Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson...

Anne Bancroft, the legendary actress, who is best known for framing an innocent and young Dustin Hoffman through the arch of her leg in "The Graduate", passed away on Monday at the age of 73. I first saw Bancroft when I was in middle school and we watched "The Miracle Worker" in which she brilliantly played Annie Sullivan, teacher to Patty Duke's deaf and blind portrayal of Hellen Keller. I read that she didn't quite understand the fascination with her part in "The Graduate" as the famed 'Mrs. Robinson'. C'mon guys, I know y'all don't watch a lot of old movies, but who doesn't know the scene where Dustin Hoffman naively asks, "You're trying to seduce me, Mrs. Robinson, aren't you?" My favorite performances of Bancroft's are as a woman scorned by her husband and her sister in "How To Make An American Quilt" and as an overbearing mother in "Home For the Holidays". The latter is an annual ritual for me - I bust it out every Thanksgiving and watch it over and over again. Old movies are still the best movies - so while the screen legends may fade away - the magic is always there to enjoy. The next time you can't find a good movie, try - just try - the classics section. Along with Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis, you'll find good ol' Mrs. Robinson.