Editor’s Pick
OCTOBER 29, 2009 7:39PM
The Horrifying Movie Career of Veronica Cartwright
You often see newspapers and magazines hand out titles like "sexiest actor", "best-dressed actress" or "actor you would want to join on a desert island". But if anyone asked me to vote for the actor/actress who has had the most tragically horrifying career (on the screen, not in an artistic sense), I would vote for Veronica Cartwright.
Many actors are typecast, and even those who are fortunate enough to play a wide variety of different characters can find themselves in similar circumstances in several different movies. The British actor David Warner has gone down with the Titanic twice - in S.O.S. Titanic (1979) and Titanic (1997) - and the unfortunate ship and Warner both made an appearence in Time Bandits (1981). The latter was his second of three movies involving time travel - he has also dabbled with this subject in Time After Time (1979) and Planet of the Apes (2001). He has played both Jack the Ripper (Time After Time (1979)) and a policeman searching for Jack the Ripper (The Outer Limits episode Ripper (1995)). Warner also had the dubious honour of bringing SS bigwig Reinhardt Heydrich back to life on two different occasions - in Holocaust (1978) and Hitler's S.S.: Portrait in Evil (1985). Add the fact that he has played three different species in various versions of Star Trek, and you get a pretty impressive portfolio.
Oh, no! She's sinking again, isn't she?
But this is nothing compared to the trials and tribulations of Veronica Cartwright. For this lady, Halloween is just another day at work. Brace yourself as I give you a guided tour of some of the many highlights from this woman's career which have stuck in my mind.
The Birds (1963)
Veronica, aged 14, landed the plum role of Rod Taylor's sister Cathy, who lives in idyllic Bodega Bay. Conditions quickly deteriorate when Tippi Hedren arrives with a pair of caged lovebirds and their winged relatives start attacking any human in sight. Cathy's birthday party is ruined, and she narrowly escapes with her life. Quite naturally, the girl is distraught.
The Birds (1963)
Veronica, aged 14, landed the plum role of Rod Taylor's sister Cathy, who lives in idyllic Bodega Bay. Conditions quickly deteriorate when Tippi Hedren arrives with a pair of caged lovebirds and their winged relatives start attacking any human in sight. Cathy's birthday party is ruined, and she narrowly escapes with her life. Quite naturally, the girl is distraught.
Worst birthday party ever.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Veronica, now a grown woman, plays Nancy Bellicec, who runs a mud bath business with her husband (Jeff Goldblum). One day she finds what appears to be a very messy body in one of the baths. While the body is more alive than first impressions would indicate, it is strangely featureless, but does look a bit like her husband. It turns out that disgusting plant-like pod people from space have invaded earth and are turning themselves into perfect copies of humans. The human originals are quietly disposed of, before the pod people roam the streets looking for new victims. Nancy and her husband eventually give their lives to save Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams from the aliens. Fat lot of good it does.
Veronica, now a grown woman, plays Nancy Bellicec, who runs a mud bath business with her husband (Jeff Goldblum). One day she finds what appears to be a very messy body in one of the baths. While the body is more alive than first impressions would indicate, it is strangely featureless, but does look a bit like her husband. It turns out that disgusting plant-like pod people from space have invaded earth and are turning themselves into perfect copies of humans. The human originals are quietly disposed of, before the pod people roam the streets looking for new victims. Nancy and her husband eventually give their lives to save Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams from the aliens. Fat lot of good it does.
It's Veronica Cartwright! Seize her!
Alien (1979)
Veronica was supposed to play Ripley, but just before shooting began they made her switch parts with Sigourney Weaver. So she plays Lambert, crew member on the space ship Nostromo. Apparently, director Ridley Scott did not prepare her for the squirt of blood and gore that would explode out of John Hurt's body during the famous chest-bursting scene, so there is probably little acting involved in her reaction shot. Later, Lambert stands frozen in terror in front of the nasty alien, making it impossible for Yaphet Kotto to give it a blast with the flame thrower. The movie does not end well for either of them. But Ripley is more fortunate, with three sequels to come.
