Dig that crazy beat, girls!!!!!!!!!!!! Last night was "Ladies Night" on "Investigation Discovery," which meant a full evening of "Deadly Women!" What pieces of work were put
on display! However, the one to top them all, and my personal favorite, was Elizabeth, aka "Ma", Duncan!!!!!!!!!!!
I am telling you, if Robert Bloch had not already published his seminal work, "Psycho," by 1959, I would have thought Ma Duncan and her son Frank had been stand ins for Mrs. Bates and Norman. You would think, huh?????????? If not, though, they truly deserve their own story!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, judging from the photo that was taken, shown above, Elizabeth Duncan was no beauty!!!!!!!!!! Yet, she was said to get plenty of action, and she dabbled in professions clearly related to the world's oldest!!!!!!!!! She was born in 1904, and was executed in the San Quentin Gas Chamber in California--the last woman to be so--at the age of 58, which, believe me, she always looked all of!!!!!!!!! I wish I knew what happened in her past to create those man issues she definitely had, but by the time she was imprisoned, Elizabeth had gone through close to a dozen (some say 20!!!!) marriages, and had owned and operated a bordello and a massage parlor. All I can say, girls, is, if she ran the business and kept the books, OK!!!!!!!!!!! Because no man in his right mind--maybe someone blind!!!!!--would go to be serviced by Elizabeth, because who would want to look at her, let alone have her touch them?????????
Out of one of those unsuccessful unions came something Elizabeth took great pride in--her son, Frank. On one level, Mama did right by him--he grew up to become a successful attorney. On another, like Mrs. Bates, she carried Mother Love too far!!!!!!!!!!! Poor Frank could not even live in a place of his own, because Ma had to live with him, because she could not stand being alone!!!!!!!! More to the point, she could not stand being away from son, Frank, whom she loved with a passion pretty near the incestuous. Whether this unhealthy relationship was consummated cannot be determined, but it is known that on bad nights, when Elizabeth, for all that she took anti-depressants and such, could not sleep, she would have Frank--a grown man!--join her in bed, and they would cuddle, until she went off to sleep!!!!!!!!!!! I know what you must be thinking, girls!!!!!!! Ewwwwwwwwwww!!!! Not even Mrs. Venable and Sebastian went down that path. I think.
You have to give Frank some credit. Instead of self-imploding, like poor Norman Bates, he never stopped yearning for a life of his own, and pursuing women, if he was interested in them. Of course, anytime he bought a woman home to meet Ma, she would carry on to such an extent that there was not much future to any relationship, after that. But, around 1958, when Frank was 29, and Ma 54, she attempted suicide in a fevered attempt both to relieve her depression and bind Frank closer to her. She survived (too bad for Frank!!!!!!!) and spent some time hospitalized, where she was nursed back to health by a young nurse named Olga Kupczyk. With Frank visiting Ma so much, the two caught the other's eye, and a romance began to bloom. But Frank, knowing how crazy his mother was, kept everything--the romance, the marriage--a secret, by still continuing to live with Elizabeth. Which came to a crashing halt, when Olga announced she was pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At this point, Frank could not ignore his marital duties, and confronted his mother with the truth. She would not have any of it, flying off the handle--and blaming Olga for the whole thing!!!!!!!!! So she hired two incompetent thugs named Moya and Baldonado to do in Elizabeth! They were so inept they could not do it, burying Elizabeth, and her unborn child, alive, where she died of asphyxiation!!!!!!!!!!! What dummies, but even worse, what a cold bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, this Clan From Hell was tried and found guilty, and sentenced to death. Elizabeth went to her Maker on August 8, 1962. She went proclaiming her innocence, and demanding Frank's presence. But he was too busy in court, at that point, trying to get his mother clemency. In spite of all she had done, he still loved her!!!!!!!!!!! Where does sanity leave off, and insanity begin?????????
Yet, Frank, now 83, went on to have a succession of three marriages, and fathered some children. So, he did end up having a life of his own, without going to the wrong side of the law, like his Ma.
Oh, honeys, that Ma Duncan! Just love her 50's Fashion regalia!!!!!!!!! She was dressed for any occasion, be it murder or luncheon! A true forerunner of Ann Gillette!!!!!!!!!!!
But I am saving the best for last! How unbelievable is this??????? Talk about not being able to make shit up!!!!!!!! Before Elizabeth had Olga killed, she decided to break up Frank's marriage, by having it annulled. So, she hired some unwitting young dupe to pose as her son, Frank (wonder who he was, and what he got out of the deal???) and herself posed, at 50 plus, looking as matronly as Nurse Ratched, as the 25-year-old attractive Olga Kupczyk!!!!!! And the dumb lawyer they went to, bought it!!!!!!!!!! He should have been disbarred!!!!!!!!! Or at least had his eyes checked!!!!!!!!!!! There is no way Elizabeth could ever pass for 25!!!!!!!!!! I do a better job at that right now, loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That Ma Duncan was just too much!!!!!!!!! No wonder she is so fascinating. I can envision a Broadway musical built around this whole thing, with the great Lois Smith playing Elizabeth!!!!!!!!! What a feast for us Theater Queens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, lambs, when Mother's Day rolls around, next May, no matter what Mother issues you may have, thank your lucky stars she was not Elizabeth Duncan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Frank liked doing his mom.... She trained him that it was okay and normal. So, he boinked away and at some point learned it was wrong and put it out of his mind. Speculation of course, but it is what my gut says.
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ReplyDeleteBix Ana,
Thank you, but I don't need any
help. I am doing just fine, dear!