Marc Huestis presents Rutanya Alda's "MOMMIE DEAREST" DIARY

Marc Huestis presents MOTHER'S DAY WITH MOMMIE DEAREST event at SF's historic Castro Theatre.The behind the scenes craziness of filming MOMMIE DEAREST is given in a hysterical first hand account by actress Rutanya Alda "Carol Ann" - reading from her diaries written on the set while shooting the camp classic.

[@jherrerajr4957]

I know Rutanya Alda well enough to know that she's far from bitter. This is part of her Life and she has graced all of us with Insight on one of the most iconic movies in history.

[@timmy2024]

In her 1971 book My Way of Life, Joan Crawford stated: "Of all the actresses, to me, only Faye Dunaway has the talent and the class and the courage it takes to make a real star." I wonder if she still thinks so (from the grave).

[@Garsons-oq4lh]

Wrong. It was Conversations with Joan Crawford although the validity of book is in question.

[@joesmith-es5kc]

An elegant raconteur telling insanely funny stories!

[@richarddeleon8601]

What a way to start a Monday morning while getting ready for work.

[@michaelbendall3652]

Rutanya Alda is a class act.

[@larrydirtybird]

Hey people on this comment thread-- leave Rutanya alone. She is a very nice person. And Faye Dunaway has a reputation for being a mean bitch. I've known make-up artists who say she is a horror to work for, and it's been said by others in the industry too. She deserves to have Rutanya dish on her.

[@plato12000]

I enjoyed this SO MUCH! So entertaining! Thanks for posting!

[@roberta.lofgrenjr.7485]

She was funny Rutanya.

[@michaelsx2]

Brava! This is exactly the kind of material movie fanatics want! Fabulous!

[@cliff9685]

I love Rutanya! The only honest person from Mommie Dearest with a sense of humor who embraces the film and its legacy. I will be purchasing her book! Rutanya should do a one woman show and go on tour! Please come to CT! If Christina Crawford can do a one woman show called Surviving Mommie Dearest than Rutanya, a woman with actual talent and real inside scoop would have one hell of a show!!!!!!!

[@hansweinner2632]

diana scarwid also has a pretty good sense of humor about it.

[@micesuhenderson2342]

Hanns W. So does Mara Hubel

[@geupelboi]

I don't think she seems resentful or bitter at all. She has a sense of humor and she's sharing her stories, making people laugh. She has no problem. I think she seems very likeable.

[@michaeldishler9673]

after reading the comments I will just put it this way - Faye Dunaway was Wonderful in MOMMIE DEAREST" wonderful

[@brt5273]

OMG! What fun!!!

[@scratch5191]

Priceless.

[@michaeldishler9673]

that was so Hollywood - loved it that was great - thank you

[@jamesjspero]

I loved this! So much fun to watch! Rutanya looks amazing! Faye should have jumped on board for this.

[@TomYaz]

Faye tried to recently .. after the book was released and it started to make $

[@RobertoLorenzPianist]

Best 13 minutes of my life! xD

[@ispeakdoll]

This is fabulous! I love this actress! Crazy about this film (crazy operative word!). Have seen it a zillion times.

[@mikeysussex321]

I love Rutunya, i read her book and it's so funny. Lovely to see you Miss Alda.

[@jamesfox2579]

She's such a lovely woman!❤️

[@donspringstead1649]

She's a doll!!!

[@Guitarzzzzzzz173]

OMG, she is hilarious!

[@mad7fisher]

Rutanya talks about this in the diary Fay's boyfriend at the time was a london-based photographer not known well in the US. named Terry O'Neill ..on his own time, he took great pictures of Fay in full Joan Crawford makeup and hair... and then when the studio used it as promo material, Fay turned around and says Terry has to get credit (producer) credit for the pic I'm walking off the set... no one on the crew knew what was going on.... She was a good girlfriend LOL but they broke up unfortunately

[@bkynbiker19]

Fortunately, for Terry!

[@jpizzle990]

This was fabulous!

[@CaseyMorris-du7qv]

She is adorable!!😂❤

[@cookmymeat]

I didn't know her but I find her really endearing. Sure, Dunaway is an easy target, but the way she tells the story and never starts laughing before the audience does certainly shows a shy side to her and that shyness is endearing.

[@thomasmagnum3588]

“I think we should keep Carol Ann in the closet!” OMG and LOL ! What a great story teller she is, now I have to buy the book. My ex and I used to quote that movie ALL the time ; I hope one day Faye Dunaway will appreciate her legacy as much as Rutanya does!!

