Fashion in Film Blogathon: *The Way We Wore* by Marsha Hunt

I’ve been looking forward to the Fashion in Film blogathon for a while now. Admiring the beautiful clothes worn in old movies is just one of the many reason I enjoy classic cinema. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time you probably know that I often make note of the costumes in my reviews. I was originally going to just choose a film and showcase some of the outfits in it that I liked, but instead I decided to talk about a book—not a movie—that profiles some wonderful styles from the 1930s and 1940s. I hope this is acceptable for a film blogathon. I thought it might be excused since so much of the book talks about, well, fashion in film!
The Way We Wore is a beautiful coffee table book (though I read it cover-to-cover) by model, singer, and actress of stage and screen Marsha Hunt. In case you are not familiar with her, here is a little more about Miss Hunt, courtesy of IMDb:

“Stardom somehow eluded this vastly gifted actress. Had it not perhaps been for her low-level profile compounded by her McCarthy-era blacklisting in the early 1950s, there is no telling what higher tier of stardom Marsha Hunt might have reached. Perhaps her work was not flashy enough, too subdued, or perhaps her intelligence too often disguised a genuine sex appeal to stand out among the other lovelies. Two studios, Paramount in the late 30s and MGM in the early 40s, failed to complete her star. Nevertheless, her talent and versatility cannot be denied. This glamorous, slimly handsome leading lady offered herself to well over 50 pictures during the 1930s and 1940s alone.”

Now approaching her 94th birthday, Marsha is still alive and active. She continues to work for charity causes and make public appearances (sometimes giving interviews at film festivals and the like).

This book was published in 1993 and is a comprehensive volume that profiles Marsha’s career and showcases the styles and trends of the ‘30s and ‘40s. There are a lot of interesting stories stories—from her experiences in a USO tour in the Artic, to meeting President and Mrs. Roosevelt—and anecdotes about what day-to-day life was like for a starlet during the studio era. Later on, she describes her experience of being blacklisted and her successful stage career that followed.

The bulk of the volume is comprised of film stills and glamour portraits with anecdotes and information interspersed throughout. One of the great things about this book is that it feels very personal—like you are just enjoying tea with Marsha and she is sharing all her stories with you. She also recalls stuff with incredible detail and her great appreciation of fashion comes through in the way she describes the colors and fabrics of the outfits. The accompanying captions really bring the black-and-white photos to life. Needless to say, Marsha has impeccable style herself, and even designed some of the outfits featured in this book.

While many of the photos are of the author, there are also a lot of screen stills of co-stars that include the likes of Ava Gardner, Greer Garson, Margaret O’Brien, Gregory Peck, June Allyson, Susan Hayward, Lana Turner, Ray Milland, Van Heflin, Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly, William Powell, and many more. Not all of these stars are pictured in the book, but the majority of them are.

There are also sections of the book that profile a certain topic, such as the Hollywood Canteen, cars, shoes, makeup, hats, hairstyles, etc. (See slideshow further down for examples.)

If you’ve ever wondered what daily life was like for a young starlet during the most glamorous era of Hollywood, or if you are just interested in vintage fashions, this book is for you. It is now out of print, so you may have trouble finding it. If you’d like to read it but can’t find any affordable copies online, I would recommend seeing if you can interloan it through your library system, which is what I did. (What, oh what, would I do with out ILL!)

To give you a better idea what it’s like, I’ve made a slideshow that features some pictures of pages from the book.

It seems that some of the slides don’t line up just right with the text. If you are having trouble with that (or if the images seem to small), click here for an easier viewing format. You should also be able to zoom in if you want to read the text.

Though some of the clothes may seem dated (and I believe Marsha even admits this), many are surprisingly accessible for fashion-lovers today. But while style may come and go, the things that Miss Hunt embodies in this book—pose, elegance, good character, grace, and beauty—are timeless.

This post is my entry in the Fashion in Film Blogathon hosted by The Hollywood Revue. I can’t wait to see what everyone else posts about!

