Bad repro looks

[V.C. Brunswick]

From the opening title sequence of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Somehow I don't think the tanned California beach bunny look was very common in 1922 New York.

 

[The Wolf]

Maybe that is Doc Savage's cousin, Pat.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[rocketeer]

Westerns!
I think the Western film genre really kills repro looks! Westerns movies with the lead character tieless, with the top buttons of his shirt open and showing his chest. So bad!!
A lot of the clothes, haircuts and firearms in Western movies look to be the wrong cut, etc. for frontiersmen of the 1870's-80's.

I'm no expert on western films so ask this. How do you compare an 1950s-60s Hollywood western to say Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns such as Fistfull of Dollars, Few Dollars More, Good the Bad and the Ugly etc.
I feel the eEuropean films capture the era better with their spitting on the sidewalk and indiscriminate violence than the Randolf Scott, Alan Ladd etc vision, all pressed shirts and fair gunfights image projected by Hollywood.
None of us were there so we can only go by photo's from the era.
Only after the European films were a hit did America start to make their westerns with a more 'realistic' look with films such as The Wild Bunch,

A great topic, but I tend to enjoy a film with a good story than nit pick my way through it and spoil it for myself.
J

 

[Atomic Age]

I'm no expert on western films so ask this. How do you compare an 1950s-60s Hollywood western to say Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns such as Fistfull of Dollars, Few Dollars More, Good the Bad and the Ugly etc.
I feel the eEuropean films capture the era better with their spitting on the sidewalk and indiscriminate violence than the Randolf Scott, Alan Ladd etc vision, all pressed shirts and fair gunfights image projected by Hollywood.
None of us were there so we can only go by photo's from the era.
Only after the European films were a hit did America start to make their westerns with a more 'realistic' look with films such as The Wild Bunch,

A great topic, but I tend to enjoy a film with a good story than nit pick my way through it and spoil it for myself.
J

Some Hollywood westerns are more accurate than others. Tombstone was actually pretty accurate when it came to the costumes. The Italian westerns were not particularly accurate at all.

Arizona in the 1890's.

Doug

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Somehow I don't think the tanned California beach bunny look was very common in 1922 New York.

Maybe not new york but I have read about some articles about tan being hip in the 20s and 30s. Wasn't Rudolf Valentino very tanned?

 

[Edward]

Some Hollywood westerns are more accurate than others. Tombstone was actually pretty accurate when it came to the costumes. The Italian westerns were not particularly accurate at all.

Arizona in the 1890's.

Doug

As best as I can make out, the more accurate Westerns are the ones where the townspeople dress more akin to Victorian England than what we think of as "cowboys". Of course, the whole glamorisation of the Wild West is a horrendous historical error anyhow, but that's another matter entirely! I seem to remember that Dances With Wolves was hailed as a big turning point for the Western in terms of how it was portrayed, but it's really a little too far West and about thirty years to early to be my historical speciality.

 

[Matt Crunk]

At least it seems that attention to detail and "getting it right" has become more and more important in recent years, with both movies and TV. I think the '60s and '70 spawned the worst offenders, especially in the lower budget action pictures. Where Eagles Dare comes to mind, with Eastwood and Burton sporting modern (at the time) civilian haircuts as WWII military personnel.

 

[nice hat dude!]

You folks really need to lighten up a bit,when was the last time you went to watch a Clint Eastwood movie just to see what the hell he was wearing...sorry just needed to be said!!

 

[Edward]

You folks really need to lighten up a bit,when was the last time you went to watch a Clint Eastwood movie just to see what the hell he was wearing...sorry just needed to be said!!

What should we have been looking at - the chair?

 

[nice hat dude!]

What should we have been looking at - the chair?

I thought that was just his singing career(haha)

 

[nice hat dude!]

In case anyone thinks I'm out of line I do understand the need of period correctness for the movie industry, it would be in bad taste to be watching a WW II movie and they happen to use an F-18 for the air battle scenes,thatbeing said most of the movies we watch are for our viewing pleasure and not really meant as historical documentation,do you really need John Wayne to be dressed in period correct clothing to enjoy True Grit.

