Patricia Neal, 1926 - 2010

I'm so very sad to hear of the passing of the great Patricia Neal yesterday. One of the great ladies of classic cinema, I think that Ms. Neal's voice is probably the most memorable thing about her. Of course her beauty is another notable point, but the voice seals the deal for me.

While she had so many roles and accolades from Broadway and Hollywood alike, for me her best roles are as the tough and steady Alma in Hud, the icy stunner Dominique in The Fountainhead, and of course as the ever-elegant "2-E" in Breakfast at Tiffany's. In my opinion, just these three roles show her diverse range and ability in all types of drama. From a cool debutante to a careworn housekeeper and back again to an Upper East Side socialite, all three are played with a passion that one rarely sees in film regardless of the era. The fact that the three roles came to the acress over many decades shows a mastery of her craft, making her one of the best.

Since Breakfast at Tiffany's is the first of these three that I ever saw, I suppose this is the role that is the most memorable for me. It took me years to actually figure out that we never really learn her character's real name - George Peppard's Paul Varjak haltingly stutters "Mrs. Failenson" at the begnning, introducing her as his "decorator" to Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly. Later on, when she telephones Paul, she calls herself "2-E", which I always thought was her first name, something like "Tooey". It wasn't until years later that I realized this was a nickname based upon her apartment number.

The brilliance of Patricia Neal in her 2-E character is that she's the perfect counterpoint to the sprightly charm of Audrey Hepburn's Golightly. We're meant to hate 2-E and we do - she's wry, predatory, insincere, and all together a bit too much. Even more remarkably, the costumes of the two characters reinforce the tension; Hepburn's sleek and simple wardrobe was famously created by Hubert de Givenchy, while Neal's colorful, sophisticated, and opulent attire was from the elegant hand of Pauline Trigère. The two wardrobes are pitch-perfect for both actresses and their associated characters.

I always applaud 2-E's moxie as Paul attempts to end their affair. It always strikes me as a bit naive of him to underestimate her. I love they way she really gives it to him, dressing him down and reminding him who exactly is in the power position. Of course, this doesn't work in the end, but it's still a fantastic scene. I just love how she stands up for herself...

"Tell ya' what Paul, I AM a very stylish girl."

In my opinion, that line alone isn't celebrated enough. A number of years ago, Dimitri From Paris sampled the line in his song "Une Very Stylish Fille", which is a mod downbeat favorite - be sure to check it out! I'm sure it was the voice that made it happen.

So, here's to a great actress, a great voice, and a great lady! Patricia Neal, you will be missed!

Patricia Neal on the set of The Fountainhead in 1948; film still from Hud, 1963; film stills from Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961.

Comments

[WendyB]

She had so much tragedy in her life. I was reading about her daughter Tessa yesterday. She's had a really bad time of it.