Shirley MacLaine to Torment the Dowager Countess on Downton

Shirley MacLaine== Opening Night Arrivals for “Catch Me If You Can�== Neil Simon Theatre, NYC== April 10, 2011== ©Patrick McMullan== photo - Sylvain Gaboury/PatrickMcMullan.com== == Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan

Oh, that’s right, Dame Maggie is going to have some real competition come season three. Shirley MacLaine just signed on to play Martha Levinson, Cora’s American mother and intended rival to the Dowager Countess. A MacLaine-Maggie face-off! This is fantastic! There are going to be some very real flower discussions held in the near future. (How would Shirley MacLaine decorate for a first communion?) Also, of course, many, many jokes at America’s expense. Don’t hold back, Violet. Our game faces are on.