smile, darn ya, smile!

How adorable is 1931's vulpine singing brakeman?! It sure made me smile; I hope it brings you lotsa cheer as well!

And for good measure, here's my favorite Felix cartoon from when I was a young 'un:

(I was quite taken with the li'l kittens' "song" there when I was a kiddy; I could belt out a mean rendition of it myself, performed along with the accompanying dance, haha!)
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Have a very merry Hallowe'en, y'all! What are you going to be?!

These cartoons have made me wish I'd had the time to sew up one of these:

Oh well, next year I'll think ahead a little ;)
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plaid rags

Just a little outfit post. Everything is '40s or '50s except for my grey socks and my magical mustard Remix shoes. The little tartan 1940s jacket is one of my favorite things in my closet; I bought it for $5 in high school, can you believe it? And it's still going strong. Now that it's officially chilly up here in the Great North Woods, I've been having a grand old time with layers and pattern-mixing galore, as you can see. Even my chiffon headscarf sports a jaunty rainbow zebra motif. I also applied this aesthetic to the ol' blog here: note the new autumnal-hued wallpaper!

Speaking of patterns, my duvet cover makes a nifty backdrop, eh? It's almost like I took these pictures in beautiful Kentucky horse country. 

school spirit

Here are some more beautiful New England college girls of the '30s, '40s, and '50s! I've been taking most of my style cues from these gals lately; I love how practical and easy-to-wear these little ensembles are, while still retaining plenty of vintage charm. I imagine once I've graduated and have a "real" job these kinds of outfits would look smart in the professional world, as well.

(See, when I was a naive li'l freshman, I was totally expecting my classes to look like this next one: eager, fresh-faced youth listening attentively to a wise old intellectual in ornate historic buildings... talk about disappointing, haha! Look at them, they're having tea. So jealous...)

Note the two girls in sailor middies! Adorable.

Note the girl in the backwards cardigan! 

 I could stare at this one for hours; so many glorious details!

These covers from the Girl Scouts official magazine are equally swell for sportswear and collegiate looks; see more here.

Finally, here's a little tune to shake off the mid-week blues. I can't stop listening to it, I've been humming it for days now! (much to the annoyance of all around me, I'm sure ;)

nothing ever happens here

This week I had the treat of finally watching Grand Hotel, a rather delightful film, made all the more so by the presence of Crawford and Garbo. This is the classic film where Greta just vants to be alone. It's very stylish and dramatic, in true Old Hollywood form, with a star-studded cast and lavish set. I recommend it heartily for a little Golden Era glamour and escapism. 

However, the DVD extras had even more fun in store... this bizarre, fabulous 1933 musical parody of the film was the highlight of the evening, I must confess. I know I must seem crazy, but it actually had me in stitches. "Garbo"'s giant loafers! "Joan"'s bold wink! Way better than the original film itself, I daresay ;) 

It takes a good-natured swipe at the fluffy Busby Berkley musicals, too, with cute chorus girls in cuter costumes bursting into synchronized hoofing at the most random moments. 

(Love how the onlookers barely bat an eye, particularly in the kitchen scene, haha!)

Now, I've a burning question to ask of my fellow classic cinema buffs! Was this parody thing commonly done?! I tried to find some information about it online to no avail; let me know if you know of any other '30s (or thereabouts) spoof films like this one, 'cause I think they're ever so nice! 

If you've not seen the film, I suppose the above short won't make too much sense (but watch it anyway for the musical numbers!), so here are some pictures of Greta G. and my beloved Joan Crawford looking elegantly angsty as a "disillusioned ballerina and scheming stenographer", respectively.

And some trivia gleaned from this site:

Joan and Greta Garbo aren't seen together in the same frame as a purposeful plan in order to avoid one actress from upstaging the other. Greta Garbo insisted on top billing which infuriated Joan to the point of exacting a little revenge of her own during production. Knowing that Greta Garbo hated tardiness and Marlene Dietrich on an equal level, Joan made it a habit of arriving late on set, and in between scenes, she would play Marlene Dietrich records - loudly!

Oh, that Lucy LeSueur, such a kidder. This makes me love her even more than I already did!

Well, here's to a lovely weekend, my dears!

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