The Alluring Patricia Neal in Hud
Friday, September 18, 2015 at 7:01PM Continuing our celebration of 1963 here's Murtada on that year's Best Actress.
Patricia Neal is first introduced 8 minutes into Hud. She walks into the center of the frame and takes hold of it as she gazes at Paul Newman parking his car.
He parked right on my flower bed”.
The way she is framed ensures the audience knows she’s important to the story. The way Neal tosses off that line, we know Alma’s not to be messed with. [More...]
She then fades as the film's central plot, Newman’s Hud and his father (Melvyn Douglas) vying for the soul of Brandon De Wilde’s Lonnie, is set. All the actors give vivid interesting performances, but the movie gets more animated with a certain je ne sais quoi verve whenever Neal appears. She brings an easy sexuality, the confidence of a woman who knows her worth. We are intrigued by and interested in her Alma.
Let’s go into detail with two crucial Alma scenes.
“I just wish I knew where some gals get the time during the day”.
“They just drop everything honey”
“I guess it beats housework”.
Crackling dialogue, the writing is so good allowing Neal to establish Alma’s attraction to Hud as well as her prudence. She knows he’s bad news but that also he can be a fun ride. Newman matches her in friskiness and the easy rapport between them creates a scorching sexual heat off the screen. Are you fanning yourselves yet?
“You still got that itch?”
Here Neal and Newman take it to the next level. Openly acknowledging their desire for each other. Neal also lets us know why Alma is wary of Hud. Her eyes tell us not only of her years of experience but also how certain she is of how bad a fling might end. Of course in their next scene all her suspicions come true. However Alma is given a fantastic exit later on as “the one that got away” doing justice to Neal’s fiery performance.
While watching this movie I lamented the state of sex in recent English language movies. Is there currently anyone who can emanate heat and earthiness as much as Neal does in Hud? Maybe three decades ago Debra Winger in An Officer and Gentleman with her husky voice and uncomplicated confidence in her body. We just touched on Kate Winslet’s frank sexuality in The Reader, but she hasn’t had a similar opportunity since. Look at American Hustle, the promos promised us sex what with plunging necklines and numerous movie stars gliding across the screen. But that was it, just gorgeous period specific customs and (mostly) hot bodies. There was no sexual heat in any of the different pairings. And it’s not just the actors. It seems the writers and directors are not interested in exploring sexual dynamics between their characters anymore. If you want to burn your eyes with heat watch French cinema. Matthias Schoenaerts and Marion Cotillard in Rust and Bone, Lea Seydoux in anything.
Despite her limited screen time Neal is dynamite as Alma and of course won the best actress Oscar. She holds us enthralled throughout. While the film is full of excellent, even mesmerizing, performances, Neal rules.
If a movie comes along today with a character like Alma who would you cast?
Reader Comments (19)
She was one of the greats and this post very elegantly captures the essence of this - possibly her best - performance
God I love this film, I fell in love with both Paul Newman and Patricia O'Neal at the same time.
More films with this kind of sexual heat please...
Murtada - you are so right about current films lacking this kind of appeal.
in the 80's - Kathleen Turner, Susan Sarandon, would compare to Patricia O'Neal.
in the 90's & 00's - Juliette Binoche, Kristen Scott Thomas, and Kate Winslet.
Others?
Marion C creates gr8 chemistry with her men,every characterbehaves differently with the men.
Do you think she's leading or supporting?
Neal was brilliant and was so deserving of Oscar... for Best Supporting Oscar. Natalie Wood for Best Actress.
I love this film so much.To answer your question, my vote goes to Anne Heche. Possibly Joan Allen, but really my answer to every kind of fantasy re-casting is always going to be Anne Heche. In my fantasy world, she gets all the Renee Zellweger parts (Heche in Chicago, anyone?), Naomi Watts parts bar, obviously, the exquisite Mulholland Dr. and I know this is sacrilege but she'd be my first choice for Blue Jasmine and even Carol.
Sorry, am I going on a bit? :P
I love this movie, too. I can live with its category fraud.
The TMC introduction recently mentioned that the character in the novel is black. So Viola it is.
Is there currently anyone who can emanate heat and earthiness as much as Neal does in Hud.
If a movie comes along today with a character like Alma who would you cast?
Toni Collette
Angela Bassett
Cameron Diaz (not my favorite, but she does have "it")
Nia Long
Gina Gershon
Taraji P. Henson
Gillian Anderson
Kimberly Elise
Christina Hendricks
And Allison Janney.
Yes, Marion Cotillard to answer your question. She kinda looks like Neal, and she also emanates earthiness and heat at the same time, particularly in Nine (I know, but I think she's great in that movie)
Patricia Neal's performance in Hud is excellent. And, for my money, she's a lead. It doesn't have typically lead-role screen time, but somehow it feels as though the film is Alma's story almost as much as Hud's and Lonnie's (and arguably more than Homer's).
As to who could play this role today, of the above suggestions, Gillian Anderson is a particularly enticing idea.
Some great choices here, keep'em coming.
LadyEdith - yes Sarandon.... in Bull Durham, Atlantic Cty.
Tyler - since Alma is not really part of the central conflict I think she's supporting. However I love the performance so much I'm happy she went lead and won.
Patricia Neal is so great in this. It's a shame that she wasn't able to capitalize on it after working diligently upwards all through the 50's and early 60's but then being fell for so long by that series of strokes shortly after the film. It's inspiring that she was able to come back, as wonderful as ever, but her physicality had changed when she returned.
Thank you, Amanda! Anne Heche is so-o-o underrated. Her chemistry with Harrison Ford in Six Days, Seven Nights alone is evidence that she has an easy sexuality and intelligence Hollywood has not exploited well (for shame).
Anyway, back to Patricia Neal. She gave an iconic performance in Hud, and is a central catalyst in the plot, so I don't mind the Best Actress citation (although it could go either way). She's a treasure.
@RM
I totally agree with you .. Neal was superb in a supporting role in Hud
Wood was at her relaxed best acting in Love With the Proper Stranger ... arguably her
best screen role ...
It might seem against type, but I totally think Catherine Keener could do it.
I agreed Neal's role was vital to the movie but more of a supp role, juz like Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront (1954). She wld have easily won the best sup actress too. If she was nom in the sup cat, the free-up slot could have gone to the French legend, Jeanne Moreau for her unforgettable turns in Jules & Jim...
As for the best actress winner, I'll go with Leslie Caron for The L-Shaped Room. Ms Caron proved that she was more than Gigi & MGM musicals & could handle mature theme like a unwed young girl trapped in poverty, v well
I saw this movie around '65 for the first time. I was striken by the music and the the landscape in the opening scene.
The black/white of the movie mede it feel very intense.
I was mesmerized by the appearance of Patricia Neal in every scene with Paul Newman.
The rest of the story was somewhat dull. It was all to obvious who was the good and the bad guy. There was no development in the characters. Paul Newman had no real match in that sleepy place apart from Alda.
I still can't understand why the makers of the movie didn't make the development of their relationship to the core of the movie. There was so much chemistry, it was pure gold and nothing was done with it.