Veronica was supposed to play Ripley, but just before shooting began they made her switch parts with Sigourney Weaver. So she plays Lambert, crew member on the space ship Nostromo. Apparently, director Ridley Scott did not prepare her for the squirt of blood and gore that would explode out of John Hurt's body during the famous chest-bursting scene, so there is probably little acting involved in her reaction shot. Later, Lambert stands frozen in terror in front of the nasty alien, making it impossible for Yaphet Kotto to give it a blast with the flame thrower. The movie does not end well for either of them. But Ripley is more fortunate, with three sequels to come.
Damn you, Ridley! And damn you too, Ripley!
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980)
New decade, new horrors. Veronica plays Marcy Jones, wife of the eccentric atheist preacher who mixed that ole' time religion with the teachings of Mao. The fact that Jones is a more than average unfaithful husband is just the start of her troubles. The pair go off to Guyana with a thousand friends and relations to build a People's Temple in the jungle, where the reverend can share the wives of his followers in the true spirit of communism. But when Jones' personal red brigade shoots a congressman and several others, the reverend decides it's time to end it all. And in the Rainbow Family, everyone is expected to keep up with the Joneses. Which they do. All 909 of them.
New decade, new horrors. Veronica plays Marcy Jones, wife of the eccentric atheist preacher who mixed that ole' time religion with the teachings of Mao. The fact that Jones is a more than average unfaithful husband is just the start of her troubles. The pair go off to Guyana with a thousand friends and relations to build a People's Temple in the jungle, where the reverend can share the wives of his followers in the true spirit of communism. But when Jones' personal red brigade shoots a congressman and several others, the reverend decides it's time to end it all. And in the Rainbow Family, everyone is expected to keep up with the Joneses. Which they do. All 909 of them.
The Right Stuff (1983)
As the wife of one of America's first astronauts, Veronica seems set for fame and glory this time. As her hubby goes off into space, she excitedly prepares for the inevitable invitation to the White House, where she will meet Jackie Kennedy! Unfortunately, her husband is the most unlucky astronaut of all, Gus Grissom. As his capsule floats in the sea after splashdown, the escape hatch is blown. The capsule, full of valuable data, sinks before a helicopter can save it. Although Grissom claims that the hatch malfunctioned, he is suspected of panicking and opening it too soon. There is no invitation to the White House, and Veronica has to settle for a bottle of champagne in a dreary hotel room. At the end of the movie, we are reminded that Gus Grissom and two other astronauts later died in a fire during a pre-launch test of Apollo 1 - in a capsule that had no easily opened hatch.
As the wife of one of America's first astronauts, Veronica seems set for fame and glory this time. As her hubby goes off into space, she excitedly prepares for the inevitable invitation to the White House, where she will meet Jackie Kennedy! Unfortunately, her husband is the most unlucky astronaut of all, Gus Grissom. As his capsule floats in the sea after splashdown, the escape hatch is blown. The capsule, full of valuable data, sinks before a helicopter can save it. Although Grissom claims that the hatch malfunctioned, he is suspected of panicking and opening it too soon. There is no invitation to the White House, and Veronica has to settle for a bottle of champagne in a dreary hotel room. At the end of the movie, we are reminded that Gus Grissom and two other astronauts later died in a fire during a pre-launch test of Apollo 1 - in a capsule that had no easily opened hatch.
I swear I didn't sink the damn thing! It must have been David Warner!
