Being grotesque and charming at the same time was a difficult role to pull off. Lo! Ruth Gordon did it magnificently. She deserved her Oscar for this performance.
Her acting was absolutely phenomenal. Such a charming old woman with a lot of charisma, and yet you feel something is off, but it’s SO subtle, you don’t know whether to dismiss it due to older age, but then we gradually see the darkness of her friendly neighbors.
Yeah, when you get too friendly with them they will take you for granted. First thing it will be the fake friendly talk then it'll be "Can I borrow this, can I borrow that"
In my New York City building one woman "borrowed" the husband of the tenant in the next apartment. Needless to say that did not promote good neighborly relations. ...let's just say it did not end well.
Old women seem to love gaudy jewelry that jingles. I always know when an old woman is in the hallway of our building...you can hear the jingling of bracelets, necklaces and what have you from a mile away.
JACK ANTHONY - LMAO Funny you should write such comment! I totally agree, some older women do like to wear the gaudy, jingling jewelry. I guess some can pull off the look but I was never much into too much jewellery, just small stud earrings or my tennis gold bracelet gift from my parents. Let’s not forget the Dior Poison perfume 💨lol
What's amazing about her character is that it remains consistent even when her plot is revealed. Remember that scene after she's delivered the child and Minnie offers her a drink, and Rosemary asks her if it contains Tanis root. She still had the same batty personality she displayed at the beginning of the movie. Most modern horror have a hidden antagonist change their personality into some sinister embodiment of evil once the plot is revealed, which is a lazy method of trying to instill fear in the audience. Minnie's likable nature is also what makes her character so unique and at the same time so malicious.
@@dannwan8537 not cake, but she kept giving her a special drink when she was pregnant. The movie never explains, but I'm guessing it had some kind of power or property that helped her carry the child.
I love Gordon's sense of irony--the offhand twist she gives lines like "Honey, if it was trouble I wouldn't ask you." Minnie Castevet is quite a creation, along with her amazing performance in "Harold and Maude" 3 years later. She absolutely deserved the Oscar--how many actors can you really say that about?
1:50 you might as well see a light bulb above Minnie’s head. She now knows Guy is an actor and can use it as a bribery for him to agree to their Satanic agenda. Brilliantly done.
Eccentric with a creepy quality lurking just beneath the surface. Gordon's performance was impeccable. Everything about her body language, accent, enunciation, voice, tone, inflection ..... every fiber of her being embodied Minnie Castavet, the "seemingly harmless, nosy, nutty old-timer" next door with a bizarre, sinister ulterior motive. Gordon deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Rosemary's Baby is by far the greatest horror film of all time. William Castle and Roman Polanski were brilliant. The entire cast and crew were stellar.
Note how crafty and stealth Minnie is when ferreting out how much Terry told Rosemary, and at what length they interacted, by casually saying, "You two had some long talks together in the laundry room."
I work in a restaurant part time, and I have a new customer who is practically a clone of Minnie Castevet. Voice, wardrobe, mannerisms…everything. Last night, I found out her name is Rosemary! You can’t make this stuff up! 😀
The wardrobe person in this film was a genius. I always loved the clanging of Ruth Gordon's charm bracelet in this scene....my grandmother, who would have been around the same age (early 70s) during the late 1960s (and was also a little eccentric) had some similar clothing items, including a crazy psychadellic, paisley dress.
The shot thru the peephole was genius. The bandana sticking up and the look of deviousness in her face makes you feel so uneasy. Definitely deserved her Oscar
My grandmother was the same age in the 1960s and wore gold bracelets too, and while she wasn't like Minnie Castevet she was definitely eccentric, and the sound of her bracelets and how she moved them around is a very strong memory for me.
I adore the wardrobe in this film. Minnie’s clothes are so delightfully eccentric. Rosemary’s costumes are so adorable. I feel like most of them could still be worn in 2019 too, with a few adjustments of course. I also ❤️ Rosemary’s makeup in this movie. It’s her look in this scene is like Twiggy’s only a lot more wearable.
Brooke Hanley I love to watch Ruth Gordon as Minnie, that energy and charisma. Truly an outstanding performance by consummate actress; we're seeing the same woman who played Mary Todd Lincoln! I've been thinking about possible alternative actreses for the Minnie role. What do you think about Thelma Ritter or Eileen Heckart?
+Andrew Brendan Thelma Ritter passed away I think in 1969, she was about the same age as Ruth Gordon, I would have loved to see how she would have done the role , Eileen Heckart is too tall and not old enough , but great idea on Thelma
What an actress OMG. Every single thing she does. Checking out the cans with the glasses on a chain, tapping Rosemary with the back of her hand when she's talking, working her way in to the apartment, the living room, the dramatic reactions to the decor, I could go on. I have met people like this. Have to go watch the cake scene now. Can anyone think of an actress like that these days? I mean she just flows. I know many people don't like Polanski the person but as a director the guy has an eye for characters and has made some fantastic movies.
That saunter that Ruth Gordon employs is so affecting... in a sweet comical way. I have to wonder if she had fun doing this movie. Just noticed on watching this again the clinking clanking sound of Minnie's jewelry as she struts about. A perfectly delineated character.
Others will be able to answer this question better than I can, but my understanding is that in New York there were an awful lot of rent controlled apartments during the post-War period. So the rents, and by extension the market price of the property, were kept artificially low. Plus, the ridiculous property prices you see nowadays is just a function of globalism/neoliberalism, nowadays every superrich person from anywhere wants a house in London, one in New York, one in Singapore, one in Paris etc and it creates significant upward pressure.
