Joan Weldon, 90 (Them!)

[Dave62]

Her film/TV career was less than ten years; the film she'll be best remembered for is the fake giant ant sci-fi film Them! With the demise of the studio system she left Hollywood for a successful career singing/acting onstage in such productions as The Music Man and The Merry Widow. She had a long-lasting marriage, kids, grandkids, so I say Good for her!

https://deadline.com/2021/03/joan-we...90-1234706776/

I guess it was de rigueur in those days for people to always look their best, no matter how desperate the situation. It was much worse for women than for men. Women were expected to look just as chic being stalked by a giant ant as they'd be when attending the ladies' Bridge Club luncheon. It didn't help that women who were scientists or doctors back then were referred to not as "Doctors/Scientists" but as "Lady Doctor/Scientist".

Typical dialogue of the time usually had the male lead making a misogynist remark like "Well, I'll be -- who would've thought that such a good-looking dame would know anything about science!"

If the occasion called for it, sci-fi men could get sweaty and dirty but they had to be rugged, usually with a hairy chest. Not sure what that is in the lower right corner of the photo, either part of the giant fake ant or one of Burt Reynolds' hairpieces.

[cindyt]

RIP Ma'am