movie inspiration: Always a Bride

The French Riviera is nice, but really it's all about the hat -





Otherwise Always a Bride(1953) is kind of disturbing... a father/daughter con-artist team pose as newlyweds at a hotel. Of course she falls in love with the perfect young man while there. Conflict!
Really it's bad. Well acted and pretty, but bad.
But the hat is nice.

movie inspiration: Some Girls

I was disappointed to learn that the house in Some Girls (1989) was just a set, but still it is the most gorgeous set - probably my favorite. Art nouveau eye candy in every scene, plus Patrick Dempsey and Jennifer Connelly. The story is a little thin, but the art direction is perfect. So much carved wood and stained glass and warm low-key lighting. I had to lighten these stills signifigantly so you can see the details.




that upstage wall with the unicorn tapestry has a hidden door





carved wood smoke curls everywhere.. really on every surface. And those fat-bellied sconces are another amazing detail.





and in white





check out those peacock lamps - they are part of the bases of the banisters





nouveau wallpaper, black & white tiles, gothic furniture, Catholic icons




ferns everywhere - and that giant swirling design in the floor is outstanding. And yes, that's naked Patrick Dempsey.




more tile work in the bathroom




and kitchen




It's sometimes available on Hulu to watch free, and some months it's free to watch instantly on Netflix. Right now it's not available for streaming at either place, but check back there or put it in your queue.

movie inspiration: Heisser Sommer

This East German gem from 1968 is so bad it's good - Heisser Sommer. Absolutely dreadful song and dance numbers, but really great haircuts, and some hilariously bizarro scenes. Basically a lot of boys go camping with a lot of girls. Boys are dumb and horny. Girls are crazy and horny. You know...





cute pjs
So this is what dudes do camping when no girls are around..



That army of chicks does the stupidest dance ever here. The movie is kind of worth it for this dance alone.




cutest super-short haircut #1 on the right here -


and cutest short-but-not-too-short cut here, along with perhaps the greatest line ever uttered on screen -



it looses nothing in the translation. East German Keira Knightley has it all figured out.

movie inspiration: Mr. Wong

This is the best hat I've seen in a little while - from Mr.Wong in Chinatown (1939)

movie inspiration: Foreign Intrigue (1956)

[click first pic to watch instantly on netflix]



This is along the lines of Mr. Arkadin, but it's not done by Orson Welles so it's no where near as good. Still, these are my favorite kinds of films - post-war pan-European mystery/adventures. Robert Mtchum is in this one and is great as always. But what intrigued me most was this:



While I agree that the new Balmain collection is terribly dull, let us remember what real Balmain was all about -








I also love this pastel femme fatale ensemble -



+++EDIT - to be clear - that hat is just a regular wool felt beret she's wearing, just like you can still get today. Wikipedia says people have been wearing berets since the Bronze Age, which I think is wild.
In fact that whole outfit can be bought new today - and for the last 80 years.

movie inspiration: April in Paris

I'm not really into Doris Day movies - I watch them, but I don't like them. I cheated on April in Paris (1952) and watched it in fast forward for cosutmes and set only. The saving grace of Doris Day movies is that they do tend to have big budgets and good costumes in full color. They also tend to be about showbiz and thus have elaborate stage costumes which are my absolute favorite.

Case in point -
[click for fullscreen eyecandy]



Technicolor french poodles. Oh yeah.







This set w the giant ruffles is my favorite I think

even Doris' grey ensemble is pretty great - perma-pleat cape and bikini top over a full length circle skirt.



I was actually going to make this post entirely about this shot, but there are a few other tasty morsels I have to at least mention.

her wedding dress - hellooo Vuitton



then there's this draped satin & flower dress she wears to a masquerade party - kind of Viktor & Rolf in a way - so sculpted .. refined yet totally insane.






Somehow Doris' bathrobe pretty much upstages everything else though



Super-full lavender tafetta. How many suitcases do you have to pack for vacation when this is just your robe?






I just liked this shot.
and I think this year's insane birthday cake will be a recreation of this one



anyone know where I can find an Eiffel Tower birthday candle?