I meant to post about this when it happened but things got away from me. When I imagine the shapely Neels heroines with a little sauce to them I picture Maureen O'Hara who is gorgeous and timeless and so jolly-looking that one couldn't take exception to it.
Here is an informal interview with her long-time screen love interest John Wayne.
Here is a fantastic episode of This Is Your Life--I'm always struck by how much she wants to help an interviewer get the best out of her. She is Maureen-FREAKING-O'Hara but she's so excited to do this!
Anyway, I don't have too much to add except to say that so much of my interests as a teenager were shaped by the classic films I'd watch after school (not for me the preachy, eye-rolling After School Specials on network TV) on AMC and TCM which made me highly susceptible to The Great Betty when I stumbled across her.
Favorites include The Quiet Man, The Parent Trap and The Spanish Main (where her love interest is a DUTCH pirate!)
