Could Having Seen "Maid Of Salem"At A Young Age Inspired Arthur Miller To Write "The Crucible???????"

                                             You have to wonder about that one, darlings. Now, while I have not seen this Salem Witchcraft story yet (and I cannot wait, because the Salem trials are one of my favorite topics; how come no one has written an opera??), everything I read practically has the characters in this one standing in for those in Miller's play.

                                               Like Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray standing in for John and Elizabeth Proctor. And Bonita Granville, in one of her great, evil child roles (the kind that only I can play, girls; this is MY role!!!!!!!!!) standing in for Abigail, and Virginia Weidler (now, remember, I have not seen the film yet!!!!!!!!!) standing in as either Mary Warren or Betty Parrish.

                                                 But, darlings come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Accusing Claudette Colbert of being a witch???????  Who would believe that??????????   Who could do such a thing?????????  Only Bonita, in one of her great Bonita roles!!!!!!!!!!!!  You have to wonder--was she ever considered for the role of Veda in "Mildred Pierce?"  Not that I would want anyone but Ann Blyth in the part, but, when you look at the rest of Ann's career, Veda, while it might be her signature role, is her only descent into evil.  With Bonita, until she switched gears in the Forties, as she matured, with Nancy Drew, evil was her Middle Name!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    I cannot wait to see Bonita wreak havoc in Salem, Massachusetts.  I would wager that remembrances of her, plus the McCarthy hearings, combined to allow Arthur Miller to write "The Crucible."

                                                     "Maid Of Salem" has a great cast, including Beulah Bondi!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       But how come Margaret Hamilton wasn't cast???????  She had already worked with Bonita, the year before, in "These Three," and in a film requiring actors to look like unattractive, prune faced New Englanders, she would have been perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                         Margaret had the last laugh though, when she went on, two years later, to play what is still regarded as the Twentieth Century's most celebrated witch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          Heh-heh-heh, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!