 

[2jakes]

Guy opens a new "ice cream shop" in the style of the 50s, milk shakes,burgers & fries .
I ask for a chocolate malted milk shake.
The clerk gives me a pre-mixed chocloate ice cream in a cup ($5).
I told him that a malted milk the way I remembered in the 50s was :
in metal container, 2-3 scoops of real ice cream, plus the "malt powder" &
placed in the blender . Short mix for thick malt or longer mix for smoother malt.
The drink was poured into a long glass (whip cream/cherry) option & he would leave
the metal container with the rest of the malt for me to finish. Cost (.75¢ )
The guy responds by saying…" I know, I know,….but that takes too much time
& trouble " !

The thing is , it's not so much that we ask for 100% spot on correctness . Specially in
movies. And it's not like we're looking for it. But for some, it is distracting.
I love the movie "Titanic" specially for the way people of different classes would dress
among other things. My wife will not watch because of the tragic events. That's ok,
her choice. BTW..John Wayne is John Wayne in John Wayne ! I enjoy his movies too !

 

[nice hat dude!]

Guy opens a new "ice cream shop" in the style of the 50s, milk shakes,burgers & fries .
I ask for a chocolate malted milk shake.
The clerk gives me a pre-mixed chocloate ice cream in a cup ($5).
I told him that a malted milk the way I remembered in the 50s was :
in metal container, 2-3 scoops of real ice cream, plus the "malt powder" &
placed in the blender . Short mix for thick malt or longer mix for smoother malt.
The drink was poured into a long glass (whip cream/cherry) option & he would leave
the metal container with the rest of the malt for me to finish. Cost (.75¢ )
The guy responds by saying…" I know, I know,….but that takes too much time
& trouble " !

The thing is , it's not so much that we ask for 100% spot on correctness . Specially in
movies. And it's not like we're looking for it. But for some, it is distracting.
I love the movie "Titanic" specially for the way people of different classes would dress
among other things. My wife will not watch because of the tragic events. That's ok,
her choice. BTW..John Wayne is John Wayne in John Wayne ! I enjoy his movies too !

Not so sure about that,the post was complaining about the wrong haircut..sounds pretty spot on to me?

 

[Guttersnipe]

As best as I can make out, the more accurate Westerns are the ones where the townspeople dress more akin to Victorian England than what we think of as "cowboys". Of course, the whole glamorisation of the Wild West is a horrendous historical error anyhow, but that's another matter entirely! I seem to remember that Dances With Wolves was hailed as a big turning point for the Western in terms of how it was portrayed, but it's really a little too far West and about thirty years to early to be my historical speciality.

With regards to to western, the period of western migration and settlement in the U.S. is usually regarded as lasting from 1865 - 1890 (i.e., the end of the Civil War to "Battle" of Wounded Knee, which was the last major engament of the Indian Wars). The thing is, that's a 25-year period. One thing people often don't realize is how much clothing changed over the course of the nineteenth century. For example, the uniforms of the U.S. Army passed through three distinct iterations during that time.

Here are some some men reputed to be Pony Express riders in the mid 1860s

Here are some working cowboys from the 1870s

A group of Texas Rangers from the 1880s

Some cowboys brushed and polished for a studio portrait in the 1890s

Here are some early twentieth century cowboys (1905):

Note that the main differences that set these fellows appart from other rural working men of their respective eras are the specific equestrian items (boots, spurs, chaps) and hats chosen (sometimes) for their utility in providing protection from the eliminates.

 

[nice hat dude!]

Must say I like the working cowboys from the 1870s packing six shooters,must have been some pretty mean longhorns in them bushes.

 

[Deco-Doll-1928]

I've had this conversation with my mom on several occasions. We would especially laugh at the movies and TV shows from the 1960s that tried to portray fashions from earlier times, but still looked very 60s.

I know this show is supposed to take place in the future, but the original Star Trek would amuse me for this very reason. lol