Weird, funny, quirky little moments of 'The Women'
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Blondfashionisto — 16 years ago(February 09, 2010 06:26 PM)
What a great thread! I, too, have seem 'The Women' a gazillion times and love it! I remember watching it with my Mum and she said 'Boy, we did talk fast back then!'.
I have a few quirky moments I particularly love:- The Beauty Salon - As a former Hairstylist, I LOVE seeing the salon sequences. It's a real 'piece of history' - i.e. the beauty treatments; the 'permanent wave' machine; the facial treatment devices, PINCURLS!, etc.
- Crystal's famous 'telephone scene' in the Perfume Counter back room; in particular, I think it's neat she mentions the 'Quintuplets' who were five babies born in Ontario in the 1930's (and were quite a national treasure). And, since I'm Canadian, I also like the fact Stephen and Mary are going 'off to Canada' (but, just in case anyone is not sure, it's not ALWAYS really snowy here
Christopher
'Theres a name for you ladies, but its not usedOutside a kennel! (Crystal Allen)'
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noirgirl — 15 years ago(September 06, 2010 10:23 PM)
I love this thread! Because it's one of my favorite movies!
Here's some of mine:
Almost two years have passed by the time of the bathtub scene, and Little Mary hasn't grown at all! Which I loved, because she was so great!
Same scene: there's three inches of foam in that "seascape" bathtub but you can see Crystal kicking her feet in the clear water underneath when she's yelling at the maid.
The newspaper clipping and the text above Miriam "Vanities", gossiping about someone sitting in the lap of the "colored cigarette girl". Aside from that comment, I've watched a ton of old movies and I have never seen a black cigarette girl outside of "The Cotton Club".
For a movie dripping with fabulous clothing and styles, someone had Mary wearing a plaid shirt throw herself down on a gingham check couch with matching curtains.
Crystal picks up a swimming cap, complete with chin strap (!) as she gets into the shower.
At the first luncheon, after Mary tells Sylvia that the rolls are made with gluten, Norma Shearer drops a crumb of the roll out of her mouth. So surprising for a talent like Norma!
That the women's initials are monogrammed on their exercise suits.
Mary combs her hair and puts on lipstick at her home, then tells her friends she's not going out with them.
I believe the lamp base in Mary's bedroom is a male figure !!
The very odd (now) comment of being able to spread out in bed like a swastika!
That the Haines' had two different cooksone named Ingrid in the Great Neck house, and a different one (possibly named Maggie) in the town house.
This is fun! -
noirgirl — 15 years ago(September 06, 2010 10:52 PM)
I love this thread! Because it's one of my favorite movies!
Here's some of mine:
Almost two years have passed by the time of the bathtub scene, and Little Mary hasn't grown at all! Which I loved, because she was so great!
Same scene: there's three inches of foam in that "seascape" bathtub but you can see Crystal kicking her feet in the clear water underneath when she's yelling at the maid.
The newspaper clipping and the text above Miriam "Vanities", gossiping about someone sitting in the lap of the "colored cigarette girl". Aside from that comment, I've watched a ton of old movies and I have never seen a black cigarette girl outside of "The Cotton Club".
Crystal picks up a swimming cap, complete with chin strap (!) as she gets into the shower.
At the first luncheon, after Mary tells Sylvia that the rolls are made with gluten, Norma Shearer drops a crumb of the roll out of her mouth. So surprising for a talent like Norma!
Mary combs her hair and puts on lipstick at her home, then tells her friends she's not going out with them.
I believe the lamp base in Mary's bedroom is a male figure !!
The very odd (now) comment of being able to spread out in bed like a swastika!
That the Haines' had two different cooksone named Ingrid in the Great Neck house, and a different one (possibly named Maggie) in the town house.
This is fun! -
brendanchenowith — 15 years ago(December 04, 2010 10:22 AM)
This may not be a funny quirly little moment, but I howl during the exercise room scene when Sylvia is going off on the exercise lady and instead of raising her leg up and down, she appears as if she's kicking the exercise lady away.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked. -
Alix1929 — 15 years ago(December 23, 2010 05:57 PM)
So many quirky moments! That's what made this such a wonderful movie. What about these with Mary's mother:
- Spraying the perfume or room deodorizer around the room, after the ladies leave.
