Grande Dame: Difference between revisions

* "Mother" Baldwin in ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' is close to this type.

* Judi Dench's version of M in the new [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]] films (''e.g., [[Casino Royale]]'') is portrayed in this manner:

''M:'' Utter one more syllable and I'll have you killed. }}

** And Dame Judy again in the film "The Importance of Being Earnest."

* Lady Bracknell in [[Oscar Wilde]]'s ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'' is one of the grandest -- and one of the ''dame''-dest.

** Subverted in that she has common origins and married up.

* Madame Armfeldt in ''[[A Little Night Music]]'', Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn in ''[[The Music Man]]'', and most other parts played by Hermione Gingold, including Mrs. Bennet in ''First Impressions'', a musical version of ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]''.

* Parthenia Hawks in ''[[Show Boat]]'' (played on-stage by Edna May Oliver and in film by Helen Westley and Agnes Moorehead)

== Western Animation ==

* Elizabeth II was depicted in this manner once on ''[[Animaniacs]]'':

'''Yakko, Wakko, and Dot:''' But we are! }}

* In several [[Classic Disney Shorts]], [[Classic Disney Shorts/Characters|Madame Clara Cluck]] (herself a parody of noted operatic contralto [[wikipedia:Clara Butt|Dame Clara Butt]] ([[Unfortunate Name|yes, we know]]) was able to [[Everything's Better with Chickens|pullet]] off.

* A recurring character displaying most of the classic characteristics of the type appears on ''[[The Simpsons]]''; Martha Quimby and Lady Bouvier also show similarities to this type.

** [[Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight|Krusty]], if [[Dorian Mode|I]] recall correctly, identified her as the "Wealthy Dowager" in the Clown College episode:

'''Homer''' ''taking notes'': ...Kill...Wealthy...Dowager... }}

* Eleanor Sherman from ''[[The Critic]]''

* One appeared in an episode of [[Tiny Toon Adventures]] where she was tasked to assess the performance and good behavior of students in the Acme Looniversity to determine whether or not Yosemite Sam will be promoted to Vice Principle. Babs, Buster, and Plucky try everything they can to mess up the [[Grande Dame]]'s examinations beneath Yosemite Same's notice, often leading to [[Amusing Injuries]] for the unwitting mustached man. The abuses continue up until they [[Body Swap]] her with a potato, breaking her composure and causing Sam to lose the promotion he so desired.

* Mrs. Astor from [[Futurama]]. Even ''nitroglycerine'' is intimidated by her.

'''Hobsy''': One does not explode in Mrs. Astor's face. }}

 

== Real Life ==

* Socialist Liverpudlian MP Elizabeth Margaret ("Battling Bessie") Braddock (who bore a striking resemblance to the page picture) was the heroine of a famous passage-of-arms with [[Deadpan Snarker]] [[Winston Churchill]]:

'''Winston Churchill:''' Bessie, my dear, you are ugly, and what's more, you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly ugly. }}

** This exchange was confirmed to Richard Langworth by Ronald Golding, a bodyguard present on the occasion as Churchill was leaving the House of Commons in 1946. (Note that in the 1934 movie ''It's a Gift'', W.C. Fields' character, when told he is drunk, responds, "Yeah, and you're crazy. But I'll be sober tomorrow and you'll be crazy the rest of your life.")