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Post by NoShear on Sept 8, 2023 15:48:26 GMT
In "High Sierra" Ida Lupino sports a bold beret, but sadly, despite neglecting the work that pays my bill for too long, this is the only picture of it I could find. As an aside, her role in "High Sierra" is one of my favorite roles of Lupino's. If this beret spotting continues, the question we are going to have to ask is if any female star of the classic era ever went through her entire career without sporting a beret at least once?
When I first saw your post here, Fading Fast, I wondered if you'd commented on Paper Lion - men's 1960s sweaters and dangerous streamlined helmets, but then was quickly reminded that you're still in your beret period.  |
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Post by Fading Fast on Sept 8, 2023 16:16:22 GMT
In "High Sierra" Ida Lupino sports a bold beret, but sadly, despite neglecting the work that pays my bill for too long, this is the only picture of it I could find. As an aside, her role in "High Sierra" is one of my favorite roles of Lupino's. If this beret spotting continues, the question we are going to have to ask is if any female star of the classic era ever went through her entire career without sporting a beret at least once?
When I first saw your post here, Fading Fast, I wondered if you'd commented on Paper Lion - men's 1960s sweaters and dangerous streamlined helmets, but then was quickly reminded that you're still in your beret period. |
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Post by BunnyWhit on Sept 8, 2023 18:23:54 GMT
It's ok, FadingFast. We all have our little obsessions, n'est-ce pas?
Here's Doris Day in a beret in Romance on the High Seas (1948)....
....and a Tam O'Shanter, the beret's Scottish cousin, in By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953).
My favorite beret story is from many years ago. At the college where I worked, the head of the art department chose the traditional doctoral tam to wear with his gown and hood each year at graduation. I don't know why others there never did so. They all chose mortarboards, which are dreadful. Anyway, Del wore long, snow-white hair and a full matching beard. In his custom made regalia, he looked just like a wizard. What a great guy he was.
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Post by kims on Sept 9, 2023 0:24:04 GMT
I wish you had a picture of the department head.
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Post by I Love Melvin on Sept 9, 2023 15:03:42 GMT
....and a Tam O'Shanter, the beret's Scottish cousin, in By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953).
This is the best picture I could find of Pat Boone's Tam O'Shanter in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). He wore it on the way up the mountain, but then the clothing started to come off as they got deeper into the earth. Those heavy tweed trousers got to be shorts by the end. ![]()  He also wore more formal headgear with a kilt to a formal dinner. Not sure what it would be called; something military-ish? Again, I couldn't find a better picture of the hat itself.  |
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Post by NoShear on Sept 9, 2023 16:22:04 GMT
When I first saw your post here, Fading Fast, I wondered if you'd commented on Paper Lion - men's 1960s sweaters and dangerous streamlined helmets, but then was quickly reminded that you're still in your beret period. Laughing, Fading Fast... If overcome, though, you've already placed my submission for me. |
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Post by Fading Fast on Sept 18, 2023 12:30:30 GMT
Yesterday, on Sunday Live! Don't be so Melodramatic, we watched "A Letter to Three Wives." At a picnic for a large group of kids, one of the town's wives, played by Linda Darnell, wore the below outfit.
I first thought of this thread because of the varsity sweater, which probably, in that era, was from an old boyfriend, but also wanted to point out the very 1950s grey sweatshirt she's wearing. Both would be drooled over by vintage clothing fans today. The scarf seems a bit off to me, but maybe the idea was it "feminized" the outfit a bit. It's hard to see here, but she's wearing black slacks not jeans, although big 1950s jeans would have been perfect, IMO.
Here's the best closeup of the sweatshirt I could find:
The movie, like most, has a ton of fun clothes (one could do a series of posts on the men's and women's overcoats alone), but I noted Darnell's outfit as it's less common to see examples of true "play" or casual clothes in movies from this era.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Sept 18, 2023 17:33:37 GMT
Yesterday, on Sunday Live! Don't be so Melodramatic, we watched "A Letter to Three Wives." At a picnic for a large group of kids, one of the town's wives, played by Linda Darnell, wore the below outfit.
I first thought of this thread because of the varsity sweater, which probably, in that era, was from an old boyfriend, but also wanted to point out the very 1950s grey sweatshirt she's wearing. Both would be drooled over by vintage clothing fans today. The scarf seems a bit off to me, but maybe the idea was it "feminized" the outfit a bit. It's hard to see here, but she's wearing black slacks not jeans, although big 1950s jeans would have been perfect, IMO.
Here's the best closeup of the sweatshirt I could find:
The movie, like most, has a ton of fun clothes (one could do a series of posts on the men's and women's overcoats alone), but I noted Darnell's outfit as it's less common to see examples of true "play" or casual clothes in movies from this era. I haven't seen the film in a while, but did Darnell's character have those casual outfits before she was married or after? If before, I assume this was done by Costumes to give her an everyday person type of look. If done after, for the same reason, but also to imply she hadn't changed: I.e., that she was still a from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks type of gal. |
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Post by Fading Fast on Sept 18, 2023 18:03:38 GMT
Yesterday, on Sunday Live! Don't be so Melodramatic, we watched "A Letter to Three Wives." At a picnic for a large group of kids, one of the town's wives, played by Linda Darnell, wore the below outfit.
