722
Steiner Street at Grove (turreted house of the left) is the stepchild
of Postcard Row, which usually
refers to the six Queen Anne Victorians at 710-720 Steiner. Detail |
As Jan, Glenn Close
is possessed by the ghost of Maxie, a might-have-been starlet whose
big audition was interrupted by a car crash in the late 1920s. Jan works
as a secretary at Grace Cathedral. When she
and husband Nick (Mandy Patinkin) move into the house at the end
of Postcard Row, they quickly discover the ghost of Maxie Malone. The flapper
is also played by Carole Lombard in an uncredited silent film clip. Working
out some unfinished business through Jan, Maxie goes shopping at the Crocker
Galleria. The 1985 comedy/drama truly stinks. At least it serves as
a record of the card catalog room at the old
Main Library. Valerie Curtin is Nick's sexually harassing library boss.
The last half reaches unexpected levels of preposterousness when Maxie gets
an audition, an acting job, and is cast as the next Cleopatra - all in 48
hours. Considered a camp classic by some, Maxie was directed by Paul Aaron
and also stars Ruth Gordon. While her role here is nothing special, Gordon
is a San Francisco favorite for her performance as Maude in Harold
and Maude.
More
about Maxie |