domineering, abusive mother Christina had depicted in her controversial bestselling memoir. However, Christina was afraid the producers were trying to tone it down ... so she got her husband, David Koontz, hired as executive producer to look out for her interests. Dunaway responded by getting O'Neill the same title. title - or more accurately, refused to work until he was given it, delaying the start of filming. And both of them made the most of what would be their only movie credit ever by regularly being present on set and loudly arguing their cause with the producer and director, requiring them to walk an extraordinarily thin line creatively.creatively.
--> ''Frank Yablans:''' “I had two husbands to deal with...David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster.”


Added DiffLines:

* WagTheDirector: Barbara was supposed to help Carol Ann pull Joan off Christina when she attacks her, but Faye Dunaway was legitimately hurting Rutanya Alda, and so Jocelyn Brando refused to go near her out of fear of being injured too.


Added DiffLines:

** There was supposed to be a climactic scene of Carol Ann reacting to Joan's death, but Faye Dunaway took so long to shoot her coverage, which lasts a few seconds in the film itself, that no time remained to shoot Carol Ann's.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* DyeingForYourArt: The naturally brunette Mara Hobel constantly had to have her hair bleached throughout production to play the child Christina.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


OnSetInjury: Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel’s arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.

to:

* OnSetInjury: Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel’s arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

OnSetInjury: Faye Dunaway grabbed Mara Hobel with such ferocity during the hair-cutting scene that Hobel’s arms became covered with bruises, which had to be hidden with makeup between takes. Furthermore, Dunaway accidentally stabbed Hobel with the scissors during the final take, causing Hobel to run screaming from the set. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t too deep, and the producers showered her with toys in apology. Dunaway also felt terrible and bought Hobel a watch to try and make it up to her.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* LoopingLines: Practically of Joan’s rant while chopping down the rose garden was added in later. Though her face was largely in shadow, viewers can spot that Faye Dunaway’s mouth is never forming words.

to:

* LoopingLines: Practically all of Joan’s rant while chopping down the rose garden was added in later. Though her face was largely in shadow, viewers can spot that Faye Dunaway’s mouth is never forming words.

Top