I first thought of this thread because of the varsity sweater, which probably, in that era, was from an old boyfriend, but also wanted to point out the very 1950s grey sweatshirt she's wearing. Both would be drooled over by vintage clothing fans today. The scarf seems a bit off to me, but maybe the idea was it "feminized" the outfit a bit. It's hard to see here, but she's wearing black slacks not jeans, although big 1950s jeans would have been perfect, IMO.
Here's the best closeup of the sweatshirt I could find:
The movie, like most, has a ton of fun clothes (one could do a series of posts on the men's and women's overcoats alone), but I noted Darnell's outfit as it's less common to see examples of true "play" or casual clothes in movies from this era. I haven't seen the film in a while, but did Darnell's character have those casual outfits before she was married or after? If before, I assume this was done by Costumes to give her an everyday person type of look. If done after, for the same reason, but also to imply she hadn't changed: I.e., that she was still a from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks type of gal.
That's what I came to like about her character, she was honest both before and after her marriage. Before, she was honest about wanting to marry money and, after, she was honest about where she came from. No putting on the dog for this girl.
There's a outstanding scene - probably the best one in the movie - where she's at a dinner party and Thelma Ritter, who is a friend of Darnell's mom and clearly knew Darnell her entire life, is the maid/server and Darnell simply acts natural around Ritter.
She doesn't ignore her as in a "I'm above you now" way nor is she condescendingly nice in a "look at how kind I am to the 'little people'"way, she is just naturally friendly with her. It's a really nice touch in a very good scene.
It's always hard, for me anyway, to remember what I thought twenty or thirty years ago when I first saw a movie that I've probably seen three or four times since, but I think I disliked Darnell's character until about the third time I saw it when I finally appreciated her honesty, buried beneath a sarcastic exterior that acts like she's just selfish. |
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Sept 18, 2023 18:35:48 GMT
I haven't seen the film in a while, but did Darnell's character have those casual outfits before she was married or after? If before, I assume this was done by Costumes to give her an everyday person type of look. If done after, for the same reason, but also to imply she hadn't changed: I.e., that she was still a from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks type of gal.
That's what I came to like about her character, she was honest both before and after her marriage. Before, she was honest about wanting to marry money and, after, she was honest about where she came from. No putting on the dog for this girl.
There's a outstanding scene - probably the best one in the movie - where she's at a dinner party and Thelma Ritter, who is a friend of Darnell's mom and clearly knew Darnell her entire life, is the maid/server and Darnell simply acts natural around Ritter.
She doesn't ignore her as in a "I'm above you now" way nor is she condescendingly nice in a "look at how kind I am to the 'little people'"way, she is just naturally friendly with her. It's a really nice touch in a very good scene.
It's always hard, for me anyway, to remember what I thought twenty or thirty years ago when I first saw a movie that I've probably seen three or four times since, but I think I disliked Darnell's character until about the third time I saw it when I finally appreciated her honesty, buried beneath a sarcastic exterior that acts like she's just selfish. It wasn't until the second viewing that I came to really like Darnell's character in the film (and less for Husband who-knew-what-he-was-getting-into, Paul Douglas). I like how clothing was used to convey a character's roots and then how circumstances may or may not impact the character as shown via said clothing. |
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Post by BunnyWhit on Sept 19, 2023 3:14:29 GMT
Great remarks, FadingFast and jamesjazzguitar. Thank you.
I like the neckerchief on Darnell with the varsity sweater, but I find it a little too posh for the sweatshirt alone. I agree with all your remarks about her costuming and the character. This might also have been a nod to the hot fashion of the day. For a time, late in the 30s and earlier in the 40s, scarfs found their way up to women's heads and were styled variously there. By the late 40s though, when A Letter to Three Wives hit theaters, women were once again tying scarfs about their necks.
I'd like to add that it was Kay Nelson who did the costuming for A Letter to Three Wives, and just a few months later we'd see her Oscar nominated work in Mother Is a Freshman (1949). Loretta Young looks amazing in that film. I love this drapey tabard dress. It looks glamorous and comfortable at the same time, and the pearls piled around Young's neck give it polish.
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Post by Fading Fast on Sept 20, 2023 14:13:22 GMT
For those still playing the spot-a-beret game, Greer Garson in "Random Harvest" (playing on TCM now) sports this one set all kittywampus on her head. These were the best pics I could find.
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Post by NoShear on Sept 20, 2023 16:42:29 GMT
Norma Shearer appreciated your beret drop to one of her fans, Fading Fast, but she's getting impatient for some more screen time:  |
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Post by Fading Fast on Sept 20, 2023 16:47:15 GMT
Norma Shearer appreciated your beret drop to one of her fans, Fading Fast, but she's getting impatient for some more screen time: |
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Post by BunnyWhit on Sept 20, 2023 18:48:34 GMT
If Lana Turner taught us nothing else, at least she taught us this: when knocking off The Hubbs, only a beret will do.
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