. . . does anyone out there in Big Heat cyberland have any idea who it was that posed for the dramatic portrait of Mrs. Lagana, that dominates the study of Lagana's mansion?
I have a suspicion that it's Celia Lovsky, the noted character actress, who played old lady mother parts---including in the film, The Gene Krupa Story, also a Columbia film, in 1959 . . .
Yes, that was a portrait of Celia Lovsky (IMDB even states so). I would like to know where it came from? Celia had a small part in Lang's previous release from the same year "Blue Gardenia" another classic, check it out. Since both Lang and Lovsky were from Vienna and apparently had been friends for some time, old Fritz must have borrowed the portrait from her to use in the film. I wonder if she was paid anything for its use?
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hulka. . .
thanks, I thought it was the first Mrs. Peter Lorre, but hesitated . . . and did you notice how elaborate the sets were in this film . . . beautiful set-up, including Vince Stone's penthouse---marvelous objet d'Art all over the place . . . the set decorator should've been given an Academy Award--no film in that era has such intricate sets . . . marvelously done film . . . again, thanks for the info . . . all I know is that Mrs. Lorre, as with Peter, worked for Columbia off and on through the years . . . Lang's best work---The Big Heat; Glenn Ford's best performance (he too should've been nominated---at least for this film); and Gloria's best as well . . . you can actually analyze this great movie through the art work adorning the walls and other objects on tables and desks . . . who ever set this us took great care with every scene---this movie wasn't just slapped-together, it was done with great care . . .
She played Cagney's mother in, "Man Of A thousand Faces." I don't know if the portrait was used there. Was there a, "Twilight Zone," episode written around it? I know I've seen it elsewhere. Celia Lovsky also had a scene with Edward G. Robinson in, "Soylant Green."
shareI am definitively off-topic, but the woman in the painting reminded me a lot of Mme. Sebastian, Alexander's mother, in Hitchock's Notorious. She had the same ice-cold stare and creepy aura, and (this I can only assume) her relationship to her son Lagana was probably very similar.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
that's who it reminded me of too!
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