1:25 Look at what she does with that chair: four distinct actions with a single prop. Gordon makes it all seem completely casual, just like her deceptively trite remarks and questions. Great acting!
One interesting theory. It sort of goes hand in hand with Joan Crawford supposedly (though not likely) working to prevent Bette Davis from winning a third Oscar for Whatever Happened To Baby Jane. Mia had just divorced Frank Sinatra who objected to her working after their marriage. (In fact, he had the divorce papers presented to her on the movie set). Could he have used his "connections" (you know what I mean) to prevent Mia even getting nominated? Who can say, right?
Here are the nominees who should of not have been nominated ? Katharine Hepburn. The Lion in Winter. Barbra Streisand. Funny Girl. Patricia Neal. The Subject Was Roses. Vanessa Redgrave. Isadora. Joanne Woodward. Rachel, Rachel.
@@nassauguy48 thought in the end they remained good friends. So I don’t think he would of stabbed her in the back. And the story about Joan, Betty & the Oscar not sure but maybe Betty just made that up. I wish Betty would of won then maybe Ann Bancroft would of won for the Graduate. Also that same year Patty Duke got supporting actress. Angela Lansbury for the “Manchurian Candidate” should of won she played another evil women.
Forty plus years on now and Rosemary's Baby is still very creepy A perfect cast and Polanski at his most concise director skills. There is never a moment when you don't feel that atmosphere creeping in. It contains two of my favorite dream sequences and present them with all the jagged continuity quality of actual dreams. Dreams are seldom linear and often jump haphardly from one thing to another without the dreamer questioning the transition. Or how exterior sounds float into the dream.
Ruth Gordon was a superb actress. I saw her with Garson Kanin coming out onto Boylston St from Shreve, Crump, and Low Co in Boston. She was like 4'8" and her husband wasn't much bigger. She bore herself like a queen, she was very elegant. I believe she grew up in Quincy.
At least in the book they were living off Guy's money from his commercial work, but it was dwindling down. Yeah, the swank apartment doesn't make sense in the movie lol
I just recently found another video clip called "Rosemary's Baby---Closet" and in that video the man who showed the apartment to Guy and Rosemary said the management would like to charge more for the apartment but couldn't. Sounds like the apartment may not have been so expensive after all but I'm still under the impression that the young couple was close to overextending themselves financially. The video I mentioned is the scene in which the Woodhouses look at the apartment for the first time and the viewer gets a good look at how it was before the changes seen here. "...Closet" is a fascinating scene; it's really like being in the home of an older person who lived there for many years and gives a great comparison to how the apartment now looks here. I like it both ways!
Leave it Ruth Gordon! She's brilliant! I grew up watching her in Clint Eastwoods Any Which Way but Loose movies, but I love her as Minnie. She totally deserved her Oscar
I like the part where she tells Rosemary, " Listen, your goin shopping, get me 6 eggs a small instant sanka , I'll pay ya later, ahhhhhhhhh" then shuts the door waving the cup at her. HaHaHa. What a funny, evil lady.
My favorite part is when Guy and Rosemary are served Vodka Blush cocktails when they come for dinner the first time, and just as everyone takes the first sip, Minnie starts to sound like she's choking, but it's because she's angrily trying to tell Roman that he's dripping on the carpet: "[cough cough] Carpet!"
it creeps me out no end bc this is the morning after they drugged and had Satan rape her and she has the nerve to ask her to pick up some eggs for her...sociopathic
If i bought an apartment in the city now I would gut it and have it rebuilt to look like an old apartment. They had style and charm. Now everything seems so cold and corporate.
Could you imagine apartments these days having that much space and big rooms? Yeesh! I'm so jealous! Of course, I would prefer it sans witches and no partition. ;)
I like how her headscarf looks like a horned battle helmet. And how her hair looks so primped underneath, and how her hair is covered in such a way that she lookd sd though she's working on her second horn.
Rosemary makes her first big mistake here...letting an old woman into her apartment....Rosemary should have known that old women are trouble. Notice how the old woman was casing out the apartment to see how she was going to concoct her evil spells into Rosemary's life. Once you let the devil into your house you are doomed. The devil never leaves once invited in!
Just saw this at the Astor in Chapel Street, with my mates, still works. Superb direction by Polanski, acted brilliantly.To see it projected on a big theatre screen is phenomenal!
My favorite scene in the whole movie is the next one when they meet for dinner and Roman appeals to Guy's pride as an actor as well as talking about all of the worldwide places he has been.
