Watching Old Movies, And Drooling Over the Clothing

I have been on an old movie watching kick lately and I tend to lean towards the comedies. I love the era when vaudeville is still transforming in to movie performance. I also love the hat era. Everyone used to wear hats and I love it!

Road to Rio (1947): Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard

Dorothy Lamour is a rich woman whose evil, fabulously dressed Auntie, Gale Sondergaard, is hypnotizing her into marrying a fortune hunter. You know, like you do. Two showbiz stowaways on a stop her from leaping from the ship, in fabulous white gown, as her own erratic behavior has caused her to become suicidal. Many people are hyponotized, the Andrews Sisters sing with Bing, and Bob dresses up as Carmen Miranda. Essentially everything I enjoy in a silly movie!

Lamour 1947 Road to Rio (2) — The dress she is going to commit suicide in. It’s gorgeous!

road-to-rio-dorothy-lamour-in-a-black-everett — This unreal black lace and tulle fantasy!

Lamour 1947 Road to Rio — Look at that heart neckline! I want!

Lamour wedding dress 1947 Road to Rio — It is hard to see in this screenshot but that silk wedding dress is 40’s fantastic.

Hope 1947 Road to Rio — Bob Hope as Carmen Miranda.

Scared Stiff (1953): Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Carmen Miranda

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis meet a woman who has just inherited “Lost Island” and fortune hunters are after her to sell it because it is haunted. They decide to help and on the ship on the way to the island they perform with Carmen Miranda. Let me just say Carmen Miranda was unbelievably charming and funny. She held her own and even stole the screen from two male comedy superstars. She sings, dances, and plays bongos, backwards and in high heels. Talent.

Carmen Miranda 1953 Scared Stiff 2 — Gorgeous and that headpiece is everything.

Carmen Miranda 1953 Scared Stiff — For the song “Enchilada Man” Carmen wears a headpiece with all sorts of kitchen utensils. YES!

Jerry Lewis 1953 Scared Stiff — Another Carmen Miranda drag bit. Look at those shoes!

Artists and Models (1955): Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLaine, Dorothy Malone

Dean Martin is a comic book artist at the time when comic books were being hailed as detrimental to the moral fiber of American Youth. He meets Dorothy Malone who is a female commercial illustrator and that goes as you might think.

Dorothy Malone 1955 artists-and-models — There are a lot of colorful numbers throughout this picture.

Jerry Lewis, as always is his bumbling friend, Eugene. The real star of this movie is totally Shirley MacLaine. She doggedly pursues Jerry Lewis and is completely adorable and hilarious.

ArtistsAndModels 1955 MacLaine — I love this sunbathing suit with a collar and a belt. It’s unusual!

Shirley MacLaine Dorothy Malone 1955 artists-and-models — Another colorful number at the end where Shirley is dressed as a comic book character.

You’ll Find Out (1940): Kay Kyser and Band, Ginny Simms, Helen Parrish, Bela Lugosi, Boris, Karloff, Peter Lorre

Honestly this is one of my all time favorite movies. My parents and I used to watch this on movie night around Halloween. It’s one of those goofy, comedy-horror movies. I love those! Helen Parrish plays a wealthy heiress (this is really a theme here) who is about to turn 21 and inherit a fortune. She throws a birthday party at her mansion, Kay Kyser and his band come to play, and they meet her aunt’s fortune teller, Bela Lugosi. They soon find out there is a plot to get rid of Janice to get to her money. There are about 15 girls in gorgeous 1940’s party dresses and that alone is amazing to see!

Youll-Find-Out-1

Kay Kyser meets Bela Lugosi.

Ginny Simms 1940 You'll Find Out — These are only 2 of the party dresses! Swoon!

Ginny Simms - You'll Find Out 1940 — Love that neckline and detailing!

Playmates (1941): Kay Kyser and Band, Ginny Simms, Patsy Kelly, Lupe Velez

There are just all kinds of fabulous dresses in this movie. The plot line is essentially that Patsy Kelly is John Barrymore’s agent and she and Kay’s agent get together and decide that the two should collaborate on Shakespeare. Neither is particularly excited about it. No heiresses here. Patsy Kelly is under-rated in this movie, as is Lupe Velez. Velez plays a female bull fighter and John Barrymore’s on and off again paramour.