Gena Rowlands (1930 - 2024)

 

Photo by Bruce Weber (1992)

You let a woman beat you, hunh?  You little . . . tiny nothing!  Punk!

Gena Rowlands delivered those lines, convincingly, pointing a pistol at a man on a subway while holding a kid.  Yeah, I know she was a terrific actress but I never cared much for the films she made with her husband, John Cassavetes.  They brought her Oscar nominations for A Woman Under The Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), both well past her Hollywood prime, and were indicative of what independent filmmaking--even then--could do for a woman who took her career seriously.

No, what I loved about Gena--who danced at the Truman White House!--was her incomparable look, infused with warmth, vulnerability and even toughness when the role required.  As my father might have said, a beautiful broad, indeed.