Regarding Mia Farrow & the Oscar snub for "Rosemary's Baby"" 1968 was a very competitive year for Best Actress. Two winners were named: Katharine Hepburn for "The Lion In Winter" & Barbra Streisand for "Funny Girl." Both very deserving, IMHO. The 3 other nominees were all deserving of nominations: Joanne Woodward in "Rachel, Rachel," Patricia Neal in "The Subject Was Roses" and Vanessa Redgrave in "Isadora." Woodward was at her peak in "Rachel" under Paul Newman's direction. She won the Golden Globe & the New York Film Critics Award for best dramatic actress so she was definitely deserving. Patricia Neal was returning to films after suffering a series of paralyzing strokes for which she underwent years of rehabilitation to make her triumphant comeback in "Roses." (So sympathy + Hollywood veteran status + excellent performance ensured her a nomination). The only performance I have not seen is Vanessa Redgrave in "Isadora" which is never shown on TCM & not on DVD. Looking at reviews from the time -- some think she was brilliant, others felt she was miscast playing dance legend Isadora Duncan as she couldn't dance at all). Inconclusive but Redgrave is one of the best actresses hence probably deserving. So then probably coming in at #6 in the nomination tally is Mia Farrow. What to do? What to do? if ever 6 nominees were warranted, 1968 would have been the year. The Golden Globes were another matter. Farrow was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Drama actress category along with Hepburn, Woodward, Neal & Redgrave while Streisand was nominated in the Comedy/Musical category. For the record, Woodward & Streisand won in their respective categories. Also, Tuesday Weld gave probably her best performance in a little 1968 film "Pretty Poison" (she was nominated for the New York Film Critics Award) but was runner-up to Joanne Woodward. "Pretty Poison" did win best script for Lorenzo Semple, Jr. 1968 additional contenders: Gena Rowlands in "Faces," Julie Christie in "Petulia," Catherine Deneuve in "Belle de Jour," Liv Ullman in "Shame," Beryl Reid in "The Killing of Sister George," & Jeanne Moreau in "The Bride Wore Black."
I never noticed it before, but around the 1:28 mark and a little after we can see a chessboard by the chair Minnie asks about. Looks like Rosemary and Guy had been playing chess and had a game still in progress. Knowing of Polanski's attention to detail I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the pieces on and around the board were arranged for a real game of chess and not just placed randomly.
Ruth Gordon comes across as such a New Yorker in this movie. She has that pushy, in-your-face NY attitude, that, and that NY accent. She's hilarious. By the way, how the hell does a mere actor [according to Rosemary that's what her husband does] afford the most prime real estate in all of NY? That's the Dakotas Building! Absolutely unaffordable for everyone except the very wealthiest.
Actually, it's not a New York City accent at all. It was Ruth Gordon's natural, native New England accent that she used in practically all of her films. Miss Gordon was born and raised near Boston, Mass. The attitude, on the other hand, could very well be interpreted as that of a certain stereotypical kind of New Yorker. As you already pointed out, that was the film's setting. I also agree that Miss Gordon was terrific in this role.
***** He turned after they moved in and Roman and Minnie invited them to dinner. I do agree he was a struggling ACTOR ANd the apartment was quite nice.
From what I understand the Dakota was just an old decrepit building in the 60's that no one with any money would stay. Plus people with money would rather live on the Eastside of the park in those days.
This has been my favourite film since I saw it on TV in 1995. Every devil reference is followed by scenes of every day modern life like this one and if you're not into silly horror fairy tales otherwise it will enter the devil conspiracy into your sense of reality like a Trojan horse and you will love the ending. This film really has no genre, and that's why it's called 'Polanski movie', and to call it a 'horror film's is simply not recognising what this film is really all about. Very cleaver idea and very intelligent filmmaking, and so much luck with the cast like Mia Farrow, just a real cinema classic to admire and have fun watching, probably 10 times by now. Like to think I'm not the only one! ;)
All the performances in this film are so, so good. "Mad" magazine's satire of this film, when it came out, pointedly questioned how a struggling actor could afford such a grand apartment. And at the time I also wondered how they could afford a brand new chair that cost $200. Of course today people would cringe at the idea of putting white paint all over original wooden interior detailing from the 19th century, which is what this apartment is filled with.
It's been a long time since I saw the movie and even longer since I read the book but my recollection is that Guy and Rosemary knew that they were getting an apartment beyond their budget. I think Rosemary was the one who wanted to live there. Maybe they were going on the idea that Guy would start making enough money that the Bramford apartment would eventually be within their means. "Dracula" was written by BRAM Stoker, Guy and Rosemary moved into the BRAMford apartment building. I wonder if that's connection or coincidence. People have said how the movie was filmed in and around the Dakota. I've read the only scene filmed there was the scene early on when Guy and Rosemary enter the courtyard, the interiors were Hollywood sets. The views looking down at the building really are the Dakota. As I said in another posting, I'd sure like to have Rosemary and Guy's apartment--or even Minnie and Roman's!
Andrew Brendan If you'd moved in early enough, you could have had Guy & Rosemary's AND Minnie & Roman's apartments together as one big grand one, since the building manager (Elisha Cook Jr.) explains to the Woodhouses when they first see it that the original apartment has been subdivided into two, and this is just one part.
hebneh Hey! That's right. That was just one apartment. I think I'd take the later version: I like the idea of a quirky layout with a hallway ending in a closet with a door in the back. I once read a book you might like by the late Stephen Birmingham. I think it was called "Life at the Dakota", published in the 70's while John Lennon was still living there. I believe that a number real-life Dakota apartments started out huge, could have been houses, and were later divided. It's a very good book. I got it from the library and would enjoy having a copy of my own.
hebneh .... I think the white colour has a special meaning in that scene ... ones it is a strong contrast to the apartment of the Castevets and the whole house and the colour stands also for innocents and may for an optimistic attidue ..
Sebastian Wendel Great observation! I just recently saw another "Rosemary's Baby" video and it showed Rosemary going from one apartment to the other. I noticed the contrast of light and dark in the interiors but it didn't occur to me that the colors had symbolic value but they must in a movie that has so much in it that is unspoken and implied and hinted at. Thank you for sharing your thought on this. I wonder the Castevet/Woodhouse apartment/s is based on the floor plan of a real apartment in the Dakota though that's not very likely. I've noticed that the glimpse we see of the hallway outside of Rosemary and Guy's apartment isn't much to look at. Maybe their entrance was originally the back door opening onto a service area at one time used by servants and delivery people? I hadn't thought of it until now but the two residences might be considered characters in the story.