- Coming to Mary's housewith knitting in her purse!
- Talking to the dog on the bed. "Woof to you too!"
- Mary's mom knocking down all the bikes while on vacation in Bermuda.
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juleereeves-891-550333 — 9 years ago(May 22, 2016 04:20 PM)
I noticed the lamps on the side of Mary's bed were switched. When Mary's Mom is spraying the perfume, after the reunion dinner party, there was a bedside lamp with a male figure on the far right and when little Mary comes into the room and climbs into bed, the lamp has been switched to a female figure. If you watch, when little Mary first enters the room, we even see the male lamp reflected in the mirror but sure enough, female in the next minute.
I too noticed the large crumb falling from Norma Shearer's mouth in the luncheon scene at the country house. Others have commented that she spit it out, possible to avoid ingesting calories during the shoot and they redid the scene several times. When you watch the scene, it really is obvious that the muffin sort of fell apart as she bit into it and some fell to the table. -
juleereeves-891-550333 — 9 years ago(May 22, 2016 04:30 PM)
Great idea for a thread!
I noticed that Mary removed her evening shoes and stocking, puts on slippers and that gorgeous ostrich feather wrap over her nightgown, walks over the the bed, takes off her slippers, and gets into bed. I just thought it funny that she put on house slippers to walk a few feet and get into bed.
In the reunion dinner scene in Mary's apartment, the white evening gown draped over the back of a chair next to Mary's vanity table. Seems that Jane would have hung that up since she was in the room, turning down Mary's bed.
Lamps are switched during this same scene - Mary's bedroom after the girls leave to go to the Casino Roof. First we see a male figuring on the far right night stand and it is even there when little Mary is at the door - we can see the lamp reflected in the mirror next to little Mary. When we see little Mary climb into bed with her Mom, the lamp has switched to a female figure.
Lots of comments about Mary wearing the same fabric as the window seat in her room as the Reno ranch. Actually, the furniture is covered in a large gingham and Mary's shirt is plaid. Perhaps if we saw this scene in color, we might understand why the designer and director mixed the gingham and plaid. Those things are usually so well planned. Maybe they were contrasting colors and it looked great. Hard to tell in black and white. But definitely not plaid on the furniture.
I have wondered if these ladies wore panties under the tap pants or if the tap pants are the extent of the underwear. Just curious. Tap pants are fairly loose and during the fight scene at the ranch, we see Paulette Goddards' legs up in the air and it made me wonder how covered up she "wasn't".
What the heck is Pancakes Barbara. I want some. I might have had some and never knew it since I've no idea what that dessert is. I am going to make up a layered crepe thingy with whipped cream and cherry filling and some chocolate sauce and forever after call it Pancakes Barbara. -
juleereeves-891-550333 — 9 years ago(May 22, 2016 05:31 PM)
Quirky things with the food in the luncheon scene at Mary's country home:
When Mary returns to the table after the phone call from Steven, we see Jane place a salad of watercress in front of Edith. Mary has a bowl of soup at her place and the other ladies have nothing. Edit remarks that she might just as soon "Eat her way across the front lawn." Seems to indicate she doesn't like cress but seems odd she would say so. Next we see bread basket passed around but most of the women have been served nothing else. I wonder why everyone didn't have first course served?
Mary is carrying around a bowl of fruit at the Reno ranch and talking about preparing supper with her own hands. Why would she be carrying the fruit around anyway? Food is in the kitchen. Seems she would go there and prepare it. Why is she carrying the fruit bowl around?
I adore the salon and it is so fun to see all the old beauty treatments being used there. Surely those were the newest innovations at the time the film came out. Early version of our med spas.
Odd that the cute manicurist previously worked at the perfume counter at Blacks Dept Store. Nowadays, one doesn't just take up the job of manicurist. This comment makes it seem like she just bounced over to Blacks and started doing nails.
Maybe during that time, there was no educational requirement for manicurists?
Miriam Aarons riding outfit at the ranch. Sparkly brooch and the leather belt and gauntlets. Same with the Countess. I guess there was some shopping involved before any soon to be ex wife departed for the divorce ranch in Reno.