[@sha11235]

I gotta read this book.

[@donspringstead1649]

Did anyone else have trouble with the audio on this?

[@alisdairmckenzie]

Excellent!! I was laughing out loud. What a shame Faye doesn't come join in all the fun

[@jeffkiper8199]

Anyone remember that scene where Carol Ann says to Christina..."I don't know what your mother's going to do without you, when you leave. She'll be all alone." and Christina says very slowly, sinister like..." Don't you worry. She'll be alright. She always is." and Carol Ann has this horrified look like she's just seen a ghost or something. That cracks me up...LOL

[@Joy-qw3wm]

Omg!! this lady is SOOO funny!! Loved her in the movie ,and ,she was right! the "carole-ann" we saw devoted her life to Joan! bet Rutanya was the favourite actress on set!!:):)

[@JimmBailey]

This is actually quite funny! So what if she was reading from cue cards! These little anecdotes---especially the whole funeral with the Polaroid scene---are priceless. You know, I think Rutanya is the only one from this heated, disastrous and ultimately campy production who still cares to talk about it. Faye is going about it now as if the movie never existed. And I'm sure Diana Scarwid, Mara Hobel ("the 45-year old midget") and that poor kid who played Christopher (who was more or less in bondage during most of the film) have all but had this entire memory of the filming exorcised from their poor little brains!

[@Joy-qw3wm]

Hahahaha!! Couldn`t have put it better!!This lady is hysterical :)

[@homhable]

Diana Scarwid has spoken quite emotionally about the movie in the Making of from the early 2000's. She's proud of it despite everything.

[@tittyrexxx]

Both Faye and Joan are goddesses.

[@TheGuillermo519]

I think it was very interesting. Sounds like Faye was more Joan than Joan.

[@lindaeasley4336]

No wonder Joan wanted Faye to play her in a future movie about her life . Birds of a feather

[@rocketmahn1]

You are hysterical lady!

[@cinerama62]

Rutanya was also in the The Deer Hunter .

[@mikepaleo3856]

Koo Faye don't fuck with me fellas 😂😂😂😂

[@annette325]

Didn't Faye campaign for the role by showing up at Frank Yablans' house in full Joan makeup and hair?

[@johnjmcknightiii2964]

Love Miss Rutanya Alda she’s an amazing beautiful soul ❤

[@windstorm1000]

that's a confirmation--thank you. and if anybody knows the stars and their behavior its the hair and makeup people.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Alda is fine, she's making the best of a bad movie situation. This was a movie that should have had potential- but it was buggered somewhere. JC is played on two speeds- smooth, charming Joan or unhinged, crazy broad Joan...she's not human, but a cartoon character.

[@WLM596]

She's wondering ❤😂

[@rolls-royceowner1108]

I like Rutanya Alda in "Black Widow"! She helped to capture Theresa Russell's character role of the Black Widow!

[@prettylagoon]

What part? I don't remember

[@rolls-royceowner1108]

@@prettylagoon She played the character named Irene.

[@BostonMarcus]

This is delicious!

[@hostesshue]

the reason for the cutting to longshots is that there were significant cuts to the reading to get rid of flubs and to fiit within the length of youtube rules. otherwise there would have been jumpcuts and would be very choppy and disconcerting to the viewer. and when I'm annoyed by something I din't continue watching.

[@notnek202]

Bette Davis said Faye Dunaway was very unprofessional when they worked together.

[@bkynbiker19]

adding (to Johnny Carson) .. "and anyone you put in this chair will tell you exactly the same thing." Ha!

[@algoyo]

When I told you to call me that I wanted you to mean it.

[@samanthanickson6478]

I AM NOT ONE OF YOUR FANS!

[@KingTriton1837]

Samantha Nickson Take down that BITCH of a bearing wall and put a window, where it ought to be!!!!!!

[@algoyo]

Samantha Nickson BARBARA PLEASE!

[@KingTriton1837]

algoyo​​ WHY DID YOU TELL HER I GOT EXPELLED?!... BECAUSE YOU DID GET EXPELLED! Lol! 

[@algoyo]

Hazafan88 Xtina got expelled for letting a boy explore her lady garden when she was 11.

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

Rutanya Alda in "Amityville Horror:The Posession"

[@sp2435]

She’s so young

[@laceywalker9654]

Fay had to stay in character, what did she expect ??????

[@bkynbiker19]

Think you mean 'Faye' ...

