Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Cinema Tuesdays {How To Marry A Millionaire}

My love for vintage clothing, particularly the Fifties silhouette, started when I first saw this film when I was four. I can't remember exactly why it appealed to me so much, but I think it was because I wanted to play dress up in their pretty dresses.
I love the idea of wearing a navy circle dress with a pink crinoline, but have yet to find either of them. I also love Lauren Bacall's tailored suit and how she used it in order to get the apartment with no questions or references asked. Has anyone else noticed that none of the three leads wear red lipstick in this film, even though it was Marilyn's signature colour?

Very few people can pull off wearing mustard, but brown is such a complementary colour, don't you think?
I love Marilyn's corset dressing gown.
What do you think of Miss Gable's dress? I've never really liked it, but I can see why she was only able to secure a date with a married man.
How long did it take you to spot that Blinky was a rogue and didn't deserve Marilyn's fantastic dress?
Miss Bacall's gown is one of my favourite gowns in all of film history, mostly because I can see myself being able to wear it.
Remember when the world's perception of Arabia used to look like this? It may be an exotic stereotype, but it's generally a nicer view then what exists now.
Yay! Fashion show! Not as long as the one in The Women, but a random fashion show is always welcome. You should read Miss Bacall's account in her autobiography of what it was like to work as a mannequin in a design house.
Buttons up the back must be brought back -prevents one's hairdo from ruin.
I covet the blouse and the hat, but in a different colour.



My favourite dress in the entire film! Which outfit is your favourite?
I don't know why she thought that he was a gas pump jockey. He'd have to have a lot of money in order to walk in and ask for a fashion show in a hideous jacket and with no tie.
I miss train travel and stocking caps.

I once copied this dress for my Barbie to wear.

Favourite line: "Nobody's mother lives in Atlantic City on a Saturday."
Marilyn could have had a lengthy and trouble free career if she had stuck to just being a comedienne instead of trying to be seen as a serious actress. She was such a fine, natural comedienne and this is one of her best roles.
Let's hear it for girls who wear glasses! Don't you think it would be nice to be called a strudel at least once in your lifetime?
I've come to the conclusion that a separate, pretty hood is quite practical in the winter.
I love it when films show the casual, lying around the house look, but still dressed up enough in order to answer the door or the phone.

Has anyone else sat at the counter, eating a hamburger with a fur coat draped around your shoulders, or is that just me?
How cool are these shelves? With the Peter Pan collar, way cool!
I think her dress is quite plain, but I love her wrap. It combines two of my favourite clothing notions -pockets and fur.
Wedding scenes are great for hat inspiration and I love Dingo's flowered one.
One of Marilyn's more subtle outfits and the hat is a great alternative to the traditional veil.
Who would you pick? The gas pump jockey or William Powell?

And now, fun with location and interior shots:
I also miss ocean travel. Such an adventure and would now take as long as it takes to clear security at the airport.
I also miss neon. Did you know that when Vancouver was a smaller, but cooler city, we had around 18 000 neon signs?
A very masculine cabin -a vision in brown, dead animals and unfinished wood.
I like how the apartment is furnished, but I'd much rather have brighter colours. How about you?
The furniture disappearing and reappearing is my favourite part of the movie.
Did you know that they used to have clear hatboxes? I'd never noticed this before.
When air travel used to be more civilized.

This looks much healthier than fast food "restaurants" and having a burger made by hand with actual fresh ingredients is well worth the extra expense.
Funniest scene in the movie!
If you were Schatze, who would you pick: William Powell or the gas pump jockey?


4 comments:

Franca said...

I'm putting that film on my lovefilm list now!

Sally Tharpe Rowles said...

I love all these old photos & love that someone so young, as yourself,cares so much about these wonderful vintage fashions. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

William Powell, but then I've been in love with him since I first saw The Thin Man when I was around 10 years old.

Millie Motts said...

I've not ever been a big Marilyn Monroe fan, but the "glasses" scene is one of my all-time favorites!