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From Marlene to Marilyn: Glamour and Desire on the Silver Screen

From Marlene to Marilyn: Glamour and Desire on the Silver Screen. Rachel Park, Bryn Mawr College ’10 History & Classical Studies September 1, 2008. Overview: Summer 2008 Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center. My internship at the National Portrait Gallery Resources Main concepts/themes

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From Marlene to Marilyn: Glamour and Desire on the Silver Screen

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  1. From Marlene to Marilyn: Glamour and Desire on the Silver Screen Rachel Park, Bryn Mawr College ’10 History & Classical Studies September 1, 2008

  2. Overview: Summer 2008 Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center • My internship at the National Portrait Gallery • Resources • Main concepts/themes • Impact on contemporary culture

  3. Internship at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. • Assisted Smithsonian cultural historian, Amy Henderson, whose past exhibits include “Kate: One Life,” and “Red, Hot & Blue” • Researched Hollywood glamour during the Golden Era (1920s-1950s) • Studied the key actors during that time, the studio system, the concept of glamour and its implications in American culture

  4. What I enjoyed • Staff at NPG and the Smithsonian at large expressed how much they appreciated and valued their interns • Truly felt that my work was making a meaningful contribution • Hands-on experience • Experience pulled many of my interests together: fashion, film, cultural history

  5. Resources • Books from the National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian American Art Museum library (and through interlibrary loan) • Kobal Collection online • Films during that time period • Newsreels at the National Archives in College Park and the James Madison building of the Library of Congress • flatbed viewing machines

  6. Resources • In addition to newsreels, screened Paramount on Parade (1930), The Voice of Hollywood, and Screen Snapshots --> feature films/film magazines/“celebrity newsreels” that featured popular stars • ProQuest database • searches through the following historical newspapers: Atlanta Constitution (1868-1939), Boston Globe (1872-1925), Chicago Tribune (1849-1986), Christian Science Monitor (1908-1995), Los Angeles Times (1881-1986), The New York Times (1851-2005), The Wall Street Journal (1889-1991), and The Washington Post (1877-1992) • Life magazine (1940s) • Photoplay on microfilm (1912-1917)

  7. Key actors and actresses: Glamour • Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) • “Legs” • Sustained her image of glamour throughout her lengthy career • Greta Garbo (1905-1990) • “The Face,” “The Swedish Sphinx” • Has continued to fascinate audiences worldwide for her reclusive, aloof nature

  8. Glamour • Gary Cooper (1901-1961) • Primarily known for his role in Westerns • Was able to uphold public interest due to his wide range of films, including Sergeant York, The Pride of the Yankees, and High Noon • Dolores del Rio (1905-1983) • First Mexican actress to hit it big in Hollywood • Her natural beauty and her “exoticism” were selling points

  9. Glamour • Cary Grant (1904-1986) • The quintessential dashing hero • Had excellent comedic timing • Fred Astaire (1899-1987) and Ginger Rogers (1911-1995) • The dynamic duo that brought glamour back onto the screens of Depression-era America • Represented love through the art of song and dance

  10. Glamour • Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) • The definition of sexy masculinity and moral integrity

  11. Desire • Gloria Swanson (1897-1983) • The silent screen vamp • Showcased glamour on and off screen  the ultimate “clotheshorse” • Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) • First major male sex symbol of film • Combination of sensitivity and virility – duality of character was very appealing

  12. Desire • Clark Gable (1901-1960) • “The King” of the box office • Rugged and handsome: the mustache was essential • Jean Harlow (1911-1937) • “The Platinum Blonde” – her hair set a trend that millions of women would follow • Had a magnetic screen presence, which many attributed to her “honesty”

  13. Desire • Carole Lombard (1908-1942) • The woman who could mix glitz and humor • Joan Crawford (1906-1977) • Started off as a flapper girl, but was determined to be a star

  14. Desire • Veronica Lake (1919-1973) • Most well-known for her “peekaboo” hairstyle, which had a tremendous effect on the hair industry • Marlon Brando (1924-2004) • Was part of a new wave of “method acting,” which was to use real-life experiences and emotions as inspiration for the film

