Anne Bancroft dies at 73.
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I am saddened to hear this.
Mel Brooks is a cousin of my wife’s late mother.
I loved “The Graduate.”
Jamie Irons
Bancroft was (link) as Annie Sullivan, too!
She was a terrific actress and not a bad singer. God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson. Condolences to Mel, family & friends.
Too bad someone could not work a miracle for her.
She was so talented and her husband must be lost without her.
You know, when she played Mrs. Robinson, she was only in her mid 30s, maybe early 30s during filming. Looking back on it, it’s amazing how well she played middle-aged in the movie–when actually she was sooo young. Movie magic. She was sure good.
I loved AB!
As Churchill’s mother in “Young Winston,” her role in “The Turning Point” and the wonderful writer/reader lady in “84 Charing Cross Road” are some of my favorite performances of hers.
She was a terrific actress who could be smart, sexy and funny all at the same time.
I will miss her greatly and I imagine Mel Brooks is bereft;
God rest her and may he comfort Mr. Brooks, their son and the rest of her loved ones she leaves behind.
Oh, man… I’ve liked her since “Gorilla at Large.” Damn, I feel old now.
Anyway we can get an address to send condolences? A management agency or something?
Buddy, that is incredible movie magic. I feel like we’ve lost somebody that knew how to carry herself with class. And do it so effortlessly.
AB and Mel were married for 41 years:a marriage in Hollywood today of 41 days is incredible.
I’ll always remember AB pumping the water into the hands of Patty Duke in “The Miracle Worker”:
W-A-T-E-R.
May God bless her. Iíve never seen ìThe Graduate.î Perhaps I might be able to do so in the next couple of days. Anne Bancroft will be missed.
It’s a sweet movie, David. The 60s take a lotta well-deserved flak, but there was a little corner of ‘em that was sorta nice…sorta poetic. I know, ‘cheesy’ is another word for it, but ‘The Graduate’ was at least High Cheese, with good production values, smart script, great performances. I think the theme is “love and honesty are the same thing”…or something along that line. Predated–barely–the age of ‘whatever’ in Hollywood yute movies. If the Graduate is Charlie Brown, Anne Bancroft is Vince Guaraldi’s music in it.
The toast with my wine tonight will be,”Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson”. What a lady!!!! She’s already missed.
Good time to thank Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder–who similarly lost wife and also great performer Gilda Radner–for a particular zany sort of comic sensibility that like the Marx Brothers will be hilarious–and uplifting for the way it does it– for all time.
Mel and Anne were a terrific team, not only because, physically at least they seemed so incongruous, but because they he could prick her pretentions so lovingly and she always seemed to appreciate his humour.
An example–years ago, in a magazine profile, Bancroft was quoted as saying, “My body is my instrument”. To which Mel retorted, “Oh, yeah? Can it play “Begin the Beguine?”
Great quip. Great couple.
Mel and Anne were a terrific team, not only because, physically at least, they seemed so incongruous, but because he could prick her pretentions so lovingly and she always seemed to appreciate his humour.
An example–years ago, in a magazine profile, Bancroft was quoted as saying, “My body is my instrument”. To which Mel retorted, “Oh, yeah? Can it play “Begin the Beguine?”
Great quip. Great couple. Sorry for his loss.
Oops. Scuzi for the redundancy.
I was struck by how beautifully she aged. Didn’t look to me like she ever had plastic surgery (course I have no idea). But I thought she was an amizingly striking looking older woman.
I saw AB on a daytime talk show years ago. She and Mrs. Marty Feldman and Mrs. Dom DeLuise had formed a trio (Ann said they practiced in their kitchens using spoons and strainers for mikes–who hasn’t done that–LOL). They did an Andrew Sisters, IIRC, number and they were terrific. I thought how much fun parties must be with that crowd.
You know, when she played Mrs. Robinson, she was only in her mid 30s, maybe early 30s during filming.
She was born September 17, 1931, so she would have been 35 or so during the filming; The Graduate was released in 1967. Of course, in 1967, I thought 35 was old.
Anne Bancroft’s last performance (aside from voice work) was on last season’s final episode of the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. She plays herself in a small role opposite her husband. The episode, Opening Night, will air again on the HBO Comedy Channel two weeks from tonight.
http://www.hbo.com/larrydavid/episode/season4/episode40.html
The usual superlatives just don’t do it with Bancroft. She was beyond wonderful. Something about her always said “character,” no matter what character she might be playing. What an actress! I was fortunate enough to see her (I was a small child; practically a fetus!) in the original Broadway production of “The Miracle Worker,” and became an instant and lifelong fan.
I also thought of Mel Brooks when I heard the news, and how irreplaceable she must be for him.
Here’s my tribute to Bancroft.
Saw an interview a few years ago. Asked, “Why Mel Brooks?”, she replied, “He makes me laugh.”
Great actress. Great woman. Great couple. So very sorry for your loss, Mel.