Come September
Just watched the most adorable movie...mainly because the digital cabley thingie said it was the best entree in the battle of the sexes films.
Now, I've seen maybe 3 or 4 Doris Day/Rock Hudson flicks, and I always pegged him as sort of a Robert Mitchum-type charmer, but this role was straight-up Cary Grant. Incidentally, I wonder if the constant transparent nods to the gay were intentional or ironic or eh. Because SERIOUSLY! This exchange actually occured: "Italian women are all vain, deceitful, blah, blah creatures!" -"But isn't that true of all women?" -"Yes, and that where they've got us!" -Questioning, eyebrows-raised gaze from his manservant. -"There's nothing to replace them with!" Very very quite on par with Mr. Blanding's obsession with his dream house having "Lots and lots of closets!" (and then proceeding to get stuck in one). Was the fact that these two were flaming homos an open-secret in Hollywood at the time? Were a decent percentage of screenwriters gay and thus members of a very small "club" of closeted Old Hollywood? Grant has so crossdressed in frilly things on camera, and Rock sports for a few minutes a bright pink hat of Gina's that makes him look like nothing so much as a one-man pride-parade barbershop quartet. Both actors very frequently play roles in which they have strange wink-wink interactaions with other male costars, often those playing the role of their respective "manservents." In this movie, we had that plus a posse of teenaged boys.
Sandra Dee and Bobby Darrin in supporting roles: whatever did happen to earnest teen voices, anyway? Did people actually used to really talk that way, or was it an actorly affectation that went out of style about the same time as "Golly" and "Gee Whillakers"?
Dramatic trainstation goodbye (sigh!) rendered heartbreaking and ridiculous through bilingualness and true comedy-of-errors stylings.
I want EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT that Gina Lollobrigida wore IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE.
Now, I've seen maybe 3 or 4 Doris Day/Rock Hudson flicks, and I always pegged him as sort of a Robert Mitchum-type charmer, but this role was straight-up Cary Grant. Incidentally, I wonder if the constant transparent nods to the gay were intentional or ironic or eh. Because SERIOUSLY! This exchange actually occured: "Italian women are all vain, deceitful, blah, blah creatures!" -"But isn't that true of all women?" -"Yes, and that where they've got us!" -Questioning, eyebrows-raised gaze from his manservant. -"There's nothing to replace them with!" Very very quite on par with Mr. Blanding's obsession with his dream house having "Lots and lots of closets!" (and then proceeding to get stuck in one). Was the fact that these two were flaming homos an open-secret in Hollywood at the time? Were a decent percentage of screenwriters gay and thus members of a very small "club" of closeted Old Hollywood? Grant has so crossdressed in frilly things on camera, and Rock sports for a few minutes a bright pink hat of Gina's that makes him look like nothing so much as a one-man pride-parade barbershop quartet. Both actors very frequently play roles in which they have strange wink-wink interactaions with other male costars, often those playing the role of their respective "manservents." In this movie, we had that plus a posse of teenaged boys.
Sandra Dee and Bobby Darrin in supporting roles: whatever did happen to earnest teen voices, anyway? Did people actually used to really talk that way, or was it an actorly affectation that went out of style about the same time as "Golly" and "Gee Whillakers"?
Dramatic trainstation goodbye (sigh!) rendered heartbreaking and ridiculous through bilingualness and true comedy-of-errors stylings.
I want EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT that Gina Lollobrigida wore IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE.