Film Fashion Friday: Fashion Show February: Stolen Holiday (1937)

My Warner Archive DVDs finally came!! I have three movies for you all today and this will wrap up Fashion Show February. Next week we will return to normal broadcasting! :)

Cast

Kay Francis.....Nicky Picot

Claude Rains.....Stefan Orloff

Ian Hunter.....Tony Wayne

Alison Skipworth.....Suzanne

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Gowns by Orry-Kelly

Synopsis

Nicole Picot is working as a model in a Paris dress salon when she is picked by Stefan Orloff to help him convince a wealthy investor that he is well connected. She is to wear an expensive dress and dine with them because she has "class." The scheme works and both Stefan and Nicole become very wealthy over the course of a few years. Stefan is a "financier" while Nicole opens her own dress salon. But while Nicole's business is above board, Stefan's isn't, and eventually his web of deceit and fraud begins to unravel. Not always honest with her either, Stefan enlists Nicole's help one last time to avoid prison. (Taken from IMDb)

Fashion Review

I was so excited to see this movie and even more excited that Warner Archive was offering this as part of their vault collection. It really is a fabulous film!! The fashion is impeccable and as with many films I feature on this series, I want every outfit. :) Kay Francis really has the figure to show off these wonderful 30s fashions and I have grown a new appreciation for her! I really recommend checking ut some of her 30s film; she is fabulous!

Orry-Kelly designed the gowns for this film and boy do we get to see a wide array of his talents here. I have posted on Orry-Kelly before, so I won't bore you all with the details of his life and career. Click HERE if you want to learn more. The fashion shows in this film really display Kelly's keen eye for women's fashion and demonstrate his skill of dressing the female form. I am pretty sure there is always a female present on screen in this film and Kelly takes full advantage of that, with numerous costume changes and elaborate outfits.

Fashion Show Evaluation

Not even one minute into the film and we are given a fashion show....my kind of movie! What makes this even better is that we are presented with not one, but two fashion shows and they come before we even reach 30 minutes into the film. I really enjoyed the sequences here, which display many of the same traits that all the other fashion shows in this series present. I found each of the shows to be a bit like the one in Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008), where we have some one on a microphone describing the outfits. This is something that definitely sets these shows apart from the rest. What also sets it apart from some of the other shows in these types of films, is the fashion show really is just for the audience. We are drawn in and there are minimal cuts away from the show, which is great for us vintage fashion lovers -- we really get to see each outfit in detail! :)

Stolen Holiday is available on DVD through the Warner Archive Collection.

Film Fashion Friday: Fashion Show February: Street of Women (1932) and A Giveaway

The last film of this series and for this week is Street of Women (1932). I have opted not to do a "traditional" FFF style for this post for a few reasons; I cannot find who was the fashion designer/director on this film and the fashion show sequence is very short and very much part of the plot.

While I cannot find some to give credit to the fantastic outfits this film showcases, that certainly does not detract from making this super fashionable film -- one that I hope everyone gets a chance to see at some point. I accidentally bought two copies of this film, so I am going to give one away on my blog. It does not still have the shrink wrap on it, but it is brand new. to enter, just leave a comment on this post. Only one entry per person and the winner will be announced next Friday. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only, since I am going to ship it via Media Mail.

The fashion show sequence is very short in this film, all of about five minutes, but it plays an interesting role within the film. The woman sitting in the chair visits Kay Francis's boutique because she knows her husband is having an affair with her and wants to see what kind of night gowns she should purchase. It all really is just a rouse to let Francis in on the fact that she knows what her husband it up to. I think it's pretty neat that they are using a scene like this to relay such a message. This scene reminded me of the age old question of do whom do women dress for: themselves or other women? I also like that the film takes the one of the conventions of the fashion show: a costume in a boutique setting to view clothing and employs it for a completely different use: to let Francis in on the "joke."

There are many other films with fashion shows in them and a few have just been released by the Warner Archive. I wish I would have known about them when I first started this series. Maybe I can bring it back? :)

Anyways, if you are looking for some more fashion shows within film check out these movies:

From the Warner Archive:

Colleen (1936)

The Golden Arrow (1936)

Mannequin (1937)

From Amazon:

Vogues of 1938 (1937)

Artists and Models Abroad (1938)

From Film Collectors Online:

Artists and Models (1937)

Our Blushing Brides (1939)

The Bride Walks Out (1936)

Employee's Entrance (1933)

Widely Available on DVD:

Artists and Models (1955)

The Women (1939)

Funny Face (1957)

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

That Touch of Mink (1962)

Also featuring fashion shows are:

Lucy Gallant (1955)

On Your Back (1930)

If anyone has either of these movies, please send me a message. I would love to own these.

I think I got them all, but if I missed one, let me know and I will update the list. :)

I hope everyone enjoyed this series!!