The Thrill of It All (1963)

July 29, 2011

65. The Thrill of It All (1963)

Starring Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis, Edward Andrews
Directed by Norman Jewison

Plot: "A doctor tries to cope with his wife's newfound stardom as an advertising pitch woman." (from TCMDb)

This movie is really silly, and it wasn’t one of my favorites, but I will concede that it’s quite amusing.

Doris Day is fun as usual and her Jean Louis wardrobe alone is worth viewing the movie for (thus so many screen caps of what she’s wearing!). There were some fun cameos in this and lots of familiar character actors—Zasu Pitts (pictured above), Carl Reiner (who also was one of the writers of the screenplay), Reginald Owen (he was hilarious as Old Tom Fraleigh), Alice Pearce (also in Bewitched), Bernie Kopell (Get Smart!) and Hayden Rourke (I Dream of Jeannie) among others.

This isn't bad entertainment, but it lacks a certain sparkle...or something. I can't quite put my finger on just what.

Content advisory: A bit of crass humor and some mild language. Both unwarranted and unnecessary, though minor.



Doris modeling more flawless ‘60s fashion.



The kids in this were kind of funny when they weren’t being annoying. :) You may recognize the little girl from her role as Gretel in The Sound of Music. She was adorable!



The film’s humor poked at the advertising world was quite funny. I also love Doris’ outfit here (and the set!).



One of Beverly’s few hobbies is canning their own ketchup. The moment where her husband (James Garner) finds her and Mike (Elliot Reid) in the basement is probably one of the funnier moments. Garner’s line delivery is just so perfect. Other than that scene, though, I found Garner rather hit-and-miss with the comedy. It wasn’t awful, but it makes me appreciate what Rock Hudson did. It’s not easy to carry off this type of comedy and make it work!





Arlene Francis is a woman who has finally conceived and she and her husband are elated. (Don’t worry, I’m really not giving much away because this is revealed about one minute into the film—even before the opening credits roll.) It’s a little hard to accept that Francis (56 at the film’s release) is young enough to even have a baby, though! Edward Andrews as Francis’ husband was was way too over the top in this, especially near the end.




Love her outfit!

One thing I really did not get about this movie was why Gerald (Garner) went to such lengths to make his wife jealous. There was this big plot buildup and then it went absolutely nowhere. I’m still puzzled about that.

More photos…

…and CUT! 

That Funny Feeling (1965)

Mar. 11, 2011

44. That Funny Feeling (1965)

Starring Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, Donald O'Connor

Directed by Richard Thorpe

Plot: "Joan Howell, a young and pretty maid-for-hire, meets and begins dating wealthy New York City businessman Tom Milford. Embarrassed about bringing him back to her tiny apartment that she shares with her roommate Audrey, Joan brings Tom over to a fancy apartment that she cleans on a daily basis not knowing that it's his place. Tom plays along with the charade despite not knowing who Joan really is, while she tries to tidy up Tom's place not knowing who he really is." (from IMDb. Whew! Long synopsis! )

The premise of this movie is pretty ridiculous, and it relies on the usual comedy shtick of mistakan identity. Yet somehow this film still comes across as amusing and enjoyable. There are a lot of little gags and scenarios that remind me of a Rock/Doris comedy (even more so than If a Man Answers). Bobby Darin's character gets a bigger role in this one, and he even has a Tony Randall-like sidekick (flawlessly and hilariously played by Donald O'Connor). There are also a scattering of many other familiar character actors that kept popping up as cab drivers, policemen, bartenders, roommates, etc. Again, one of the main things that I loved about this film was the stunning Jean Louis wardrobe worn by Sandra Dee. I think I want to own just about every single thing she wore in this movie! Of the two Darin/Dee films I've seen recently, I think I preferred If a Man Answers slightly more than this one. But they are both funny, escapist, feel-good films.

Here are a few screencaps to show off the great clothes I mentioned. As you can see, the DVD transfer was really great and the colors just pop of the screen.