[@windstorm1000]

Faye could throw her weight around--she sometimes played up the diva image to the detriment of her co-stars. During an earlier movie she kept 20,000 extras waiting around all morning in Denver heat while she swilled champagne in a limo. And guess who kept the crowd entertained before Queen Faye showed up? Bette Davis!!

[@BujoldComa78]

She's hilarious.

[@MrCWells3000]

She's not "trying to make fun of Faye", she's telling her experience of making the film. As amazing as FD is, it's well known that she's a narcissistic pain in the ass. And as for this woman being "bland" and "not there"- that's nonsense. She is exactly what she looks like: a working actor with a wicked sense of humor and an ironic appreciation for the absurdities of the entertainment industry.

[@fountainchain126]

Wow she is a RIOT! An accidental messy queen! Love her 😭

[@samtoucan1346]

Found this frustrating to watch because Rutanya was constantly looking down at her notes. She has these memories, but needs notes to remind her? I think it is disrespectful for one actor to pay out on another actor to get laughs. Disappointed.

[@larrydirtybird]

She was reading from her diary, so actually, she had a lot of eye contact with the audience and didn't look down that much. It was a reading and billed that way; it was not an impromptu speech.

[@macbeebee]

Faye Dunaway is a good actress but a complete egomaniac according to everyone who has ever worked with her. But it wouldnt keep me from watching her films because her offscreen personality has nothing to do with her work. A lot of people in Hollywood have egos larger than their talent.

[@slc2466]

Yep, it's what's on the screen that counts, and Faye is a major talent- she may have been a pain on the set, but she delivered big-time as far as performance goes in "Mommie Dearest."

[@theexmann]

Maybe, but she doesn't make the movie by herself. There are a lot of talented people who are not egomaniacs as well. I'd rather support someone who wasn't an egomaniac with my hard earned disposable cash.

[@kumada84]

9:00 😡 Could you leave, please? 🤨 You're RIGHT in my eyeline 😡

[@Lar308]

She has to be bad to be singled out as such by Bette Davis in an interview she once did. But all the same I love Faye Dunaway as an actress. She was ideal for the role in mummy dearest - perhaps she is even a more extreme modern day version of Joan Crawford without the child abuse?

[@jeffkiper8199]

I read that Faye Dunaway wasn't happy with her performance in "Mommie Dearest" because she felt the director should have reined back her over the top acting. I heard that's why she won't discuss the film in interviews.

[@gordonhall752]

That movie and Dunaway were a death knell to the career of one of the most beautiful and most talented actresses the Silver Screen had ever known. Mommie Dearest had nothing to with truth, it was high camp. Faye Dunaway should have been ashamed of herself for the accolades on which Joan lavished her before Crawford's death. Dunaway's an impossible cunt.

[@gordonhall752]

algoyo You got the first part right anyway...

[@algoyo]

Gordon Hall Oooh I am glad.

[@GINGERALER]

Faye a "nobody"?? Sorry but Faye Dunaway is a household name, everybody knows her name. Who the hell would know who Rutanya Alda is? Now THERE'S the 'nobody'

[@FervAnimalLover]

Faye Dunaway a household name? Are you kidding? Maybe if you're over the age of 70...

[@harty4653]

Faye Dunaway definitely wasn't a nobody. She was one of the greatest actresses of all time and if people don't know her name, that's their problem

[@blackmarketlightbulbs6321]

Vertical-slit Pupil at 0:33

[@terry4137]

Who the hell is she? What character did she play? I saw it, didn’t see her unless she was the child.

[@bkynbiker19]

She's in it from beginning to end. Guess you weren't paying much attention

[@lenwilson3707]

So Bette Davis & Roman Polanski weren't kidding about Faye is only for Faye, keeps cast & crew waiting for hours, delays for hours is completely unprofessional to all coworkers & is a gigantic pain in the azz.

[@DentalTech1000]

Great stuff by Rutanya, nearly made unwatchable by the editing. What's the deal with all the closeup/longshot/closeup/longshot/etc etc mixed with film clips. Very annoying. JUST LET HER TALK.

[@brettsomers]

My friend drove her. She seemed an angry harpy.

[@bkynbiker19]

Faye? Or Rutanya? I'm assuming you meant the former, but maybe not...?

[@rah62]

I guess when one no longer has their D-career, one trashes those who achieved better.

[@FervAnimalLover]

Probably has more money than you do.... Also, Faye was just fired from a play for assaulting a crew member. So there you go.... There's more evidence for you.

[@bkynbiker19]

@@FervAnimalLover And hasn't worked since ..

