MovieChat Forums > Invitation (1952) Discussion > Dorothy McGuire "plain"

Dorothy McGuire "plain"


I just don't get it. She is lovely. Far more attractive than Ruth Roman. In "Enchanted Cottage" they used make up to make her less attractive her but in this film there's not a moment when I would think Van Johnson wouldn't be genuinely attracted to her. Willing suspension of disbelief?

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I don't think she's at all plain. Her wardrobe and hair styles can be toned down to make her look less stylish, therefore "plain',if the role calls for it.

In this film she's been sick her whole life so she doesn't waste energy on dressing up. The other women look more attractive maybe, but it is what is inside a person that counts seems to be the film's message.

Ironically, I have always liked Dorothy's films because she had such a nice voice.

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I agree. I've always loved Dorothy McGuire. I think she was very lovely but not the glitzy, showy glamour type. I was furious when they didn't include her in the memorial section of the Academy Awards the year she passed away.

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Not plain, even without being made up with make up. I have always thought her so beautiful. As a child, seeing her in whatever color movie I first noticed her, as someone's mother, I thought her a beauty. Am watching her in Invited now and was wondering if anyone else was surprised at anyone would think she was plain.

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[deleted]

I hate to disagree with the Dorothy McGuire lovefest that's going on here but I am one of the people who can accept her as plain. In fact, I say 'accept as plain' because I actually thinks she's more unattractive than plain. She's not a beauty in any sense. That said I think actors need to be all types. Not all roles call for beautiful people and she played two roles that suited her quite well - this one and in Enchanted Cottage.

I remember hearing that Gary Cooper was against her playing his wife in Friendly Persuasions because he thought she was too unattractive to be his wife. That seems like a terrible thing to say but I understood what he meant. The only problem is it was in a Quaker movie. The Quakers were humble people and would probably not have focused as much on a person's outward appearance.

Had it been any other movie I would say she was miscast as his wife. It's not as if less attractive people never marry more attractive ones but if he felt that way it might be hard, even as an actor, to fake chemistry that wasn't there.


Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

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