Queen Latifah as Pearl Bailey- Page 2

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/22/20 at 5:28pm

eyeonbroadway said: "I've been very impressed with Queen Latifah and I think she would do a great Pearl.

 

I don't know much about Pearl Bailey other than what I remember from television...How did she get a reputation for being such a bitch? She always came across as being so laid back and genuine..."

 I know I'm bumping this up after years BUT Regardin being a B or mean- I read a PEOPLE magazine article interview with Maya Angelou's son Guy Johnson, who said his mother auditioned for the understudy for Pearl in DOLLY. :

“The director and the producer both loved her,” Johnson said. “But Pearl Bailey came back and said ‘Oh no — I ain’t gonna have this big old ugly girl be my understudy.’ ”

https://people.com/tv/maya-angelous-pearl-bailey-hello-dolly-and-still-i-rise-exclusive-clip

I've always loved Pearl, but if true does come off rather mean. IDK

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/22/20 at 5:48pm

eyeonbroadway said: "Well....one might say that wouldn't make her a bitch (other than to Merrick) but just a good negotiator..."

And to do it to David Merrick, no less.  Best part is that they both won.  Pearl had a career (the?) highlight and Merrick got even more in some ways.  Dolly had lost steam 3 years into the run, as soon as Ginger Rogers left..  Grosses under Martha Raye were awful (I would bet $$ that they actually lost money a good number of the Raye weeks), and Betty Grable didn't do much better.  Had PB and cast not re-energized HD,  I imagine it would have closed pretty soon if they put in another old movie star mostly out of the public eye for 2 decades (minus Bob Hope Christmas specials).  I personally thought that Mame was a more enjoyable show, but Lansbury's two immediate successors generated little to negative interest; by the time Ann Miller came in, it was too late.  She was an old tier 2 movie star, but she got great reviews, turned the not as good as it should've been number That's How Young I Feel into a real show stopper, by adding tap dancing that really stopped the show.  She probably should have been Lansbury's immediate successor (minus another bigger name like Ginger Rogers signing on).  Her review would have generated interest from people who remembered her from all those secondary (but some pretty memorable) roles in MGM musicals.  Pure theory.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/24/20 at 6:19pm

nystateomind04 said: "did pearl and carol channing get along? i saw their show and their relationship sometimes seemed sort of strained, maybe that is just the vibe i got though"

 

Carol told me that she adored Pearl and felt that Pearl's take on Dolly was absolutely sensational. She also told me working with Pearl was a dream come true.

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 12:33pm

BTW; Carol could do a spot-on impersonation of Pearl.

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 6/25/20 at 10:08pm

If anyone's interested...

https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Channing-Pearl-Bailey-Broadway/dp/B00004Z4W5/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=pearl+bailey+carol+channing&qid=1593137124&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1