[@OasisJones]

3:28 Faye, uh Joan

[@sigmundgrizli2896]

It's hard to tell why her work is bad in MD,on the outside everything looks fine,she had convincing look in her eyes,the tears were real,her anger was effective but I guess you also have to be sharp,in Network she was sharp as an razor,here she was just a mess (not just her character,but her acting also),and the good film critic can see the difference,so she couldn't fool them,but it's hard to put her in the same box with Adam Sendler or Hilary Duff or some other razzie award winners because A.She has HUGE talent B.She is the queen of charisma and personality C.Like I said she is extremely effective in this movie...that's why there are terms like ''camp'' and ''cult-clasic'' wich describes her role,because it's not ''bad'',like many roles acted by so many faceless actors and actresses today.

[@megaswenson]

Too much work for ME. Between the lousy acoustics of the room, and the rustling noises near the microphone (Was the person recording this having to do battle with a giant pigeon or something?), I couldn't really make out what was being said (the speaker's enunciation was less than stellar, too).

[@rah62]

You're kidding, right? Maybe if you just sat and *listened*.

[@code3matt1]

I don't know much about Faye Dunaway other than she's a great actress.She may be the awful person Ru is talking about but I'm hoping Faye partially acted this way to stay in character as it would be hard to turn Joan Crawford on and off..I love Hollywood history and stories like this.find a death dot com is a fun web site to read about Hollywood deaths

[@bkynbiker19]

She wasn't 'just' staying in character. She was impossible in "Chinatown" and in that one her character is demure, mysterious, quiet and alluring. Although to be fair Jack Nicholson said he got along fine with her

[@OasisJones]

3:32

[@jaymesguy239]

Oh, relax, Alexis! She was funny, and I'm sure she suffered at least a bit from Faye's antics, as her stories would suggest. In any event, this view of Faye certainly would NOT interfere with the fans' enjoyment of the movie and isn't that what Joan was like in her own way, a movie queen who ruled the roost on set? Would we expect any less from Faye, considering her stature and the quality of her previous work?

[@kauanamaral1654]

?

[@OasisJones]

6:20

[@gialamotta1957]

Lmao. I got her book. The Mommie Dearest Diary

[@edwardjames50]

Rutanya Alda's only claim to fame is her miniscule role in "MD". Like Christina, she ought to do what the rest of us had to do in life, and go and get a job.

[@erik5222]

Rafael Storm And loser you have NO CLAIM TO FAME AT ALL LOSER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@edwardjames50]

Erik Exner I use it only for people who fit the negative stereotype. Get it? Like Bette Davis queens.

[@taraniso]

Rafael Storm But Rutanya was in this film - and you weren't. Dunaway queens are so spiteful.

[@edwardjames50]

taraniso I have no desire to have been in it. Rutanya Alda fans are such queens.

[@edwardjames50]

Twaddles McGee I laugh at many things, including people who go by the name of Twaddles. And I can laugh uproariously AT Alda, a has-been minor actress reduced to attempting stand-up comedy, but I can't laugh WITH her feeble attempts at plumbing humor at someone else's expense. I had an ex-friend who only laughed when someone else was the butt of alleged humor, which is symptomatic of a bitter individual, so when you point a finger at ME, remember the other four are pointing at YOU. "Twaddles," LMAO! Is that a twat that waddles?

[@8angst8]

This was painful to watch. (I quit after 5 minutes.) Like listening to a speaker hired for a corporate sales event. Incredibly boring speaker, incredibly phony laughter.

[@jeanandbilly]

It was unpleasant for me too. Who is this woman compared to Faye. What is the point in this trashing except for desperate attention. And the laughter does indeed sound phony. No matter what all this woman's apologists say she still sounds like a meanie. Move on Ru!

[@FervAnimalLover]

LOL she is a meanie? Faye was just fired from a play for assaulting the crew so there you go....... There's mean for you

[@rolls-royceowner1108]

Faye Dunaway had become a 'diva-legend in her own mind' and was very hard to work with. Just ask the behind the scenes staff for the play "Tea At Five" from which Faye was fired for her 'diva-syndrome'! We had tickets for this cancelled performance. Faye threw food, attacked the make-up artists and hair stylists becoming the supreme pain-in-the ass! People feared for their lives - seriously. Faye tried to coin a routine such as Bette Davis; however, Bette earned her 'diva-rights' thru hard work and admiration. Faye DEMANDED to be queen bee therefore got shut down. I was crazy about Faye before she became full of herself!

[@raecoyote]

Pathetic that she would feel the need to get attention by trashing Dunaway.... I would feel so embarrassed & small...