I could watch this and pick apart the details of Ruth's performance all day. It's full of little things that make it clear she's not a good person. Like 1:07 the way she pokes her tongue out and rubs her nose. There's a coarseness that keeps coming through.
@@omg9261 There's a mouth twitch at 1:49. There's also the blatant emotional manipulation when she invites them for dinner, Rose says no, then Miinnie pretends to be upset about spending their first night alone. Then she immediately drops the sad routine and says "Oh honey, it if was trouble I wouldn't ask ya!" There's also her generally nosiness. Ruth Gordon's performance is fantastic! I love it.
I like how soulless she looks behind the door and then comes alive when she sees Rosemary.
Being grotesque and charming at the same time was a difficult role to pull off. Lo! Ruth Gordon did it magnificently. She deserved her Oscar for this performance.
Ruth Gordon was just BRILLIANT here, she absolutely deserved the Oscar for her performance as Minnie!
She deserved TWO Oscars for that brilliant performance! For a change, the Academy got it right!
And the funniest & best acceptance speech ever. It’s on UA-cam.
@@notnek202 Why was she always giving her cake and drink?
Why was she always giving her cake and drink?
@@PinkyPuff69 So it wasnt an ordinary drink and cake/sandwich? When did she start giving Rosemary food/and drink while meeting her at the doorway?
It's remarkable how she is able to portray a woman who is funny and amusing, and yet evil at the same time.
Evil often wears a non-threatening mask.
+Dave Glo ... evil can be amusing ... maybe thats what Polanski will show us ...
+Dave Glo Indeed. But she looks truly sullen and evil in that first shot of her captured through the peep-hole.
Kind of like Donald Trump and all the characters in the White House.
That's what makes it so evil and frightening. You don't see the evil coming...
Her acting was absolutely phenomenal. Such a charming old woman with a lot of charisma, and yet you feel something is off, but it’s SO subtle, you don’t know whether to dismiss it due to older age, but then we gradually see the darkness of her friendly neighbors.
Totally!
This is why I never talk to my neighbors. LOL
Jenni Niccum I love love ♥ your comment
Yeah, when you get too friendly with them they will take you for granted. First thing it will be the fake friendly talk then it'll be "Can I borrow this, can I borrow that"
Lol!! I’m dead 🤣🤣🤣🤣
In my New York City building one woman "borrowed" the husband of the tenant in the next apartment. Needless to say that did not promote good neighborly relations. ...let's just say it did not end well.
My neighbors are evil as well. They have cats as well which makes them even more evil.
love the sound of all that gaudy jewelry jingling
Old women seem to love gaudy jewelry that jingles. I always know when an old woman is in the hallway of our building...you can hear the jingling of bracelets, necklaces and what have you from a mile away.
JACK ANTHONY - LMAO
Funny you should write such comment! I totally agree, some older women do like to wear the gaudy, jingling jewelry. I guess some can pull off the look but I was never much into too much jewellery, just small stud earrings or my tennis gold bracelet gift from my parents. Let’s not forget the Dior Poison perfume 💨lol
Amy Woehler edgy
Yet, she wears it with a bunch of housework clothes!
@@marciloni12 Old men and women seem to love dousing themselves with strong perfume. Maybe it was a trend in their youth?
What's amazing about her character is that it remains consistent even when her plot is revealed. Remember that scene after she's delivered the child and Minnie offers her a drink, and Rosemary asks her if it contains Tanis root. She still had the same batty personality she displayed at the beginning of the movie. Most modern horror have a hidden antagonist change their personality into some sinister embodiment of evil once the plot is revealed, which is a lazy method of trying to instill fear in the audience. Minnie's likable nature is also what makes her character so unique and at the same time so malicious.
Why was she always giving her cake and drink?
@@dannwan8537 not cake, but she kept giving her a special drink when she was pregnant. The movie never explains, but I'm guessing it had some kind of power or property that helped her carry the child.
Perfect analysis.
Beautiful observation.
“It’s just plain old Lipton’s tea.”
I love Gordon's sense of irony--the offhand twist she gives lines like "Honey, if it was trouble I wouldn't ask you." Minnie Castevet is quite a creation, along with her amazing performance in "Harold and Maude" 3 years later. She absolutely deserved the Oscar--how many actors can you really say that about?
2:11 'Oh honey, if it was trouble I wouldn't ask ya' .... just love the way she delivers that line!
I love the way Ruth talks and sounds and those body wiggles are just hilarious! She was one of a kind for sure.
1:50 you might as well see a light bulb above Minnie’s head. She now knows Guy is an actor and can use it as a bribery for him to agree to their Satanic agenda. Brilliantly done.
Brilliant classic. The cinematography was (and still is) stellar. Cast and Crew: perfection.
The cinematographer William Fraker said he learned so much from Polanski's directing style.
And the editing. It was beautifully done.
Ruth Gordon pulled this scene off brilliantly and naturally. I could watch this all day.
... its so realistic acting ...
Its strange but one like to get to know Minnie really - cause she is amusing in a special way ...
Eccentric with a creepy quality lurking just beneath the surface. Gordon's performance was impeccable. Everything about her body language, accent, enunciation, voice, tone, inflection ..... every fiber of her being embodied Minnie Castavet, the "seemingly harmless, nosy, nutty old-timer" next door with a bizarre, sinister ulterior motive. Gordon deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Rosemary's Baby is by far the greatest horror film of all time. William Castle and Roman Polanski were brilliant. The entire cast and crew were stellar.
