Alfred Hitchcock in Harper's Bazaar, 1956.
Seraphic Secret was glancing through the latest issue of the “National Enquirer” the other day—how else am I going to learn about what’s going on in Hollywood?—and was horrified to discover that this tabloid has a rather unhealthy fixation on celebrity photos that focus on cellulite, disheveled stars in flip-flops taking out the garbage, and horrifying close-ups of actresses in bikinis who should not be anywhere near a bikini.
Marcel Proust named his million word novel “In Search of Lost Time.” Here at Seraphic Secret we too are searching for a lost time, a Hollywood that was drenched in glamour and fine sartorial taste.
Ninety-five percent of our bodies are covered in clothing. What we wear announces who we are, how we feel about ourselves and how we wish to be perceived and treated by others. To say what we wear doesn’t matter is to be willfully blind to reality.
So: let’s take a break from the degraded celebrity culture in which we live, and glory—if only for a few moments—in Hollywood’s golden age.
Fred Astaire made tuxedos and top hats look like casual wear. Here he imbues casual wear with an easy formal splendor.
Watch any movie right up until the early-sixties and women almost always wear gloves. Myrna Loy looks smashing in her white polka dot accented outfit with gauntlet gloves as the focus.
On the set of “Random Harvest,” 1942, director Mervyn Leroy wears a tweed suit that was probably made to order on Savile Row. And check out those snazzy spectator shoes. The lovely actress is the great and tragic Susan Peters who plays Kitty in this classic film that stars Ronald Colman and Greer Garson.
In 1946, Hedy Lamarr's Beverly Hills mansion was broken into by two burglars who were after her jewels. Summoned to the police station to press charges against the criminals, Hedy, a true star, appeared in a mink coat—I'll send this photo to PETA just to make their heads explode—perfect hair and full make-up. Hedy knew that a perp walk was no excuse not to pour on the glamour. Years later, Hedy was caught shoplifting. But she looked great when she was arrested.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a peaceful and fashionably excellent Shabbat.
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
14 Comments
Clothing represents culture. Mark Steyn analysed this a few days ago: http://www.steynonline.com/4782/the-mutant-present
I wonder if he isn’t in cahoots with you, Robert, he even introduces the subject with a reference to Cary Grant in ‘North By Northwest’.
Partly, it’s about taking pride in your appearance. I’d never step outside the front door in shorts, f’rinstance, and invariably, boots and a shirt. A culture that believes it acceptable to be out in public in shorts and singlet lacks pride in itself.
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Oops, I meant that “invariably, I do wear boots and a shirt.”
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Earl – when I was in Australia (admittedly 20+ years ago) the singlet seemed to be the uniform of the summer – or is that just Queensland?
I think – what surprises me here – is events I would consider formal – or semi formal – and people showing up in jeans and shorts.
Like a nice restaurant…or a wedding.
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OTOH the popular press does like to tear down – but would they have ever been different? The pictures are on the front page (I look at those too Robert – while waiting in the supermarket checkout line!) – the public has always had an appetite for celebrities.
So the other side of me thinks if they are willing to get into a bikini 50 lbs overweight – full of cellulite - Or for a guy – a massive beer belly in speedos – well, one can’t complain if the cameras come out.
If Hedy were to walk down Sunset Blvd looking disheveled you can be sure the Rolleiflexes would have come out of nowhere!
The stars these days just don’t have a studio keeping them in line.
As an aside I have made the observation – while waiting in line – that one has officially transcended to the “other side” when you don’t know who have of these “celebrities” are.
I couldn’t figure out who “J Lo” was for 8 months – and Kim Kardashian - who is she and why is she famous?
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Bill:
I believe there definitely was a time when the popular press made heroes where they could. All they guys in pictures who volunteered for serive in Second World War. Gable, was forty-one. Stewart became a general. My friend Louis Hayward was on Tarawa. Eddie Albert won the Navy Cross for rescuing marines, again on Tarawa. Robert Taylor a Flight Instructor. Gene Autry a trannsport pilot. And many more. These people were heroes. On screen and in their private life. It wasn’t simply that all of them saw action, because not all did, but that they gave up Movie Star Money. Some of these people had a lot of trouble restarting their careers. Richard Carlson, Tom Brown, Wayne Morris–an incredible warrior. These were really greaty guys. I sure they would be doing something else for a living today.