[@gloriaswanson8024]

Or, people were curious about what the experience of shooting that movie was like, and she told them. It's not her job to protect Dunaway from the consequences of her own behavior, or keep secrets for her.

[@girliboi]

this was an event at the castro theatre in san francisco so i'm sure the audience was filled with gay fans who worship faye dunaway in that film.. there's this thing called a sense of humor, so she was giving the fans what they wanted; a few funny little behind the scenes stories of working on the set.. i think she was being truthful, but you can tell she's joking, so i could hardly say this was "vicious" or "small".. when marc huestis flies stars in for screenings of cult films at the castro, they know what's expected of them (again, it's called a sense of humor, look into it).

[@raecoyote]

Gloria Swanson ... BS! This woman is known for trashing Faye Dunaway ... I hope FD is howling with laughter at the fact that this woman feels the need to trash her over & over again in hopes to stay relevant even remotely... sad

[@raecoyote]

fr3@kb!+¢h ... I think not ... the humor would be FD laughing her ass of at poor Carol Ann here ... there’s nothing funny about this woman continually trashing FD .... I don’t care how many catty queens were in the audience rolling in the aisles .... It’s still trash.

[@bkynbiker19]

@@raecoyoteSomehow I don't think Faye Dunaway "howls with laughter" much - if ever ...

[@BoyKanaan]

What a pethetic career this woman has

[@DA90027]

Ivan Kanaan at least she is funny Ivan Whackinoff

[@Davey74Boy]

I don't think the "real" Joan Crawford was nearly as bad as Faye Dunaway. Talk about EXTREMELY HIGH maintenance!!!!

[@theexmann]

The irony.

[@mikepaleo3856]

All those 3 films were box office FLOPS. Faye you screwed up Mommie Dearest you will always be remembered for and like that line in the movie I'm Not One Of Your FANS.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@makepeace234]

I can understand why Mara Hobel asked Alda all those questions. Alda was awful. Perhaps in other films she was o.k., but this was one of the worst performances I have ever seen. In M.D. she was to acting what Ed Wood was to writing/directing.

[@ChucksCherubs]

;)

[@SWSimpson]

Faye Dunaway is a scary monster, and was TERRIBLE in Mommie Dearest.

[@GEhotpants101]

Why? Because she was over the top...for an over the top character like Joan Crawford? No one has ever given me a good reason why she's so terrible in the role. I'm not really a big fan of her's but she honestly wasn't bad as Crawford.

[@cry-babywalker8735]

They she was terrible because she made Joan Crawford look exactly like Joan Crawford. GEhotpants101

[@algoyo]

O_o

[@edwardjames50]

I love how she claims that she (Alda) was "too pretty" in "MD". Really? What happened? She isn't CLOSE to being pretty now, except pretty ugly.

[@harty4653]

Haha. She claims Faye Dunaway was jealous of her beauty. What reason would Faye Dunaway have to be jealous of anyone's beauty? 🤷‍♂️

[@johnsax1445]

Bette Davis in her later years tole Johnny Carson of all the Actors she worked with in her long career, Faye Dunaway was the worst.

[@kathieseppi7823]

Faye Dunaway is a fabulous actress! it is too bad she messed with her beautiful face! i don not like this Rutanya at all!

[@ellDiavolo666]

Hopefully somebody will make a movie about Faye Dunaway :D Even though I luv her for her bitchyness

[@windstorm1000]

I disagree--the actress is pleasantly spicier and wittier than her bland character.

[@pouchfreeman]

this is tacky. but then everything about Mommie Dearest is tacky- so Rutanya Alda stumbling thru public speaking at the Castro - perfect.

[@johnboy32064]

“Many fans have written how impressed they are with Christina” - one of the worst delivered lines in the entire mess of a movie. Bless her heart.

[@DavidJul71]

I don't hear any trashing. She is just relating what happened. I am sure it was not funny then but you see the humor when you look back. "Won Razzies"? I think if you win one is being the best of the worst. I think the bigger victory would be in not "winning" one.

[@scorwitz]

What a horribly sad way to disgrace yourself as a professional in public. I guess her career didn't go well so she had to make a career off of being nasty to others. Guess she trumped Faye.

[@DA90027]

scorwitz Faye is a cunt always has been so what? At least Alda has a sense of humor I'd rather spend time around her than Faye anyday

[@ChucksCherubs]

Alright Faye, now get off the internet and go to bed. You have an audition in the morning. :P

[@jrbrook76]

She's an awful person to people I know who do her hair and makeup. That I do know.

[@OasisJones]

6:19