Smell the “Flowers”, and Ring the “Belles”

Paper by Kaila Hattis. Viewed on DVD.

American film history exponentially boomed at a time when the United State’s stock market crashed and left thousands hopeless and jobless. With the absence of common extravagant lifestyles, the 1930s and 40s gave way to a new privilege in America—easily accessible motion picture theaters for twenty-five cents a pop. These movie houses provided world travel, an escape from reality, and virtually set precedence standards for societal gender roles. The Hollywood Studio System is largely responsible for the opinions and perspectives quickly developed by its viewers. Women of the time were a huge source of revenue for motion picture companies, however as the beautiful actresses became dubbed “sex symbols” controversy around them inevitably followed. Women’s sexuality has been a driving force to be reckoned with. It has been controversial for decades, in search of finding its place in the world of film and social media. With religious and political activist groups boldly expressing concern of sexual content, film in the 1930’s and 40’s was required to please the masses and abide by the Motion Picture Production Code. Top Hat (1935, Mark Sandrich), and My Little Chickadee (1940, Edward F. Cline), are two movies that contain information of social and moral gender roles of the late 1930s. Both movies recognize women’s sexuality and also address gender roles from opposite angles. Top Hat is a screwball comedy with a polite pretty, leading lady played by, Ginger Rodgers. The film tackles serious relationship issues by using comical relief to numb attitudes towards the behavior young people should not follow, according to the MPPC. On the other hand, My Little Chickadee has sexuality and vulgarity slapped in the viewer’s face starring Mae West, a women that does not follow societal norms and rules. Both movies provide good examples of gender roles and by examining their content, may help explain certain societal standards we consider normal today.

Just prior to the golden age of Hollywood, (1930-1940) studios discouraged the ‘star system’ and were reluctant to give the actors additional control and money for leading roles in fear of opening a Pandora’s box. It was a testament to the talents of Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Tom Nicks, who were all able to succeed in spite of the studios. Regardless of those that achieved fame on their own, by the early 1930’s the five major studios had implemented the studio system.

Studio system stars were cultivated, protected, and forced to work even on films they didn’t believe in. The standard contract was for 7 years. The five major studios were MGM, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Werner Brothers, and RKO radio pictures, the studios would fix the actors teeth, give acting lessons, and publicize the up and coming stars in newspaper articles, add campaigns, and magazines. They would frequently trade their actors for a fee to other studios. They spread the myth that anyone could be discovered by a Hollywood talent agent at anytime, and anywhere, and then be suddenly catapulted to stardom. The studios created fan based publicity machines that would keep the actor’s name in the public all the time. Actors could not turn down being traded to other studios, or say no to events and functions in the industry. Many times actors were obligated to make deals to star in films that they did not believe in, just to get a part that they would want. MGM was by far the most successful studio, and they claimed to have more stars than the heavens above.

The Motion Picture Production Code was responsible for the content presented in films. It also carried out the necessary action of splicing or cutting scenes of movies to make them adhere to the code’s guidelines. The code was enacted in 1930 and ended in1968. It was lead by republican advocate, Will Hayes (MPPC was often referred to as the Hayes Code). Hayes believed in regulating the content of films to protect the general public, and most notably America’s youth, from corruption. Exploitation of crime, sex, drug use, nudity, divorce, religious mockery, and inappropriate slang was strictly prohibited.

It is fascinating when a behavior or conduct is considered to be societally unacceptable; it is a natural human tendency to gravitate towards it. Sexuality has had a negative connotation attached to it for years, and the film industry has had a huge impact on how and why the western world views it the way we do. To give perspective to this thought, there is not one species on the planet that does not reproduce. It is a natural urge no matter how the ritual, ceremony, or act of it is executed; the point is—the job gets done. In the 1930’s, western civilization believed sexuality’s place was only supposed to be in the privacy of one’s home, nowhere else. For little kids and innocent adolescence to witness vulgarity in movies was unheard of, except for symbolic references people would have to decipher from the dialogue.

Top Hat (1935, Mark Sandrich) is a screwball comedy-musical starring the ever so charming duo, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. Rodgers plays a classy lady that goes by the name of, Dale Tremon. Astaire plays an actor/tap dancer named, Jerry Travers. Jerry is cast as the lead dancer and singer in Horace Hardwick’ (Edward Everett Horton) play. The fact that Jerry is the lead role is supposed to be kept under wraps until the big opening night. Jerry unexpectedly falls in love with Dale, however to add a plot twist, for the majority of the film she believes Jerry is Horace, whom is already married. Dale is friend’s with Horace’s wife, and attempts to tell his wife that he was trying to provoke her. She seemingly does not care and the saga continues.
Top Hat is a farce based on misunderstanding. There is no doubt that after the dance scene in the gazebo, Dale and Jerry are in love with each other. The screenplay holds the audience hostage, as the two lovers are kept apart for the entirety of the movie, until the very end. Through a rather laborious process, Dale becomes convinced that Jerry is married and therefore unavailable and a rake. This makes the audience squirm, as Jerry is a perfect gentleman in the reality of his character. The screenplay balanced keeping them apart, but still enticed the audience’s palates by showing how in love with each other the main characters really are. There is never any doubt that Dale is going to get married, the question is who is it going to be?
Since this movie was made years before sex could be shown on screen, the audience must make do with symbolic gestures insinuating sex. For example, when the action moves to Venice, and the production number “Cheek to Cheek” is danced, the audience knows that these two characters want each other, but nothing is shown or hinted at other than the innocent dance. Another frequent use of symbolic sex was the lighting of a cigarette at the end of a dance number followed by a quick fade out.

