Ann-Margret - have you ever felt this way about a star?

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A few days ago I discovered Ann-Margret and since then it's like I've wanted to cry every day. Has anyone here had that reaction to a movie star or singer?

This is totally not like me. I don't care about movies. or singers. But maybe it's my mid life crisis, maybe it's the autism, maybe it's everything else going on in my life, but everything about her performance in "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Viva Las Vegas" is the most desirable, beautiful, exciting thing I have ever seen. Beyond words! I keep watching her most famous song, on a loop, and every gesture, every syllable, is like heroin to me. I have to write about it or I'll go mad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t3cBTb3xPc


Is it her mouth? I read somewhere that autistic people prefer mouths, and that's certainly true for me. Is it the innocence, the confidence, the staccato passion of her dancing? Her strong voice, her accent, her smile (that smile!!) Everything about her grabs some part of my brain makes it light up like the sun!

But the thing is, it makes me incredibly sad.

Because that Ann-Margret only existed for those two movies. Sure, she danced and sang after, but not like that. I've watched everything I can find of her since then, and it's different. The next few movies they make her wear high heels, so she couldn't dance in such a crazy free way. And they didn't make use of her voice as much. What a voice!! !! Such a perfect voice. After that she just did regular acting.

She's still divine, beautiful, a great actor, great singer, lovely voice, but the young Ann-Margret is gone forever. It's like we all live in hell, and we saw a window into heaven, and then it was closed again. But unlike heaven it can never come back. Tastes change, people age, all that exists of that Ann-Margret is a few minutes of film. it is torture to know that person can never exist again.

I suppose it's an autistic thing, the need for things to be RIGHT. I saw something perfect. Finally, all rthat I have ever desired. And she can never come back. We have to go back to the darkness. What is the point of anything since we can never have that again?

I wish I had never discovered her, and knowing she was here briefly and is gone forever breaks my heart. It makes ordinary life even harder to bear.

Has anyone else felt that way about a singer or movie star? Not just the mad infatuation but the crushing sense of despair?

I think I might know what you're saying, as I feel incredibly saddened every time I watch "Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii", and choke-back tears because he was so gorgeous, and so talented, and soulful. That "Viva Las Vegas" movie is my most favorite of Elvis'.

Ann-Margaret was VERY cool, I agree!! There's just something about her..... I guess one would call it "sex-appeal", or just that she's just super feminine, maybe----she was GREAT in that movie, and I can certainly see why people thought Elvis and she had something going-on (and STILL think that). I don't think I've ever heard anything about Aspies liking mouths; but, for ME, it's her EYES----and, I'm a GIRL----but, she just EXUDES serenity, I think!!

As for you saying "she's gone"----she's still LIVING----unless, you meant that YOUNG Ann-Margaret can never return. You CAN see her in "The Santa Clause 3". She sings about 2 lines; but, that VOICE is STILL there----and, those eyes and mouth, her carriage, etc.----she looks really good for her age. I think the scene with her talking to Jack Frost, you'll play over and over!!

(I can't watch your video clip because I still have Dial-up Internet, so I can't comment on what's on there.)

Thanks for the reply. Yes, those early Elvis movies were something else! And I think they were made for each other in Viva Las Vegas.

Yes, Ann is still here (I am very tempted to write a fan letter, but according to her fan site she doesn't do email so I'd need to write an actual paper letter - more classy). But she had to change as the movie roles changed. Her later roles seem more restrained. She has spoken about her year with Elvis, but is far too classy to give any details. I wonder if that experience made her a little more serious? There's a wild, carefree side in those first movies that isn't in the later ones.

I think partly she wanted to focus on acting more than singing, but mainly I just think she didn't get the right roles. That to me is a huge tragedy. They used to call her "the female Elvis" because she had such a strong voice: there is nothing better than seeing her sing and dance and act at the same time. But there seem to be fewer dancing musicals from the mid 1960s, and she had to take ordinary roles instead.

And I come back to the footwear: after those first two movies she had to pay more elegant roles, all wearing high heels. She could not be as wild and free in high heels. (OK, there was one movie where she dances on a sandy beach, but who can dance on soft sand? Again it restricts what you can do.)

If you look at those first two movies and look at her moves, she wore flatter footwear and was so natural, she went wherever the mood took her, so passionate, earthy, exciting. But if you dance that way in high heels you get a twisted ankle! I miss that wild exuberance. Even in her stage shows she wore heels, it seems like that was what people wanted. But they really limit your dancing: she still danced wonderfully well, but couldn't have the free spontaneous spirit, the sudden wild unplanned movements that made her unique (and would break your ankle if wearing heels).

I really miss the young Ann-Margret.

Sorry to keep going on about it. I really appreciate this message board as I can say what I really feel and people understand.