(Originally posted for Vintage Fashion at Examiner.com) This is for 'Mad Men' viewers who care to put a pause on (or a full stop
to) the exhausted Sharon Tate theories. (Why would the show writers
give viewers an outcome they've so heavily predicted, after all? They
won't.) Any late-1960's aficionado can tell you that there are plenty of
other associations to be made. To viewers who are incessantly fixated
on just one 1969 reference, especially in terms of Megan: stop limiting
yourselves. Behold something
new. Megan Draper, the struggling starlet, is being fashioned after
several actresses from 1969-70, but the one who jumped out (for me) is Ali MacGraw,
who essentially began her suddenly stratospheric acting career at 30.
Megan is pushing 30, and looking for her big break. (MacGraw was also a
New Yorker who moved to LA.) The photo of MacGraw (on the left) is
from 1969. Megan wore this exact look in the season premiere, 'Time
Zones', as she was getting ready to go to her acting class. MacGraw's
photo appeared in the August 1969 issue of Vogue. The image was a big
deal at the time: she's wearing her own clothes, standing outside of
her NYC apartment, barefoot, after it had rained. This was not the photo
Vogue originally intended to use, but they found it charming. Ali
MacGraw was about to become Hollywood's it girl and star in 'Love
Story'. Moreover, Ali MacGraw's first film was 'Goodbye, Columbus',
in which she starred alongside Richard Benjamin. 'Goodbye Columbus' was
based on a novella by Philip Roth. Roth also wrote 'Portnoy's
Complaint' –– and its film adaptation starred Richard Benjamin, as well.
'Portnoy's Complaint' is incidentally the book Don was reading in 'The Monolith' episode of 'Mad Men'
–– which foreshadowed Michael Ginsberg's terrible predicament in the
following episode, 'The Runaways' (since Roth's story deals with issues
related to Ginsberg.) If viewers choose to fixate on just one
upcoming event (like the Manson murders), they are sure to miss out on so
many other worthwhile details. Think back to the way 'Mad Men' dealt
with comparably game-changing events, concepts and moments –– like The
Beatles, JFK's assassination, Martin Luther King's assassination: they
occurred peripherally, and there was no lingering on the topic. And
through certain characters, viewers identify with feelings evoked
by the event. Megan Draper happens to be an actress living near where the murders will
inevitably take place. It's L.A., it's the canyons. Of course there were
actresses and other such neighbors who felt particularly traumatized by
what happened. Of course it will be terrifying for Megan –– and for
everyone else –– afterwards. And that is all. Ultimately, there are
plenty of connections to mull over. 1969 was a kaleidoscope of people
and events. Viewers should 'expand their minds' and just enjoy the show!
Seldom do we see celebrity couples in Hollywood who can withstand years (let alone decades) of commitment along with the pressures of their respective careers. Often cited as having succeeded in that challenging arena of their lives have been couples like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I recently noted the well-sustained marriage of Sam Elliot and Katharine Ross here on Retro Active Critiques.
The Golden Couple
Meanwhile, Katharine Ross' costar in the fabulous original version of 'The Stepford Wives', the enormously talented actress with a knack for playing goofy ladies, Paula Prentiss -- whose finely-tuned comedic timing I've loved in 'What's New Pussycat', 'The World of Henry Orient' and her numerous other film roles -- has had an even longer marriage to equally talented actor-director Richard Benjamin, who starred in two of my favorite films (both featured here) 'Goodbye Columbus' and 'The Last Of Sheila'. As individuals, they've both been significant to me in terms of their films. Together, they have appeared in at least three of my all-time favorites.
Richard Benjamin with Ali MacGraw in the wonderful 'Goodbye Columbus'
Richard Benjamin in the fabulous 'The Last Of Sheila'
Paula Prentiss with Katharine Ross in the equally fabulous 'The Stepford Wives'
The Stepford Wives' sad conclusion as they convene at the grocery store
Paula Prentiss with Peter Sellers in 'The World Of Henry Orient'
I have also recently ordered a very rare DVD copy (of a video copy) of a short-lived but groundbreaking TV show they starred in together called 'He And She', which has also had a mention here. I'm excited to watch it and will report back on that later!
Two decades into their marriage, in 1980, the funny couple even hosted Saturday Night Live together. There have been many couples who've appeared on SNL together, but I hadn't heard of a couple who shared hosting duties on that stage, equally.
Sharing hosting duties on Saturday Night Live
What I discovered in looking deeper into this magnificently lengthy marriage is there are aspects to their commitment to one another I couldn't have imagined. It's an incredible story, a saga of sorts, that really shook and surprised me.
Prentiss and Benjamin met at Northwestern University in 1958 before either of them had started acting professionally, before they became famous. This had to have helped in their longevity, since they were able to evolve with their relationship and fame and see one another from a perspective beyond their romantically-challenged profession(s). Prentiss, born Ragusa, was from San Antonio, Texas and it's been said that she wanted to become a doctor. Richard Benjamin was from New York City (born and raised) and had always wanted to be an actor. They both studied acting at school.
Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss in the early days
I found a People magazine article from 1976 that speaks volumes –– and opens up this story to new interpretation (not to mention my noticing how much more politically correct even writers who write for entertainment publications are today than they were back in 1976.) Here is one excerpt I'd like to share from the article that chronicled their life together until that point, having already been together for 15 years (they were married in 1961) because only this piece in its own time can capture the real graveness of how Hollywood can be a frightening place to exist. Or even coexist, as in their case (from People Magazine, 1976):
Their present plateau of success and serenity would have seemed unforeseeable just a decade ago when Paula experienced her harrowing mental breakdown. At the time she was in Paris filming What's New, Pussycat? while Dick was touring with Barefoot in the Park in Cincinnati. "One day during shooting," she recalls, "I just climbed up the ropes to the catwalk and started walking the beams. Very loudly and clearly I called down to everyone on the set, 'I'm going to jump.' A French technician grabbed me, and there I was, hanging by one arm."
Paula Prentiss in 'What's New Pussycat'
She came to in a Paris hospital and later transferred to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic in New York. "It was horrendous. You're crazy because they say you're crazy," she says. "It was especially horrible because I couldn't figure out how to do what they wanted me to so I could get out." Dick took her to lunch once a month but usually found her so drugged up that "she wasn't Paula. I'd make believe everything was all right, but it was like taking a carrot out to lunch. What did I know about psychiatry? I was a Jewish boy, and in our house, if someone had a headache, no one worried about brain tumors or neurosis. It just meant you hadn't eaten enough."
Paula's crisis may have had some of its roots in the celebrity shock she sustained during her first years out of Northwestern University's drama school. She and Dick met there while studying under noted acting teacher Alvina Krause. Prentiss was born Paula Ragusa, an Italian from San Antonio who at a reedy 5'9" loomed over her classmates like a stork. Dick, a sardonic New York kid whose parents struggled in the rag trade, wowed Paula because she claimed on an earlier occasion he was the first New York Jew she'd ever seen. They started housekeeping together "before the pill," notes Dick, "when things were dangerous."
New York meets Texas
An MGM talent scout auditioned them but, ignoring Dick, signed Paula to a seven-year contract in 1960. "It was a life I hadn't picked," she says. "It was terrifying. I just allowed myself to be driven along." In less than a year, Paula cranked out three dizzy frivolities, beginning with Where the Boys Are. "I was such an idiot," Benjamin groans. "I accepted it all to be with the girl I wanted to be with." Even their marriage was arranged by the studio: Paula had to make a promotion junket, and in 1961 an unwed traveling companion was considered a no-no. They were forced to delay the ceremony before a New York judge for one hour so that the bride could log publicity mileage about the wedding with long-distance calls to Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. "The only thing that woke us up," she reflects now, "was that crash landing in Paris."
She dropped out of films and into analysis, while Dick began his breakthrough as Ali McGraw's schlemiel in Goodbye, Columbus. Along the way, Paula found her best therapy was co-starring with him in a 1967 CBS series called He and She that approached an almost Lear-like level of sophistication before its time. It died after a single season. Still, Paula believes, "It was worth it after what we'd been through. By working together we learned to live with each other again."
These two go way back
Despite situations that would have been too much for most couples endure, they seem to have always persevered. I can only speak for myself here, but I find the idea of Prentiss having been signed to a seven-year contract with MGM –– at the start of the 60's, before so many social mores and messages in life (and subsequently, films) were about to change –– then being forced into marriage (ironically) to the man she loved to keep up appearances in terms of publicity, and where society still stood, and then being trapped in a mental institution because of a supposed 'breakdown' on set (I'm hesitant to believe she actually had one since she may have been temporarily immersed, as actors can be, in her role as a kooky, suicidal chick in the film 'What's New Pussycat'.) It's altogether terrifying. Seems like they managed to keep their heads, while keeping their feet planted on that shaky ground, to get past those heady times together and not fall apart. There are very few couples who made it through the multitude of changes happening in the 60's, 70's & all the way back until today. Let alone film stars.
Jack and Paula and Dick
Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss may not be considered 'stars' today. They may never be featured in People magazine again. I, for one, have gone from enjoying their work individually to having the utmost respect and admiration for them as an unsinkable pair who've navigated this world (and Hollywood) together, despite whatever they may have faced. It is now 2011, so they have been together for exactly half a century! Apart from their list of professional accomplishments and their marriage milestone, they have two grown children: Ross and Prentiss.
Happy golden anniversary to Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, an inspirational Hollywood couple if there ever was one.
The golden couple. Still solid, still smiling.
And an update: here is the opening for the absolutely wonderful 'He & She'. I've received the series (not the best quality, but okay) and I've been watching it with fervor. I am really excited to report back on this fabulously sophisticated 'one season wonder' in an upcoming post. Stay tuned...!
'Goodbye Columbus', starring Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw, is a charming and somewhat overlooked film. I made a trailer for it several months ago. So at least there is one for it now. There isn't an official trailer anywhere and mine appears to be the one and only. (You can also find more posts with MacGraw here & here.)
Based on a novella by Philip Roth and featuring original songs by The Association - "Goodbye Columbus" is about Neil, a poor Bronx librarian, and Brenda, a pampered Jewish princess from Westchester. This was both MacGraw and Benjamin's film debuts, playing Brenda and Neil as they try to cross class lines. A very funny and poignant comedy.
If there's ever a question as to why someone would write a feature about Ali MacGraw, there are plenty of reasons for it. But here are three of mine: I deeply appreciate her as an individual, I appreciate her contributions to films (however few) and because who else will?
Well. Of course they will. She'll continue to get an occasional mention in fashion magazines. And of course people will blog about her on occasion. (Note: since I first posted this, my friend Sheila Weller did write a great, in-depth piece on Ali MacGraw for Vanity Fair :))
Anytime crochet hats, 1970's prep school & hippie chic looks –– or straight, long, middle-parted hair –– are shown, (things Ali will forever be equated with and celebrated for), she'll be mentioned. Because she defined the look of the early 1970's.
She will also be mentioned in reference to Steve McQueen as long aspeople continue to remember him. Or Robert Evans (though perhaps his legacy came full circle with the terrific 'The Kid Stays in the Picture', and there isn't a real likelihood of his pop culture resurgence.)
But this is solely about Ali, herself. I'd followed her career and life diligently for many years, valued her, on her own, apart from the men and the movies, her stint as a Chanel model, the fashion sense (although I am equally enamored of those aspects of her life.) She lived a life of obscurity for some time, only to be hurled into one of international fame rather suddenly. Hers is a story that can legitimately be called an 'overnight success' –– from her period of modeling, to having her first film role, to starring in 'Love Story' and receiving a best actress Oscar nomination for that year and landing on the cover of Time magazine.
Ali MacGraw is now the subject of Retro Active Appreciation, and the first female to have the honor on my blog (of course, it's really an honor to honor her!) I've memorized every moment of her three most significant films –– 'Goodbye Columbus', 'Love Story' and 'The Getaway' –– all three of which I've owned and watched as often as I could. I've also read her autobiography, 'Moving Pictures' from cover to cover (in which she displays her considerable gift for writing.) I have found her ascent to fame, her personality and background each enthralling.
Here is a woman who graduated from Wellesley College, then worked as an assistant for the legendary Diana Vreeland at Vogue during the most exciting period of fashion (again, my opinion) –– in the swinging sixties and the time of Jean Shrimpton. Ali even recalls having had some item physically thrown at her by the Ms. Vreeland, only to flippantly throw it right back at her aggressor, even harder (no offense to Ms. Vreeland, but good for Ali!) She had it rough then, but struggled through, started to work as a fashion stylist –– and finally as a model before getting noticed by Hollywood. She appeared in several print ads of that time, for Chanel and so on, and even TV commercials.
This is an adorable Polaroid commercial, featuring Ali.
From there, she was discovered for the lead role as the Jewish American princess, Brenda, in her first film, 'Goodbye Columbus'. And the rest is, of course, a somewhat forgotten history, brought back to life in Retro Activity.
Here's a trailer I made for 'Goodbye Columbus' –– because I couldn't find anything resembling a trailer for this great film. I love 'Goodbye 'Columbus'. It's a sweet and mellow time capsule of sorts, with charming songs by 60's pop group The Association, specifically recorded for the film sprinkled throughout.
If you've never seen or heard of 'Love Story', (and if for some reason you haven't, you should), it's about college preppie love turned quite tragic and it stars Ali and Ryan O'Neal. This is the scene that completely sealed it for me, of the love birds frolicking in the snow. I was a 'Love Story' believer from then on. The wonderful music (aptly called 'Snow Frolic') is by Francis Lai.
And I love this next one,' The Getaway', directed by Sam Peckinpah. Doc McCoy (Steve McQueen) has just been released from prison and reunites with his wife, Carol, played by Ali, who had (shall we say) 'compromised' herself for his freedom, only to embark on an assigned bank robbery and their consequent getaway.
Here she waits for him at the train station after she messed things up by being negligent with their stolen cash, and must be confronted by Doc for her previous lovelorn mistake.
My favorite is the final scene, with the old cowboy who helps them make the final sweep - it's the loveliest moment. And here are the final minutes of this entertaining, (somewhat edgy) romantic-adventure-heist film.
'Moving Pictures' is a book Ali MacGraw wrote about her life some time ago. It is worth a read if you're interested, as I was. I guarantee you will be fascinated and enthralled, especially if you have interest in her upstate New York upbringing, her stints in the fashion world, her marriages, her films, her style, her spirit, or her writing (since she is gifted at that.)
Somehow, I don't think I'd be the same without having had Ali MacGraw play a part in my life as a role model of sorts. I truly appreciate her. So, thanks Ali, for having been an awesome and stunning individual & someone I can continue to appreciate Retro Activite-ly.
This is where my retro active outlook runs amok. I have the deepest concern for all non-human animals living in this cruel world. Respect for all species.
