Asides

Decided to move "Asides" section to the posts area on the off chance that someone may actually have a comment.

Feb 3 -
So I am perusing the June 1933 Issue of Movie Classic magazine and come across the letters column. It seems each month they rate the letters submitted and give $20 for the top letter and then $10 and $5 for the runner-ups. The letter below seemed appropriate for this blog and it gives one woman's opinion on how women should dress to enhance their allure (although she doesn't use the word) and sticks up for the poor beleaguered gentlemen of the time.

The $20.00 letter - Marlene's Pants
All this hullabaloo about Marlene Dietrich's pants gives me a pain in the neck. Nothing, say I, but a cheap bid for publicity, and believe me, she got her share. Her assertion that American women should not imitate her because they do not look good in trousers, is an insult to the symmetry of our American stars, and if they are foolish enough to follow her idiotic fashion, they will soon find they have lost plenty of their popularity. But there's no need to worry as this foolish fad won't last any longer than Eve's fig leaf. The lure of feminine finery is too strong for women, and what would the stars spend their money on, if they eliminated beautiful clothes? The more feminine women are, the more attraction they have for men. And we, the long suffering General Public, want our stars feminine. There is nothing in the world more charming than a beautiful girl in a shimmering dress, be it silk or organdie. Our poor men are having enough trouble these days, what with women having taken their jobs; their barber chairs; their cigarettes and choice swear words. The least they can do is leave the poor creatures their trousers. MRS. HANNAH FELDMAN, Atlanta, Ga.

Jan 30 -
I watched The Silver Horde (1930) this past weekend starring Evelyn Brent in her third talkie after about 75 silent outings. I must say she reminded me so much of a young Barbara Stanwyck (Barbara was seven years Evelyn's junior) in terms of her confident manner, worldly savvy and even her speech patterns. Check Ms. Brent out on this blog - 6/5/06, but if you get a chance, try to catch her when it comes around on TCM. Joel McCrea, Jean Arthur, Blanche Sweet, and Raymond Hatton also star.

Evelyn Brent

Evelyn Brent

Born 1899 (d.1975), Evelyn appeared in 123 films from 1915 to 1950 and an episode of Wagon Train in 1960. Born Mary Elizabeth Riggs in Tampa, Florida and known as Betty, she was a child of ten when her mother died, leaving her father to raise her alone. After moving to New York City, as a teenager her good looks brought modeling jobs that led to an opportunity to become involved in the still relatively new business of making motion pictures. Evelyn was a WAMPAS Baby Star for 1923. The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States, which honored thirteen young women each year who they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934 and honored at a party called the "WAMPAS Frolic". Those selected were given extensive media coverage. Evelyn played sultry and tough roles throughout her career.




Evelyn Brent - What do you think? Allure?