I was initially drawn to Karen by her face -- she had a very unusual face. I was entranced by its oddity and couldn't stop looking at her.
Karen was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Five Easy Pieces," a classic Jack Nicholson film (1970). She later appeared in dozens and dozens of TV shows and movies. My favorite film of hers was a little known Robert Altman movie called "Come Back To The Five And Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" (1982) starring Cher in her first good performance, Karen Black and Sandy Dennis. In the film, Karen plays a gorgeous woman who returns to her rural hometown in a flashy sports car. Everyone wonders who she is, especially since she greets everyone by name and seems to know who they are. It's later revealed, to the shock of all, that she was a pudgy boy who they used to make fun of who changed her sex during her time away. Thirty years ago, that was startling.
Have you ever heard of her?
I had never heard of her but she reminds me of Brigitte Bardot.
ReplyDeleteI remember her mostly from her horror movies - Trilogy of Terror and The Pyx were my favourites! I didn't realize she'd passed away though. :o(
ReplyDeleteI didn't know her, how sad for her friends and family, I am intrigued and want to see one of her films tho' x
ReplyDeleteI had not actually heard of her, I heard yesterday she passed away but I wasn't sure who she was. I'm going to have to check out her work now!
ReplyDeleteWow. She was a classic. Hadn't heard she passed away.
ReplyDeleteShe was in a quirky indie film called "Gypsy 86" in the early 2000s. That was when I first really became aware of her. She sings in that movie and I guess she did record various songs during her career.
ReplyDeleteShe is beautiful! She looks really familiar, though. Ugh, I wish you lived closer so that you could watch movies like the ones you mentioned with me. I have a hard time getting Kyle, or anyone too. I guess I will have to watch them myself and report back!
ReplyDeleteShe scared the shit out of me in"Trilogy of Terror", stole "Airport 75" from Charlton Heston and was brilliant in "Gypsy 86". I was sad to hear about her passing.
ReplyDeleteI loved her in "Airport 75". As you say, she stole the film.
DeleteI haven't! But she is gorgeous. I'm sorry she's passed away.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of her, but I read the article about her- I'm glad you showed a picture! What a beautiful lady! It sucks when people we like pass on, but at least she lived an awesome life.
ReplyDeleteOh no, how very sad. I'd definitely heard of her before, both for her acting (I'll always remember her for her role as Myrtle Wilson in the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby) and the children's novels she wrote. Thank you for posting about her passing, dear Ally.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
I remember her, especially from Five Easy Pieces. Sad to hear that she passed away. She was definitely an enigmatic beauty.
ReplyDeleteI do remember her and liked her as an actress, in both the films you mentioned and The Great Gatsby. I didn't know she wrote children's novels, as Jessica mentions. Like you say, she had such an interesting unusual beauty. It's so sad to hear of her passing away. xx
ReplyDeleteKaren Black was someone that appeared in and out of my film life. I'm going to have to have a catch-up KB film marathon to refresh my memory. I need to start it off with the Altman film - I'm obsessed with his movies and that sounds like an amazing plot! xo
ReplyDeleteGood ideas. I'm doing a KB retrospective myself. The most aggravating thing, though, is that "Come Back..." has never been released on DVD. It was put out on videotape but never put on a disc. You can still buy a VHS tape on Amazon but who has one of those machines today to watch it??
DeleteI was watching the original Great Gatsby last night and immediately recognised her ... she was absolutely gorgeous and sexy ... haven't seen any of her other movies but will definitely go out and look for them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for always sharing such special information with us.
Awww, I didn't hear she died. Another good reason for you to watch the original The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Karen Black was in it. Something about her look and acting were very captivating in a strange, unusual way. (Scene in Gatsby at the party where she telling something in a whisper.) Did you ever see her in Trilogy of Terror from 1975? I was 14 at the time and the last part with the tribal doll freaked me the heck OUT!! That terrified me for years!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of her and never heard of this film. However, now that you've mentioned it, I will have to go and look her up and find this film because that sounds too interesting to pass up
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