  15. Desire • Elizabeth Taylor (1932) • Has been called the last great star • James Dean (1931-1955) • Was able to induce conflicted feelings in the viewer with his portrayal of morally ambivalent characters

  16. Desire • Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) • “The Blonde Bombshell” who transfixed the nation with her unabashed sex appeal, but level of vulnerability as well

  17. Pinups During WWII • Betty Grable (1916-1973) • the ultimate pinup • Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) • in 1941 Life

  18. Influence on American culture • Lake’s hairstyle, Harlow’s hair, Dietrich’s pants • Hollywood glamour flourished during the Depression, when people wanted to escape their daily hardships and live variously through the stars  followed every fad and trend • Automobiles and dining out were outward expressions of the stars’ refined lifestyles

  19. Androgynous Appeal • Dietrich in Morocco: famous scene where she sings dressed in a tuxedo • Dean in Rebel Without a Cause: His “delicate” features appealed to both men and women

  20. Transformation of Stars/Contradictions • Rita Hayworth’s hairline was raised via electrolysis and her hair was dyed to look “less Latin”; Gable’s ears were surgically corrected because they were too big • Aim for perfection, but allure lays in imperfection: Monroe’s signature look was the “just-got-out-of-bed” look, but even this image was carefully constructed (Fox, 86) • Stars were like divinities, but attempt to humanize them

  21. Idea of Beauty • Picture from the 1937 film, A Star Is Born, which shows two men drawing on a woman’s face to “reshape” her brows stars began to look the same • 1920s flapper girl • 1930s exotic, yet natural: In the early 1930s, Crawford’s heavy eye make-up was widely imitated, but in the September 1933 issue of Photoplay, natural beauty was hailed. • 1940s pinup • 1950s sex symbol • Harlow’s platinum blonde hair  Rita Hayworth’s red hair  Hedy Lamarr’s raven hair

  22. Motifs • Stars and Cars • Big cat • Furs and feathers • On the town – night clubs (El Morocco, Ciro’s) , restaurants (Romanoff’s, The Brown Derby) • At play – Santa Anita races, poolside, informal “at-homes,” boats and trains, tennis, skiing, golfing

  23. Magic Makers • Wardrobe, lighting, make-up, and cinematography helped make the star • Max Factor’s idea of beauty: “The beauty calibrator” • Karl Struss • Swanson in Male and Female (1919)

  24. Magic Makers:Fashion Designers • Adrian – 1932 dress worn by Crawford • Travis Banton – designed costumes for Dietrich in The Devil is a Woman (1935)

  25. Magic Makers: Photographers • Dennis Stock: 1955 James Dean in Indiana • George Hurrell: 1941 Veronica Lake

  26. Impact on contemporary culture • Express newspaper in Washington D.C., 7/2/08 issue: Discussed Armani fall-winter 2008-2009 collection, and cited the influence of Hollywood decadence  “Shades of earlier Hollywood heroines like Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich ran through his collection of tailored jackets with razor-sharp shoulders and goddess gowns glistening with beads” (p. 31). • NY Times audio feature published on 7/27/08: “On the Street: The Appeal of the Heel,” by Bill Cunningham  revival of high heels with short skirts or shorts, reminiscent of Betty Grable, “no one could care less” attitude in the City • “Women In Film” video (Google Docs) on the transformation of women in film

  27. Sources • Hayworth on cover slide: http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T577/Students/RitaFace.jpg (8/14/08)