Note how crafty and stealth Minnie is when ferreting out how much Terry told Rosemary, and at what length they interacted, by casually saying, "You two had some long talks together in the laundry room."
I work in a restaurant part time, and I have a new customer who is practically a clone of Minnie Castevet. Voice, wardrobe, mannerisms…everything. Last night, I found out her name is Rosemary! You can’t make this stuff up! 😀
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
If she tries to order “Tannis root”, be careful.
Where is this restaurant I need an autograph
@@christophersolis5731 😆😂😂😂
👀
The wardrobe person in this film was a genius. I always loved the clanging of Ruth Gordon's charm bracelet in this scene....my grandmother, who would have been around the same age (early 70s) during the late 1960s (and was also a little eccentric) had some similar clothing items, including a crazy psychadellic, paisley dress.
+Mar Thivierge The rich are referred to as "eccentric" while the poor have "psychological disorders". LOL.
The shot thru the peephole was genius. The bandana sticking up and the look of deviousness in her face makes you feel so uneasy. Definitely deserved her Oscar
My grandmother was the same age in the 1960s and wore gold bracelets too, and while she wasn't like Minnie Castevet she was definitely eccentric, and the sound of her bracelets and how she moved them around is a very strong memory for me.
I adore the wardrobe in this film. Minnie’s clothes are so delightfully eccentric. Rosemary’s costumes are so adorable. I feel like most of them could still be worn in 2019 too, with a few adjustments of course. I also ❤️ Rosemary’s makeup in this movie. It’s her look in this scene is like Twiggy’s only a lot more wearable.
Was your grandmother also a Satan worshiper as well
Ruth Gordon was marvelous! Minnie Castevet is such an interesting character, charming and witty on the surface, but so malevolent underneath.
Really only Ruth Gordon could have played her.
Brooke Hanley She'd definitely be a hard act to follow. Ruth Gordon nailed it perfectly.
Brooke Hanley I love to watch Ruth Gordon as Minnie, that energy and charisma. Truly an outstanding performance by consummate actress; we're seeing the same woman who played Mary Todd Lincoln! I've been thinking about possible alternative actreses for the Minnie role. What do you think about Thelma Ritter or Eileen Heckart?
+Andrew Brendan See why you ask....but it is still Ruth Gordon for me.
+Andrew Brendan Thelma Ritter passed away I think in 1969, she was about the same age as Ruth Gordon, I would have loved to see how she would have done the role , Eileen Heckart is too tall and not old enough , but great idea on Thelma
It was genius how she scoped out the place and got info just that quick. Love, love, love this movie.
Ruth Gordon stole the show!! I loved the scene when she was eating the cake w/ Guy and Rosemary. :)
ualflygal Me too! The way she shovels it into her mouth is priceless 😂😂😂
I posted it on UA-cam!! :)
"Minnie Castevet EATING CAKE in Rosemary's Baby"
so true ! everytime I watch it I find myself laughing hard !
She was eating the cake like she was a crazy woman lol i just love this movie
She was so amazing the way she chews up a scene and spits it out, and you believe every moment of it. Sheer talent!
What an actress OMG. Every single thing she does. Checking out the cans with the glasses on a chain, tapping Rosemary with the back of her hand when she's talking, working her way in to the apartment, the living room, the dramatic reactions to the decor, I could go on. I have met people like this. Have to go watch the cake scene now. Can anyone think of an actress like that these days? I mean she just flows. I know many people don't like Polanski the person but as a director the guy has an eye for characters and has made some fantastic movies.
Ruth Gordon was outstanding in this role. Well deserved Oscar for her performance.
I could watch this marvelous scene all day long. Ruth is a revelation.
One of the best performances in film history!
Agreed.
Correct!!! Love this amaizing movie so much.
That saunter that Ruth Gordon employs is so affecting... in a sweet comical way. I have to wonder if she had fun doing this movie.
Just noticed on watching this again the clinking clanking sound of Minnie's jewelry as she struts about. A perfectly delineated character.
She just shimmies her way across the room.
Minnie was the most dangerous character in that film. Was a total monster, yet so likable at the same time.
For me, Ruth Gordon's Minnie is 75 percent of the appeal of the movie. The Dakota is a major star, too. What a building!
... every actors in this movie were brilliant ... and Polanski knew how to handle them ...
Ruth Gordon absolutely steals the show in this movie, she deserved that Oscar. May she rest in peace. I really need to buy this Criterion DVD.
SHE is the reason I watch Rosemary's Baby. Ruth Gordon 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 #masterclass
Same
@@margarethhoughton6782 same
Ruth Gordon is a master actor. She deserved her Oscar.
I know it's the 60's and it's just a movie but holy shit wouldn't that apartment be like $50 million? Plus they're John Lennon's neighbors.
you can look up the Dakota and yes, millions
Others will be able to answer this question better than I can, but my understanding is that in New York there were an awful lot of rent controlled apartments during the post-War period. So the rents, and by extension the market price of the property, were kept artificially low. Plus, the ridiculous property prices you see nowadays is just a function of globalism/neoliberalism, nowadays every superrich person from anywhere wants a house in London, one in New York, one in Singapore, one in Paris etc and it creates significant upward pressure.
1:25 Look at what she does with that chair: four distinct actions with a single prop. Gordon makes it all seem completely casual, just like her deceptively trite remarks and questions. Great acting!
