the list of 9 for may 3, 2007:
NINE FAMOUS "SISTER ACTS"
The last List of 9 was all about well-known filmmaking brothers. I thought it only fair to giveequal time to creative teams of sisters who have achieved notoriety for their work, and sincesadly there aren't enough teams of filmmaking sisters to draw a list from, I thought I'dbroaden the scope a little bit to include female siblings in all aspects of culture. There aremore than nine sets, of course; I am only listing a few.
- Venus and Serena WILLIAMS. Only the most celebrated pairof siblings in tennis - perhaps even in all professional sports.
- Charlotte, Emily and Anne BRONTE. We all know that Emilywrote Wuthering Heights while Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre. But ten bucks says that youcan't name either of Anne's two novels. (They were, for the record, Agnes Grey and TheTenant of Wildfell Hall.)
- Maxene, Patti and LaVerne ANDREWS. When I think of music from the 1940's, I immediately think of The Anderews Sisters. Who doesn't? Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree, Rum and Coca-Cola... the hits kept comin'.
- Joan FONTAINE and Olivia De HAVILLAND. Technically theyare "the De Havillands," but Joan decided to take her mother's maiden name while forging herHollywood career in order to distance herself from her one-year-older sister Olivia. The twofeuded throughout their professional lives and have been estranged from each other for over thirtyyears. Not much of a "team," like these other ladies, but a fascinating pair of siblings, even asthey edge into their nineties.
- Katia and Marielle LABÈQUE. One of the world's mostrenowned classical piano duos, hailing from France. Hilary and Jacqueline Du Pré may havebeen the big classical music sisters first, but as Jacqueline soon outshone Hilary (who in turnoutlived Jacqueline), they were never a true duo like the LaBèques.
- Angella, Lucia and Maria AHN. Not to be outdone, theseKorean-American sisters formed a classical trio, with violin, piano and cello. Because oftheir youth and beauty, The Ahn Trio are perhaps more fetishized than accepted as seriousmusicians.
- Ruth, Anita and June POINTER. The Pointer Sisters startedout with four, but sister Bonnie eventually left the group, and her solo career never quiteJumped to the level that the three other Pointers enjoyed in the mid-80's, with theaforementioned hit as well as I'm So Excited, Neutron Dance, He's So Shy and so on.
- Zsa Zsa, Eva and Magda GABOR. Show biz has long been rifewith dilettantish celebrity sisters who have good looks and healthy sexual appetites butquestionable talent. And so it is the Hungarian-born Gabors who set the standard for the Olsens,the Hiltons, the Duffs, the Simpsons, etc. At least Eva is remembered for her actual work (inGreen Acres, primarily); Zsa Zsa is remembered mainly for being Zsa Zsa, and Magda isn'tremembered at all.
- Nora and Delia EPHRON. At last! Filmmaking sisters! TheEphrons have written many Hollywood scripts together, with Nora usually directing. Unfortunatelytheir work is often maligned by critics, and it's hard to argue when their output includesYou've Got Mail at best, the Bewitched remake at worst, and other movies such asMichael and Mixed Nuts somewhere in between.
|