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
When horny devil Jack Nicholson arrives in the small town of Eastwick to woo the local witches, he takes the persecution of poor Veronica to absurd lengths. In her role as the priggish Felicia Alden, local incarnation of SNL's Church Lady, she first slips on pearls from a broken necklace and falls down a flight of stairs, breaking her legs and then some. At the hospital, her talk of demonic possession convinces no one, while she goes increasingly mad and shouts four-letter words at her gentle husband. You would think she'd be safe in her home. But when Jack Nicholson and his lovely lady friends eat cherries at his mansion across town, poor Felicia starts projectile-vomiting cherry juice and stones. Her husband finally puts her out of her misery with a poker.
When horny devil Jack Nicholson arrives in the small town of Eastwick to woo the local witches, he takes the persecution of poor Veronica to absurd lengths. In her role as the priggish Felicia Alden, local incarnation of SNL's Church Lady, she first slips on pearls from a broken necklace and falls down a flight of stairs, breaking her legs and then some. At the hospital, her talk of demonic possession convinces no one, while she goes increasingly mad and shouts four-letter words at her gentle husband. You would think she'd be safe in her home. But when Jack Nicholson and his lovely lady friends eat cherries at his mansion across town, poor Felicia starts projectile-vomiting cherry juice and stones. Her husband finally puts her out of her misery with a poker.
Ugh! I feel like Veronica Cartwright!
L.A. Law (1989-1992)
When Veronica landed a recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Margaret Flanagan, I felt certain she had finally found safety. Surely, nothing worse than the odd defeat in court could befall her now? But alas! In the middle of a trial the memories of sexual abuse she suffered as a child comes back to her, and she breaks down. It's not pretty.
When Veronica landed a recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Margaret Flanagan, I felt certain she had finally found safety. Surely, nothing worse than the odd defeat in court could befall her now? But alas! In the middle of a trial the memories of sexual abuse she suffered as a child comes back to her, and she breaks down. It's not pretty.
X-Files (1998-1999)
Veronica plays Cassandra Spender, ex-wife of the infamous Cancer Man, whose CV includes the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, as well as keeping the Buffalo Bills from winning the Super Bowl. You might think that was quite enough for Cassandra to bear, but she's also a victim of alien abduction - multiple alien abductions, in fact. Naturally, no one believes a person named Cassandra who tells tall tales of an impending alien invasion - except Mulder and Scully, who will believe anything. Need I say that she meets a sticky end?
Veronica plays Cassandra Spender, ex-wife of the infamous Cancer Man, whose CV includes the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, as well as keeping the Buffalo Bills from winning the Super Bowl. You might think that was quite enough for Cassandra to bear, but she's also a victim of alien abduction - multiple alien abductions, in fact. Naturally, no one believes a person named Cassandra who tells tall tales of an impending alien invasion - except Mulder and Scully, who will believe anything. Need I say that she meets a sticky end?
Well, that's just typical!
The Invasion (2007)
The body snatchers are back, and once again they snatch poor Veronica's husband. I kid you not!
The body snatchers are back, and once again they snatch poor Veronica's husband. I kid you not!
* * *
And that's just the ones I can remember. Final fun fact: Veronica Cartwright once starred in a movie called Hitler's Daughter, and she has the same birthday as Hitler (April 20), with whatever ominous consequences that may have for her horoscope.
Three cheers for Veronica Cartwright! She's earned it.
Three cheers for Veronica Cartwright! She's earned it.
Veronica? Mommy?
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Rick Lucke
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Comments
Interesting essay. I love it when I read about lesser-known actors.
An important point, which I should also emphasize: Veronica Cartwright is very good. As is Lili Taylor. And David Warren. Fine actors, all.
When her XH is interrogated, he says, "Are you sure she's dead? B/c I don't think you can kill the devil."
Good character acting there too.
She was my evil babysitter and she ate part of my brain. Still... She was a pretty cool babysitter.
As for this: "Apparently, director Ridley Scott did not prepare her for the squirt of blood and gore that would explode out of John Hurt's body during the famous chest-bursting scene". It certainly comes as no surprise that Ridley would do such a thing, I seem to recall actors from Blade Runner complaining about such tactics. Still -- he's a helluva director.