Starting today and every Sunday thereafter, I will take the readers on a trip down memory lane, recalling memorable films, also sharing tidbits, many of which may be unfamiliar or even unknown to the present generation. I will also cite the differences in filming and other nuances involved.
Did you know for example that even in Hollywood, passionate scenes like kissing was not allowed? Romantic liaisons between blacks and whites were also discouraged. There was censorship, producers and directors alike made sure they towed the line .
Baring the skin was not a practice, off-the-shoulder or strapless gowns were sufficient enough to bring out the glamour in movie actresses. It was the hairstyle created for them that made them stand out, copied by movie fans. The sultry Latin bombshell, Rita Hayworth, wore her wavy red hair side-parted, just like brunette Lauren Bacall, best remembered for her bedroom voice. Singer-actress Doris Day had that girl-next-door appeal with her "Bob Cut," her freckles never getting in the way of her popularity. Aubrey Hepburn sported the "pixie’ look in "Roman Holiday" which took the country by storm. Every mother envied the golden curls of the loveable Shirley Temple, they made sure their daughters sported them as well. The be-dimpled child star was widely-admired.
Platinum blondes like Marilyn Monroe wore their hair loose with waves, that sometimes got out of place adding to their sex appeal, just like Jean Harlow, said to be the precursor of La Monroe, and Carole Lombard, the first wife of actor Clark Gable, who died in an airplane crash which devasted the latter. Much later, Farah Fawcett’s shaggy look set the trend for many, even if it did not look good on others.
Lana Turner was a head turner but never had to bear any part of her skin. Yet she was billed as the "Sweater Girl," her famous torso outlined in sweaters. Showing off one’s cleavage was frowned upon. Jean Seaberg’s innocent looks melted the hearts of male fans, even as they were dazzled by the exotic look of Gene Tierney and the tempestuous looks of Yvonne de Carlo. Kim Novak had a way of saying her lines and moving her lips, it made her appear so sexy! And who was not smitten by the beauteous redheads, Arlene Dahl and Rhonda Fleming?
The delectable Betty Grable, known for her gorgeous gams, never were a "tanga," which in the first place was unknown then. In the musicals where she danced, her skimpy skirts and shorts left the males breathless!
To display a be-jewelled navel (the way they now do) would have been unthinkable, probably causing pandemonium! Indeed, yesterday’s screen goddesses were admired more for their thespian skills, and that included our very own local stars.