Exactly.master class here folks
A travesty that Mia farrow wasn't nominated for this role - never could wrap my head around that
wow, didn't know that. That's....yeah, completely fricking absurd. [sends angry energy to the Academy in 69!]
One interesting theory. It sort of goes hand in hand with Joan Crawford supposedly (though not likely) working to prevent Bette Davis from winning a third Oscar for Whatever Happened To Baby Jane. Mia had just divorced Frank Sinatra who objected to her working after their marriage. (In fact, he had the divorce papers presented to her on the movie set). Could he have used his "connections" (you know what I mean) to prevent Mia even getting nominated? Who can say, right?
Her being snubbed for this was just as bad as Michael Shannon being snubbed for Take Shelter.
Here are the nominees who should of not have been nominated ?
Katharine Hepburn. The Lion in Winter. Barbra Streisand. Funny Girl. Patricia Neal. The Subject Was Roses. Vanessa Redgrave. Isadora. Joanne Woodward. Rachel, Rachel.
@@nassauguy48 thought in the end they remained good friends. So I don’t think he would of stabbed her in the back. And the story about Joan, Betty & the Oscar not sure but maybe Betty just made that up. I wish Betty would of won then maybe Ann Bancroft would of won for the Graduate. Also that same year Patty Duke got supporting actress. Angela Lansbury for the “Manchurian Candidate” should of won she played another evil women.
WHAT....... A fantastic actress !!!! She steals the show, in every scene and every movie, she is in ! LOVE HER ! RIP
I absolutely love this movie and she is my favourite character. Great performance by Ruth Gordon!
Forty plus years on now and Rosemary's Baby is still very creepy A perfect cast and Polanski at his most concise director skills. There is never a moment when you don't feel that atmosphere creeping in. It contains two of my favorite dream sequences and present them with all the jagged continuity quality of actual dreams. Dreams are seldom linear and often jump haphardly from one thing to another without the dreamer questioning the transition. Or how exterior sounds float into the dream.
GREG FREEMAN I've always thought the same things 👌
👍👍👍
Damn. Apparently in 1965 (when this scene takes place) $200 had the same purchasing power that $1500 has in 2019.
It's so funny to see Ruth's little walking "wiggle" at the end in the hallway....She used that in Harold and Maude.
This was Ruth Gordon at her best! Phenomenal actress!
Ruth Gordon was a superb actress. I saw her with Garson Kanin coming out onto Boylston St from Shreve, Crump, and Low Co in Boston. She was like 4'8" and her husband wasn't much bigger. She bore herself like a queen, she was very elegant. I believe she grew up in Quincy.
Despite her association with New York Jewish characters, she was actually a Boston WASP!
the days when struggling actors could rent a 3 bedroom apartment in Manhattan!
I know right!!?
At least in the book they were living off Guy's money from his commercial work, but it was dwindling down. Yeah, the swank apartment doesn't make sense in the movie lol
Struggling actors never lived in placed like this. Families may have had money though.
In THE DAKOTA yet!~
I just recently found another video clip called "Rosemary's Baby---Closet" and in that video the man who showed the apartment to Guy and Rosemary said the management would like to charge more for the apartment but couldn't. Sounds like the apartment may not have been so expensive after all but I'm still under the impression that the young couple was close to overextending themselves financially. The video I mentioned is the scene in which the Woodhouses look at the apartment for the first time and the viewer gets a good look at how it was before the changes seen here. "...Closet" is a fascinating scene; it's really like being in the home of an older person who lived there for many years and gives a great comparison to how the apartment now looks here. I like it both ways!
Leave it Ruth Gordon! She's brilliant! I grew up watching her in Clint Eastwoods Any Which Way but Loose movies, but I love her as Minnie. She totally deserved her Oscar
I really love Ruth Gordon's voice and exuding as a performer...memorably.
She was a helluva* Talent!
SMILE💚
I like the part where she tells Rosemary, " Listen, your goin shopping, get me 6 eggs a small instant sanka , I'll pay ya later, ahhhhhhhhh" then shuts the door waving the cup at her. HaHaHa.
What a funny, evil lady.
My favorite part is when Guy and Rosemary are served Vodka Blush cocktails when they come for dinner the first time, and just as everyone takes the first sip, Minnie starts to sound like she's choking, but it's because she's angrily trying to tell Roman that he's dripping on the carpet: "[cough cough] Carpet!"
@@hebneh "braaand new carpet, this man is so clumsy."
it creeps me out no end bc this is the morning after they drugged and had Satan rape her and she has the nerve to ask her to pick up some eggs for her...sociopathic
Ruth Gordon was eerily amazing in this film, Oscar well deserved for sure..!!!!
Ruth Gordon's performance in Rosemary's Baby is one of the best ever onscreen. The subtle satanic vulgarity and the duplicity are spot on.
You're right!
Ruth Gordon was simply brilliant!
Well deserved.
So innocent and evil, at the same time. She deserved her Oscar.
I always thought Rosemary looks cute in that outfit.
clean and innocent :-)
Her wardrobe in the movie is very simple but Chic at the same time.
Ruth Gordon's fab in this.
The veteran actress Ruth Gordon brilliant and perfectly cast in an outstanding film
If i bought an apartment in the city now I would gut it and have it rebuilt to look like an old apartment. They had style and charm. Now everything seems so cold and corporate.
Agreed
Could you imagine apartments these days having that much space and big rooms? Yeesh! I'm so jealous! Of course, I would prefer it sans witches and no partition. ;)
I don’t know if I believe that a struggling actor and housewife could afford an apartment at the Dakota in any day or age.
I like how her headscarf looks like a horned battle helmet. And how her hair looks so primped underneath, and how her hair is covered in such a way that she lookd sd though she's working on her second horn.
Minnie was a pest but crafty as hell. Perfect cover when recruiting unsuspecting neighbors for your coven.
How many times Rosemary said "Luther and Nobody Loves an Albatroz" during the movie?
😅
Rosemary makes her first big mistake here...letting an old woman into her apartment....Rosemary should have known that old women are trouble. Notice how the old woman was casing out the apartment to see how she was going to concoct her evil spells into Rosemary's life. Once you let the devil into your house you are doomed. The devil never leaves once invited in!
R.I.P. Ruth Gordon, you were one of a kind. 😢
That fisheye peephole shot is so fucking spectacular.
She's the best character in the movie
Ruth Gordon is just amazing in every second.
What a fantastic performance. Mia Farrow was so beautiful here too.
That porcelain skin and those eyes. So 60s Mod.
Such a great film in every department, and Ruth..... gosh. She was central.
Just saw this at the Astor in Chapel Street, with my mates, still works. Superb direction by Polanski, acted brilliantly.To see it projected on a big theatre screen is phenomenal!
My favorite scene in the whole movie is the next one when they meet for dinner and Roman appeals to Guy's pride as an actor as well as talking about all of the worldwide places he has been.
1:09 you can literally see how she has to cover her excitement at finding out Rosemary plans to have lots of babies 😅
What an amazing actress Ruth Gordon was.
Ruth was a genius
Ruthie was so original - and occasionally - hilarious as Minnie!
the music the fotography the script!! are incredible
Regarding Mia Farrow & the Oscar snub for "Rosemary's Baby""
1968 was a very competitive year for Best Actress. Two winners were named: Katharine Hepburn for "The Lion In Winter" & Barbra Streisand for "Funny Girl." Both very deserving, IMHO.
The 3 other nominees were all deserving of nominations: Joanne Woodward in "Rachel, Rachel," Patricia Neal in "The Subject Was Roses" and Vanessa Redgrave in "Isadora."
Woodward was at her peak in "Rachel" under Paul Newman's direction. She won the Golden Globe & the New York Film Critics Award for best dramatic actress so she was definitely deserving.
Patricia Neal was returning to films after suffering a series of paralyzing strokes for which she underwent years of rehabilitation to make her triumphant comeback in "Roses." (So sympathy + Hollywood veteran status + excellent performance ensured her a nomination).
The only performance I have not seen is Vanessa Redgrave in "Isadora" which is never shown on TCM & not on DVD. Looking at reviews from the time -- some think she was brilliant, others felt she was miscast playing dance legend Isadora Duncan as she couldn't dance at all). Inconclusive but Redgrave is one of the best actresses hence probably deserving.
So then probably coming in at #6 in the nomination tally is Mia Farrow. What to do? What to do? if ever 6 nominees were warranted, 1968 would have been the year.
The Golden Globes were another matter. Farrow was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Drama actress category along with Hepburn, Woodward, Neal & Redgrave while Streisand was nominated in the Comedy/Musical category. For the record, Woodward & Streisand won in their respective categories.
Also, Tuesday Weld gave probably her best performance in a little 1968 film "Pretty Poison" (she was nominated for the New York Film Critics Award) but was runner-up to Joanne Woodward. "Pretty Poison" did win best script for Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
1968 additional contenders: Gena Rowlands in "Faces," Julie Christie in "Petulia," Catherine Deneuve in "Belle de Jour," Liv Ullman in "Shame," Beryl Reid in "The Killing of Sister George," & Jeanne Moreau in "The Bride Wore Black."
Ruth Gordon was just phenominal in this role.....she really deserved an oscar for supporting actress.
One of the most Deserving
Exactly
Ruth hit a home run. She stole every scene. Loved how she broke her hubby’s balls over the carpet
Ruth Gordon is fantastic she could act an incredible number of different characters. Unique actress
Ruth is so brilliant in these scenes!
"Oh, well, she was cremated yesterday." Easily the creepiest throwaway line in the movie.
Apartment 7a has this character and Dianne Wiest does a great job with Minnie's character
Ruth earned every bit of that Oscar. We need more Ruth Gordon's nowadays!
One of the finest actresses ever!
Ruth Gordon won the best supporting actress award & gave one of the funniest & best acceptance speeches ever. I mean EVER !!!!!!
Ruth Gordon was a funny little chick, especially when she was eating that cake. That shit cracked me the hell up, ha, hahaha hahaha.
I never noticed it before, but around the 1:28 mark and a little after we can see a chessboard by the chair Minnie asks about. Looks like Rosemary and Guy had been playing chess and had a game still in progress. Knowing of Polanski's attention to detail I wouldn't be in the least surprised if the pieces on and around the board were arranged for a real game of chess and not just placed randomly.
Ruth Gordon comes across as such a New Yorker in this movie. She has that pushy, in-your-face NY attitude, that, and that NY accent. She's hilarious. By the way, how the hell does a mere actor [according to Rosemary that's what her husband does] afford the most prime real estate in all of NY? That's the Dakotas Building! Absolutely unaffordable for everyone except the very wealthiest.
Cheers. You are so right-on about it. So New York. Miss being back there.
