Nancy Reagan, Actress

[+ WilliamM]

Nancy Davis' mother, Edie, was a retired actress married for the second time to Loyal Davis, a well known Chicago doctor. Nancy was the daughter of Edie and her first husband.

 

Edie hosted actors/actresses who visited Chicago, especially Spencer Tracy and even Mary Martin and eventually Yul Brynner.

 

Somehow, Nancy Davis was signed by MGM studios in California. legendary director filmed her screen test and declared she had no talent,  But, she did have MGM star Spencer Tracy on her side (Nancy had small roles on Broadway thanks to Martin.) 

Years later Nancy Reagan laughed when she leaned MGM signed her rather than Marilyn Monroe.

 

From a new bio of Mrs. Reagan by Karen Tumulty

[sydneyboy]

I wonder if this biography makes reference to the fact she slept with a gun under her pillow and always consulted her astrologists before making an important decision.

[sydneyboy]

The title of the biography is The Triumph of Nancy Reagan. That title is an oxymoron, more moron than oxy.

Edited May 31, 2021 by sydneyboy

[+ WilliamM]

1 hour ago, sydneyboy said:

The title of the biography is The Triumph of Nancy Reagan. That title is an oxymoron, more moron than oxy.

Nancy Reagan was a constant pain in the butt to her husband"s staff, calling his assistants almost immediately after Ronnie left the house when  he was governor of California.

 

Nancy's mother, Edie loved phoning too. In 1976, when Barry Goldwater endorsed President Ford, not Ronnie for the Republican Party nomination,  Edie called Goldwater and told  him, he was a "cock sucker" amongst  other words 

[+ WilliamM]

Not surprised that Nancy thought the White House needed. Big Improvements late 1980/early 1981.

 

She considered asking  Jimmy Carter to.move before January 20, so Nancy could get a head start

 

After January 20, she made the personal quarter when Ronnie and Nancy live a priority

At dinner after the inauguration her mother and Tip O'Neill talked for hours. Edie knew some dirty jokes.

[+ WilliamM]

On 5/30/2021 at 11:34 PM, sydneyboy said:

I wonder if this biography makes reference to the fact she slept with a gun under her pillow and always consulted her astrologists before making an important decision.

Yes, the astrologer obsession  even disturbed Ronald Reagan when he finally realized. On foreign travel Ronnie could not understand why flights from Germany  to Washington would take off at 1;07 am. He told her 'Just don't let anyone know."

[Leyte2019]

On 5/31/2021 at 1:03 AM, WilliamM said:

Nancy Reagan was a constant pain in the butt to her husband"s staff, calling his assistants almost immediately after Ronnie left the house when  he was governor of California.

 

Nancy's mother, Edie loved phoning too. In 1976, when Barry Goldwater endorsed President Ford, not Ronnie for the Republican Party nomination,  Edie called Goldwater and told  him, he was a "cock sucker" amongst  other words 

Wow. Had no idea. But that is how she is portrayed in the Showtime documentary, The Reagans.

[+ WilliamM]

Edie may have not been a star in the theater, but she is in the book about her daughter.

 

Edie loved dirty jokes, know her daughter's earlier engagement (before Ronnie) was probably a mistake because he was gay. And Edie was very friendly with Spencer Tracy and Many Martin. Tracy helped Nancy at her screen test at MGM.

Martin gave her a small role in a musical (and a much bigger role to Yul Brynner).  And as first lady, Mrs. Reagan sang a song with Martin on stage in the 1985 tribute "Our Hearts Belong to Mary"

[sydneyboy]

Judging by its title this book on Nancy Reagan it sounds like hagiography not a serious biography. I think we should save our money. It would be better spent on a new book on Richard Nixon by Michael Dobbs “King Richard, Nixon and Watergate an American Tragedy.” Mr Dobbs was interviewed on Australian radio during the week. It sounds fascinating. I googled the reviews and they are universally excellent and the book is a major work of scholarship.

[sydneyboy]

24 minutes ago, sydneyboy said:

Judging by its title this book on Nancy Reagan it sounds like hagiography not a serious biography. I think we should save our money. It would be better spent on a new book on Richard Nixon by Michael Dobbs “King Richard, Nixon and Watergate an American Tragedy.” Mr Dobbs was interviewed on Australian radio during the week. It sounds fascinating. I googled the reviews and they are universally excellent and the book is a major work of scholarship.

[sydneyboy]

2 minutes ago, sydneyboy said:

27 minutes ago, sydneyboy said:

Judging by its title this book on Nancy Reagan it sounds like hagiography not a serious biography. I think we should save our money. It would be better spent on a new book on Richard Nixon by Michael Dobbs “King Richard, Nixon and Watergate an American Tragedy.” Mr Dobbs was interviewed on Australian radio during the week. It sounds fascinating. I googled the reviews and they are universally excellent and the book is a major work of scholarship.

Nixon’s mother named all her sons after Kings of England hence the title. 

[+ WilliamM]

On 6/5/2021 at 6:31 PM, sydneyboy said:

On 6/5/2021 at 6:06 PM, sydneyboy said:

Judging by its title this book on Nancy Reagan it sounds like hagiography not a serious biography. I think we should save our money. It would be better spent on a new book on Richard Nixon by Michael Dobbs “King Richard, Nixon and Watergate an American Tragedy.” Mr Dobbs was interviewed on Australian radio during the week. It sounds fascinating. I googled the reviews and they are universally excellent and the book is a major work of scholarship.

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Don't be put of by the title of the Nancy Reagan book. Most people who worked for Ronald Reagan when governor of California and president did not like Mrs. Reagan

She supposedly had excellent sense of when an assistant or Cabinet member wasn't completely loyal to her husband. That should not be the sole reason for firing someone who very valuable to the White House.