I've been on a Mad Men bender. Nine episodes in the past three days. This decision was spurred on by a hugely thoughtful gift from a friend (1st and 2nd season) and the abundant EMMY nominations last week. Just as I began to watch Season 1 in marathon form -- I'd only seen some of it not being a regular until season 2 -- the publicity blitz for Season 3 (coming in August) started hitting.
This Interview interview with January Jones (aka "Betty Draper") is so cute.
Who knew that that Ethan Hawke wolfdog movie White Fang (1991) was that inspiring to little children? It made little January want to be an actor. Jones is so sneaky/fantastic as Betty Draper (she's almost too good in the role for you to notice how much she's doing... initially) that I must now thank the makers of White Fang for contributing to the wonder that is Mad Men.
Jones has been toiling around in the movies since 1999 in everything from Bandits and American Wedding through Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada but Betty Draper is the role that's made her career. A charming reveal in that short video: it actually sounds like she read the Jacqueline Susann novel Once is Not Enough that her parents got her name from.
Jones has been toiling around in the movies since 1999 in everything from Bandits and American Wedding through Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada but Betty Draper is the role that's made her career. A charming reveal in that short video: it actually sounds like she read the Jacqueline Susann novel Once is Not Enough that her parents got her name from.
Pointless Cinematic Trivia Alert! That trashy bestseller was technically the last book Susann ever finished (Film critic Rex Reed, her friend, finished her next book Dolores when she took ill). Once... became a movie in 1975 a few years before January Jones was born. Deborah Raffin played "January" in the film but it was Brenda Vaccaro who nabbed the attention and a weird Oscar nomination to go with it (more on that odd 1975 supporting actress Oscar race). Three of Susann's six books were adapted into movies (the most famous being Valley of the Dolls) and she even got her own biopic Isn't She Great? starring Bette Midler.
Deborah as "January" / January as "Betty"
Where was I?
Oh yes, Mad Men. Time to watch the 10th episode. I'm tempted to do a blog series on all the movie references in Mad Men. But then I'm always tempted to do massive projects and I'm rarely afforded the time. Your feelings on Mad Men or Jacqueline Sussan or White Fang are more than welcome in the comments. Help me feel less alone in the universe tonight.