If a Man Answers (1962)

Mar. 4, 2011

41. If a Man Answers (1962)

Starring Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, Micheline Presle, John Lund, Cesar Romero, Stefanie Powers

Directed by Henry Levin

Plot: “Rich socialite Sandra Dee meets and marries photographer Bobby Darin and attempts to ‘train’ him to be the perfect husband.” (from IMDb)

I thought this film was really cute. The plot is silly and outlandish, but it’s also original and entertaining. Although I would consider this in the Doris Day vein of comedy, Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin add a touch all their own to the genre. Sandra Dee, especially, was adorable in this role (she had a great wardrobe, too!). She has a very likable screen presence and a lot of comedic talent. I also loved the setting of this film—the sixties clothes, scenery, and décor is a treat in itself. I’m sure if someone really wanted to analyze this film they could find all kinds of problems with the messages presented. But I don’t think this genre wasn’t ever meant to be taken too literally. Personally, I just thought this film was a lot of fun! : )

 
Chantal (Sandra Dee) and Eugene (Bobby Darin) when they first meet.

 
Chantal (such a pretty name!) offers to cook dinner for the won’t-be-pinned-down bachelor.

 
This film also features a young Stefanie Powers in a minor role. Maybe it was just me, but at times she and Sandra looked like they belonged more in middle school than as a newlywed and an a actress, respectively.

 

 
I love the apartment!

 

Chantal’s mother (played by Micheline Presle) certainly had a lot of ‘interesting’ thoughts on marriage. Always amusing, though. :)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

 
Feb. 26, 2011

40. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)--REWATCH

Starring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen
Directed by Blake Edwards

Plot: "A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building." (from IMDb)

****MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS****

I first saw this quite a few years back and I remember thinking it was very strange. I decided to give it a second look. While I'm glad I rewatched it, I still wouldn't count it as one of my favorites. There are things I really like about the film--such as the stylish clothes and settings, the beautiful score, and Audrey's genuine performance. Mostly, however, I find this film to be quite overrated. Capote or no Capote, to me the story seems rather weak and superficial. I also have to mention (you knew this was coming) that Mr. Yunioshi (Mickey Rooney) really bothers me. Any scene he is in makes me want to bang my head against a table. Although his character is especially offensive, he's not the only crude caricature in this film. Although the themes are serious enough, many of the characters seem like little more than cartoons. In my opinion, that kind of detracts from the genuineness and believability of the movie. Though I suppose some people just find that charming or humorous. I do feel like the ending message of how we sometimes 'build our own cages in search of freedom' is a good one, but the muddled path getting there detracted from any ultimate merit.

Other things…

I liked:

 
Holly’s tasseled earplugs. (I want a pair!)

The tub sofa (a bathtub sawed in half and used as a couch) featured in Holly’s apartment. I’ve never seen one of these before!

The fashion (of course), especially the black hat (above) and pink outfit (below).

Notice I did not include that iconic black dress.  Sometimes I feel like if I see one more coffee mug, t-shirt or poster with that image on it I will gag. Which is a shame, because it is an elegant ensemble. Just waaay, waaay, waaay overused. (I feel very much like Sarah does about Audrey Hepburn). /rant over

 
Moon River. I love the song and the way Audrey sings it. The rest of the Oscar-winning soundtrack is also a highlight.

The Tiffany’s salesman, played by John McGiver. His dry, verbose delivery is quite hilarious. One of the few actually-funny-and-amusing moments in the film.

In addition to what I noted in my review, I also disliked:

• That they stole stuff. Even if it was just two masks. I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to steal something just to have a good time. :P
• I didn’t really think watching people get drunk was really that entertaining or funny. I actually found it rather distasteful.

As you can see, it was mostly only the minor elements of the film (music, costumes) that I liked. The plot and characters really fell flat for me.

What are your thoughts on Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Do you love it, hate it, or fall somewhere in-between?