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Barry – I’ll agree with that – my only contention was that if any of these movie stars through the 50s went in public in less-than-flattering attire, the press would be just as interested getting them on the front page!
On heroic movie stars to me Jimmy Stewart comes to mind for 2 reasons - but there were many stars as you mentioned. (with my new appreciation of classic Hollowood I would have loved being a private or seaman and going to the Hollywood Canteen – can you imagine Carole Lombard offering you coffee and donuts or dancing with Marlene Dietrich?)
Getting back to Stewart, he enlists in the Army Air Corps and of course his salary goes from - whatever he was making in Hollywood – to $29/month.
Yet he still gave his agent his 10% – $2.90/month!
When he got out It’s A Womderful Life was his first post war movie – and he was very worried that the public would still accept him. Other stars – like John Wayne – were making movies in the interim.
There is an interesting story about that movie – someone on Big Hollywood wrote a wonderful history on that movie – http://tinyurl.com/7ksq6dw
but of course, Stewart came back.
In those days the newspapers backed Hollywood.
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Johnny:
When I was young and still attended baseball games—we yeshiva kids flocked to see Sandy Koufax pitch—we always dressed properly. Just look at old photos and you’ll see that women wore hats and gloves and men wore suits, ties and hats. Today, go to a ballgame and besides seeing humanity in shocking sartorial vulgarity, you just might get your brains bashed in by some gang banger.
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Robert – I always remember a wonderful column the late Len Morgan made in Flying Magazine. Len was a retired airline pilot and he lamented the the state of the average airline passenter today. Through the early 60s people were dressed up when flying and now…..Now you hope they are wearing shoes
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The tearing down era seems to be a by product of the Vietnam experience, which itself was triggered by the assassination of President Kennedy. This was followed by the uninspiring administration of Presidents Johnson and Nixon, and the reduction in voting age. These things only superficially appear to be about the war itself, but I don’t believe that is true. There has been an entire breakdown in our society in which feminism and men who are feminists, Alan Alda…? No matter how charming, has sown seeds of radical dissension. Yes…? In any case, we have not yet collectively gotten past the death of the president. Of that I am certain.
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Barry:
I have never recovered from JFK’s murder by the Communist Lee Harvey Oswald. The assassination took place on the weekend of my Bar Mitzvah. The despair in synagogue and at the reception on Sunday was, er, memorable.
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I think there are several factors at play: Americans (and probably the rest of the world) have changed their standards of style. When you research archival photos, you notice how everyone seemed to be “dressed up” in the late 19th and early 20th century. I’ve seen pictures of butchers coming from a Chicago slaughter house who are wearing a tie and coat and a hat. Now, you’d be happy if you see sleeves on their t-shirts!
Of course the other big change is how the rags cover the stars and, of course, the studio system. In the 30′s, every woman wanted to be Jean Harlow and every man wanted to be Clark Gable. The studios wanted them to be glamorous and unattainable. Now the mags want to show their every imperfection and people want to see that Brad Pitt is balding or Angelina has cellulite (<–purely fictional examples). As a culture, I think we’ve moved from building things up, to tearing things down.
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Prophet, you hit on two keys – the demise of the studio control over the stars and the changing culture. The rise of the anti-hero in the 60′s made anyone that combed their hair before going out the door seem like some sort of phony. Brando in a t-shirt was a sex symbol paving the way for the coming rock and roll revolution. The days of the studio shaping a star’s image were limited.
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And I meant to thank you, Robert. Either you have a secret crush on Myrna Loy too, or you’re fulfilling my “Friday Fantasy” — either way, thanks!
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Prophet Joe:
Nothing secret about my crush on Myrna Loy:-)
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