““A point often ignored in cinema history studies of [Bette] Davis,” wrote Jim Parish and Don Stanke years later of Housewife, “is that Ann Dvorak, who plays the film’s title role, was established as a strong dramatic actress long before Bette, and it was she who set the standard for battling with the studio for better roles. In her quiet performance as Nan Wilson Reynolds, it is Miss Dvorak and not the already mannered Bette, who woos the audience’s attention and affection. It is Dvorak who provides the proper artistic control for the feature…” The big difference between the two actresses was maturity. Bette, in these early movies, was very rough around the gills; she became polished, but always tended to slip into campy tirades. Dvorak was a natural; she was intense, but always in control, even in highly emotional situations.””
![“A point often ignored in cinema history studies of [Bette] Davis,” wrote Jim Parish and Don Stanke years later of Housewife, “is that Ann Dvorak, who plays the film’s title role, was established as a strong dramatic actress long before Bette, and it was she who set the standard for battling with…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7b1/ray-hagen-36017_history_a-point-often-ignored-in-cinema-history_2356172.jpg)
![“[Lucille Ball]'s such a TV icon it’s hard for some to separate the two Lucys—the gorgeous, snappy actress of film and the wacky, slapstick queen of television. On TV she was a middle-aged housewife, on film she was a dazzling beauty. The difficulty with her movie career wasn’t that she was bad or…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd0/ray-hagen-36017_beauty_lucille-ball-s-such-a-tv-icon-it-s-hard_2062114.jpg){kind=icon}
![“Joan [Blondell] had always kept it real, always kept her priorities straight. “I wasn’t that ambitious. I enjoyed a home life more than a theatrical career. I just took what they gave me, because I wanted to get home quickly.” Joan, said one writer, personified everyone’s “good friend,” on- and…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b54/ray-hagen-36017_good-friend_joan-blondell-had-always-kept-it-real-al_2309407.jpg)