  28. Sources • Dietrich: http://www.humanesocietyny.org/auction/images/index-photo07.jpg (8/5/08) • Garbo: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/171481871_7467da1339.jpg?v=0 (8/5/08) • Del Rio: http://bp1.blogger.com/_CLu8_jFPNZ4/Rf83bUN_w3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/rHcrc-J9LjY/s1600-h/Delores+Del+Rio12.jpg (8/5/08) • Cooper: http://www.staleywise.com/collection/steichen/steichen_gary_cooper_b.jpg (8/5/08) • Grant: http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/screendreams/images/postcards_grant_450.jpg (8/5/008) • Fred and Ginger: http://bp0.blogger.com/_VkZbqqaJEtQ/RkPYhbmW0oI/AAAAAAAAAtA/Fq-uX8TPbnQ/s1600-h/fred.bmp (8/5/08) • Bogie: http://www.filmsquish.com/guts/files/images/Annex%20-%20Bogart,%20Humphrey%20(Maltese%20Falcon,%20The)_02.jpg (8/5/08) • Swanson: http://jasonlandry.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/steichen.jpg (8/5/08) • Valentino: http://www.altfg.com/Stars/actorsv/valentino-rudolph-1.jpg (8/5/08) • Harlow: http://www.allaboutshoes.ca/images/common/heights_of_fashion/fantasies_big_screen/1.jpg (8/5/08) • Gable: http://www.theothersideofkim.com/images/uploads/2007files/clark_gable18.jpg (8/5/08)

  29. Sources • Lombard: http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd164/iamericamag/1920s%20sirens/carole_lombard_1313.jpg (8/5/08) • Crawford: http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2006/02/27/youngCrawfordBig.jpg (8/5/08) • Lake: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1192/1383365761_3a4f4e66ab.jpg?v=0 (8/5/08) • Brando: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/54/039_4032~Marlon-Brando-Posters.jpg (8/5/08) • Taylor: http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Elizabeth-Taylor-Photograph-C12145909.jpeg (8/5/08) • Dean: http://www.cinematical.com/images/2005/09/james%20dean2.jpg (8/5/08) • Monroe: http://www.gallerym.com/images/work/big/associated%20press_marilyn_monroe_seven_yr_itch_L.jpg (8/5/08) • Hayworth: http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T577/Students/RitaPinup.jpg (8/14/08) • Grable: http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/ww2Timeline/images2/1943.jpg (8/5/08) • Lamour: http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/ww2Timeline/images2/lamour1.jpg (8/5/08) • Turner: http://www.seraphicpress.com/images/Lana%20Turner,%20They%20Won't%20Forget.jpg (8/12/08) • Sheridan: http://www.ipacific.com/shop/photography/hurrell/08AnnSheridan.jpg (8/5/08)

  30. Sources • “Androgynous appeal” • Dietrich: http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z297/GreenAmbassador/Green%20Ambassador%20Weed/Canna%20Embassy%20art/marlene_dietrich1.jpg (8/11/08) • Dean: http://www.vafilm.com/images/FilmFest07/rebel.JPG (8/14/08) • “Transformation of Stars/Contradictions” • Rita Hayworth: Basinger, Jeanine. The Star Machine. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. 42 • Fox, Patty. Star Style: Hollywood Legends as Fashion Icons. Santa Monica: Angel City Press, Inc., 1995. 86. • Cary Grant cooking from Kobal Collection online: photo ref. XGR004ML (8/14/08) • “Idea of Beauty” • A Star Is Born: Basinger, The Star Machine, p. 40 “Motifs” • Jean Harlow from Kobal collection online: photo ref. CA002FF • Santa Anita races from Kobal collection online: photo ref. XDE027CA

  31. Sources • “Magic Makers” • “The Beauty Calibrator”: http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3065333.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=32F168F2F013CA9AFFA45C14C2D93F44A55A1E4F32AD3138 (8/11/08) • Swanson in Male and Female: Kobal, John. The Art of the Great Hollywood Portrait Photographers: 1925-1940. New York: Harrison House, 1987. 74. (8/14/08) • Adrian: http://static.flickr.com/47/179512788_e9296c2c95.jpg (8/11/08) • Travis Banton: http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/thehollywoodcollection/md643.jpg (8/11/08) • Stock, Dennis. James Dean: Fifty Years Ago. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2005. 43. • George Hurrell: http://www.ipacific.com/shop/photography/hurrell/06VeronicaLake.jpg (8/11/08) “Impact on contemporary culture” “The Appeal of the Heel”feature: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/07/27/fashion/street-multimedia-3/index.html (2:15 mins - 2:07 mins) “Women In Film” video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEc4YWICeXk

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