Actually, it's not a New York City accent at all. It was Ruth Gordon's natural, native New England accent that she used in practically all of her films. Miss Gordon was born and raised near Boston, Mass. The attitude, on the other hand, could very well be interpreted as that of a certain stereotypical kind of New Yorker. As you already pointed out, that was the film's setting. I also agree that Miss Gordon was terrific in this role.
***** He turned after they moved in and Roman and Minnie invited them to dinner. I do agree he was a struggling ACTOR ANd the apartment was quite nice.
From what I understand the Dakota was just an old decrepit building in the 60's that no one with any money would stay. Plus people with money would rather live on the Eastside of the park in those days.
I would have never let Minnie select my obstetrician for me. That was the ultimate in meddling.
This has been my favourite film since I saw it on TV in 1995. Every devil reference is followed by scenes of every day modern life like this one and if you're not into silly horror fairy tales otherwise it will enter the devil conspiracy into your sense of reality like a Trojan horse and you will love the ending. This film really has no genre, and that's why it's called 'Polanski movie', and to call it a 'horror film's is simply not recognising what this film is really all about. Very cleaver idea and very intelligent filmmaking, and so much luck with the cast like Mia Farrow, just a real cinema classic to admire and have fun watching, probably 10 times by now. Like to think I'm not the only one! ;)
All the performances in this film are so, so good.
"Mad" magazine's satire of this film, when it came out, pointedly questioned how a struggling actor could afford such a grand apartment. And at the time I also wondered how they could afford a brand new chair that cost $200.
Of course today people would cringe at the idea of putting white paint all over original wooden interior detailing from the 19th century, which is what this apartment is filled with.
It's been a long time since I saw the movie and even longer since I read the book but my recollection is that Guy and Rosemary knew that they were getting an apartment beyond their budget. I think Rosemary was the one who wanted to live there. Maybe they were going on the idea that Guy would start making enough money that the Bramford apartment would eventually be within their means. "Dracula" was written by BRAM Stoker, Guy and Rosemary moved into the BRAMford apartment building. I wonder if that's connection or coincidence. People have said how the movie was filmed in and around the Dakota. I've read the only scene filmed there was the scene early on when Guy and Rosemary enter the courtyard, the interiors were Hollywood sets. The views looking down at the building really are the Dakota. As I said in another posting, I'd sure like to have Rosemary and Guy's apartment--or even Minnie and Roman's!
Andrew Brendan If you'd moved in early enough, you could have had Guy & Rosemary's AND Minnie & Roman's apartments together as one big grand one, since the building manager (Elisha Cook Jr.) explains to the Woodhouses when they first see it that the original apartment has been subdivided into two, and this is just one part.
hebneh Hey! That's right. That was just one apartment. I think I'd take the later version: I like the idea of a quirky layout with a hallway ending in a closet with a door in the back. I once read a book you might like by the late Stephen Birmingham. I think it was called "Life at the Dakota", published in the 70's while John Lennon was still living there. I believe that a number real-life Dakota apartments started out huge, could have been houses, and were later divided. It's a very good book. I got it from the library and would enjoy having a copy of my own.
hebneh .... I think the white colour has a special meaning in that scene ... ones it is a strong contrast to the apartment of the Castevets and the whole house and the colour stands also for innocents and may for an optimistic attidue ..
Sebastian Wendel Great observation! I just recently saw another "Rosemary's Baby" video and it showed Rosemary going from one apartment to the other. I noticed the contrast of light and dark in the interiors but it didn't occur to me that the colors had symbolic value but they must in a movie that has so much in it that is unspoken and implied and hinted at. Thank you for sharing your thought on this. I wonder the Castevet/Woodhouse apartment/s is based on the floor plan of a real apartment in the Dakota though that's not very likely. I've noticed that the glimpse we see of the hallway outside of Rosemary and Guy's apartment isn't much to look at. Maybe their entrance was originally the back door opening onto a service area at one time used by servants and delivery people? I hadn't thought of it until now but the two residences might be considered characters in the story.
loved her in Harold and maude
" One may smile a smile and be a villain."
This movie is a master piece
Blooper! When Minnie is seen through the peep hole, she has a big curler on top of her forehead. When she enters, it's obscured by her kerchief.
Later in the scene the big curler reappears.
As an agent of Satan, Minnie could make that curler appear and reappear at will.
I could watch this and pick apart the details of Ruth's performance all day. It's full of little things that make it clear she's not a good person. Like 1:07 the way she pokes her tongue out and rubs her nose. There's a coarseness that keeps coming through.
Wow tank you for pointing out! I didn't notice, but your observation is on so point!
Could you please share some more insights?
@@omg9261 There's a mouth twitch at 1:49. There's also the blatant emotional manipulation when she invites them for dinner, Rose says no, then Miinnie pretends to be upset about spending their first night alone. Then she immediately drops the sad routine and says "Oh honey, it if was trouble I wouldn't ask ya!" There's also her generally nosiness. Ruth Gordon's performance is fantastic! I love it.
Superb acting delivered by a stellar cast.
She played the older Jewish nosy upper west side Yente with aplomb
Nobody EVER talks about the colloquial way Gordon says PREGNANT (perganint)
Late Ruth Gordon won an Oscar 🏆 for this 🎥
No expression at all when she rings the doorbell. She could care less about Rosemary.
Much deserved Oscar win, excellent movie! Whata you say?
."She had a great gift for living the moment," said Glenn Close, who co-starred in one of Gordon's last films, "... and it kept her ageless."
No other actress could have played Minnie than Ruth Gordon
"What have you done to it's eyes? --- "You maniacs!"