A classic scene in Top Hat is when Dale mistakes Jerry for Horace in the lobby of their hotel. Dale is standing in the middle of the room, and Jerry comes walking down the stairs. They make eye contact and then he attempts to walk up to her and make small talk; she in turn slaps him in the face. He is baffled and left stunned by her change in temper around him. This set Jerry’s drive for the entire movie—to get her to fall in love with him too. The more she pushes him away, the more in love with her he falls. He cannot figure out why she would do that, and she cannot figure out why he would cheat on his wife. While in her hotel room, Dale proclaims, “I hate men… I hate all men!” She then questions how he could have made love to her while he was married! In the movie they never show them kiss or be overly affectionate towards each other, and yet it is apparent in the script that they were off camera. It is up to the audience to listen carefully.

In, My Little Chickadee, Flower Belle is an out of control riot. She does not answer to, or pay notice of anyone. She does occasionally see a man that is dubbed as the “Masked Bandit” but she has no idea who he really is. One night she gets caught seen with him. This event led to the courtroom judge to exile her away when she refused to give the court his name. She shows no despair or concern for the fact that she is being sent away. As she walks out of the courtroom the judge shouts, “Are you trying to show contempt for this court?” Flower Belle (Mae West) replies, “ No… I am doing my best to hide it!” With a grin slapped on her face, she glides through the isle, and casually walks out.

In, My Little Chickadee, there is a scene shot on a train and the train is attacked by Indians. The people aboard are in a complete frenzied state. While the other train members are scared for their lives, Flower Belle minds her own business and continues to file her nails and roll her eyes at the immature mess. Two arrows are shot that landed inches from her head, but she is not fazed. Finally she puts down the nail file and looks down at a man hit with multiple arrows lying dead on the floor. She takes two guns out from his belt strap and holds one in either hand. She flips them around and takes aim. With every shot another Indian goes down until the tribe retreats their attack.

Mae West was not the shrinking violet of many 1930s heroines. When she delivers classic quotes, her eyes avert towards the sky and an ever-knowing grin runs across her face. There is a constant barrage of double ententes in My Little Chickadee that allow the audience to be in on her jokes. She makes the viewers as smart as she is. It is necessary to listen attentively to understand what is going on underneath her words.

Many 1930s heroines were symbolically tied to the railroad tracks waiting for her betrothed to rescue her. This is not the case in, My Little Chickadee. Her character is shooting with both guns blazing as she defends the train from an Indian attack. The men in this movie are ineffectual buffoons, like W. C. Fields. Her female fan base must have reacted in awe of this in charge woman role model. During the movie many men fight for her affection and love. At the end, two men attempt to lure her into marring one of them however she either deflects them deafly, or slams the door in their faces overtly. She never is less than the master of her own destiny.

In both movies hints of sexual innuendos and slang references slightly disarm the Motion Picture Production Code. The code did not chap everything, but these two films are good examples of how snide remarks and insinuating comments were necessary to hide any suggestive behavior. Audiences could still understand the undeniable chemistry between two people in Top Hat, though the gender roles are quite generic. In, My Little Chickadee, the gender roles are completely opposite that of the times. Flower Belle defies any kind of stereotype, and it comes off as appealing to the men around her. In Top Hat, Dale is a classic case of a woman fighting with her conscience. On the one hand, she knows that Jerry is married, but on the other she cannot help her feelings and decides to dance with him “Cheek to cheek”.

Dale’s character would not be well antiquated living in 2011. She is a classic product of her environment, and living today would be too far out of her comfort zone. Flower Belle resembles a modern woman that could easily exist in 2011. If her clothes were updated, she could walk down State Street in Santa Barbara and be considered a headstrong woman, not a nuisance to be exiled away. Flower Belle is the kind of woman that is an inspiration to women today. Her outlook on life is not to take things too seriously, and that is the message that quickly spread throughout Hollywood. Today, movies have an extensive plethora of personality types and dynamic women filling leading roles. This is not to say that Dale is not a great character, however she is missing an independence that modern women have. Now all that is left to do is to smell the flowers and ring belles in memory of women that had a crucial impact on defining and breaking the gender roles in film history.

Works Cited:

Carman, Emily Susan. “Independent Stardom: Female Film Stars and the Studio System in the 1930s.” Women’s Studies; September 2008: 583-615. Online.

Greene, Jane M. “Hollywood’s Production Code and Thirties Romantic Comedy.” Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television; March 2010: 55-73, online.

Lewis, Jon. American Film: A history. W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.

The Internet Movie Date Base. 1990-2011. Internet. November 3, 11.