Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

1. How does the film relate to Chapter 24 in Foner? (at least two themes)

"Thanks to television, images of middle-class life and advertisements for consumer goods blanketed the country. By the end of 1950s, nearly nine of ten American families owned a TV set (Foner 921)." With how easy and common it was for Americans to own a TV set, it made putting advertisements and shows on the TV a must. In the movie, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Rock Hunter is far down on a totem pole of people who work at an advertising agency. He needs to come up with something new and different for their agency, who are possibly losing their biggest client. It's at this time that Foner also wrote, "TV ads, aimed primarily at middle-class suburban viewers, conveyed images of the good life based on endless consumption(921)." Catchy jingles, useful products, and celebrity endorsements were a few of the different approaches advertisers took to sell their products. Celebrity endorsement was shown by Rita Marlowe, a sex symbol of a celebrity. Hunter wants Rita to endorse his campaign selling lipstick, which she agrees to do after they strike a deal.Television was also used throughout the movie to show where Hunter and Rita were, to watch them be in love, and for the advertising messages. Rita also drove her car a lot in the film. This makes for the perfect way as to way the automobile is also so important to advertising in the film. "On the road, Americans were constantly reminded in advertising, television shows, and popular songs, they truly enjoyed freedom. They could imagine themselves as modern versions of western pioneers, able to leave behind urban crowds and workplace pressures for the "open road" (922)." Rita uses the open road to take Hunter for a marriage right away, even though it never ends up happening. But the headlines in the news spread and got the messages across that way.

"Women who worked outside the home remained concentrated in low-salary, nonunion jobs, such as clerical, sales, and service labor, rather than better paying manufacturing positions (922)." This character was portrayed by Rock Hunter's very own secretary, Jenny Wells. The two are in love, and barely scraping by with plans to marry. When she finds out about Hunter going behind her back she makes the change to become more like Rita because that's who she thinks he really wants. Jenny is of average appeal and status in the movie, which is how most women would compare themselves with those of movie star appeal. She takes it onto herself to work harder and try to win Hunter back. "Films, TV shows, and advertisements portrayed marriage as the most important goal of American women (922)." This is shown in just about every female character in the movie. Rita has a long lost love that she can't let go of, her secretary Violet also has a love interest that didn't work out, and lastly Jenny is still fighting for the love of her life who is stuck with Rita. 

2. How can you interpret the film as a commentary on the concept of "The American Dream" and the meaning of success during the 1950s?

The American dream at this time was to own your own home, a car, a TV set, air conditioning, a long distance phone, and other consumer goods. "Consumer culture demonstrated the superiority of the American way of life to communism and virtually redefined the nation's historic mission to extend freedom to other countries (920)."  It was at this time that Americans were all about products that could make their life easier, give them more comfortm and take them places they hadn't been before. Having a car meant you could drive to your destination, jets made it able for you to fly someplace far. Because America was now a place of higher standard of living, higher wages and stable prices people were spending more money to enjoy their freedom. Advertisers helped with spreading the message of freedom around too when telling people to buy their products. In class we called this "The Golden Age" at this time people were set on the idea of making a better life for themselves then their parents and grandparents had. To Succeed during this time you needed to have these products, to other people it signified your success, you were able to afford these items that made life easier. At this time it wasn't all happy times though, there was still the big problem of segregation and how come we aren't dealing with it. Some people couldn't be a part of this success simply because of their race and so the 1950s was still a time to work on our society.

3. How is the workplace portrayed in the film? What does the depiction reveal about life in the 1950s?

The first thing we're told in the opening of "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" is about the private bathroom only certain privileged employees that are higher up on the ladder get to enjoy. We see how Rock Hunter greets the president and does receive a greeting back because he's not even on his radar. As the movie progresses we see Rock Hunter try to show the corporate CEO's an idea he has for the lipstick they're trying to sell, he wants the celebrity endorsement of a huge start with "kissable lips", Rita Marlowe. After being kicked out of the meeting and essentially fired, he drops the pictures he was working on and goes back to Jenny. He had dropped the pictures in front of the president and he wants Hunter to continue on with his idea and to get Rita to sign on to agree to do the commercial. As the movie continues we see the president trying to say hi to Hunter in the halls, and he ignores him like what happened before. The two men then sit and talk in his office one night about the success and how the president wanted to work on his roses because they mean more to him. By the end of the movie Hunter has moved up the chain, he gets the key to the special washroom, and even his own private one for himself. He realizes he doesn't want any of the success though and quits to become a farmer with Jenny. Throughout the movie we see all the ugly sides to working in a corporation, how you don't matter as much you wish you did, how hard work pays off, but only if that's what you want. What you're going to give up to be on top is huge too. The workplace here is portrayed as an ugly side, but it shows how hard work can take you places. This depiction shows that life in the 1950s was just as hard as life is now. Everyone is always working to do better, to climb the ladder, and do anything they can to get higher. Hunter did was he had to, because he thought it would make him happy if he was successful.. which is what everyone always thinks. If you have more money then you'll be happy. Hunter learned that it didn't matter his position as long as he could be happy with Jenny it was fine. Rita learned that her first love was the right one for her, and no one else can compare to who that person is. It showed a lot of negative sides to work, and how hard it can be to obtain your dreams.

4. How are gender roles and sexuality represented in the film? What do the films various representations of gender and sex reveal about life in the 1950s?

Two words- Rita Marlowe. In the movie Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter she was a huge sex symbol. It was in the clothes she wore- or the lack-thereof. It was in the make up she wore, and the laugh she would give that sounded high pitched and funny. Rita Marlowe worked her sexuality because that was her job, she was successful actress and was all take about men and sex. She nicknamed Hunter "Loverboy" so she could get back at an ex that cheated on her. Which he ex is portrayed as a huge muscled almost Tarzan like man. He has rippling muscles and he's the typical good looking hollywood guy. When Jenny decides she needs to look more like Rita she takes on doing push ups until she's frozen and on the ground which as it turns out when they bring a doctor in is a normal problem. Tabloids in the movie also exploit the sexual appeal of Hunter whenever he's with Rita, that his "kiss makes her faint" and she does nothing to stop this. She wants it out there to show off how happy she is without her first love in her life and how great Loverboy is. Hence his nickname being Loverboy, it gives the media something to call him and make up rumors about. From just seeing this movie one could say that the 1950s was okay with putting sex and gender on display and that it was okay to be open about sex, and your relationship with everyone. It was telling everyone that if you're of celebrity status it's okay to tell the word what's going on with you. Rita was always selling herself and sex. She was the perfect person for Hunter to get for his lipstick campaign since the media had already nicknamed her because of her kissable lips. 

Gold Diggers of 1933

Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933)

#1. How does the film relate to Chapter 21 in Foner?

Two of the questions that come from Foner were addressed in this movie, "Gold Diggers of 1933." The first being "How did the New Deal benefits apply to women and minorities?" The second being "How did the Popular Front influence American culture in the 1930s?"

The New Deal benefits applied to women with examples like Frances Perkins and Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt transformed the position of First Lady into something completely new. She wrote an article and while it sometimes didn't agree with her husband's views, it was still allowed. She spoke out against public issues, and she put work in on the New deal with a concentration on the civil rights, labor legislation, and work relief (820). Women were also able to hold more jobs. This relates to the movie because the women, Carol, Trixie, Fay, and Polly didn't have men to support them at the time. As the film goes on we see that they all get the happily ever after that they want, and even end up with more money then they knew they would. 

Foner says on page 828, The "common man," Roosevelt proclaimed, embodied "the heart and soul of our country." During the 1930s, artists and writers who strove to create socially meaningful works eagerly took up the task of depicting the daily lives of ordinary farmers and city dwellers." This is the exact message that Barney was trying to depict in the second musical we see him directing.He wanted to capture the depression and everything that went along with it. He had the women who relied on the musical to pay their bills working for him, and music with acting by Brad. Who it is said only spend $25 a week or a month, and is secretly really rich. Another way this connects is the last musical number, "My Forgotten Man", about the speech FDR gave and how it relates to the man at the bottom of the to-dam pole. This musical is one of the most realistic of the movie, it's grim, dirty, and honest. It shows nothing glamorous about the life a woman and a man would lead at the time of The Depression. The woman is left home alone to fend for herself while the man is away, the women is the highlight in this piece, all by herself, looking longingly out a window. Even when he comes back he'd be waiting in line for hand outs because work was hard to come by at the time.

#2. How are gender roles and sexuality represented in the film? (select two characters to use as an example)

Gender roles and sexuality are represented through the manipulative woman Trixie, and J Lawrence portrays the speculative man. Trixie is the ring leader of the girls and is always out to provide for herself and the girls. She is seen as the "comedy" of the girls and makes the decision that Carol should pretend to be Polly, to mess with J Lawrence. She also decides to make the family lawyer Peabody fall in love with her. She manipulates him, and has him buy expensive extravagant things for her, while also stealing little things from him as well. She has a scene in the bath tub too, and it's shot very carefully but it's not lady like to leave the door open when there are guests in the apartment. She also is one of the girls in the play, and is shown very provocatively when the girls are changing behind the screen, and with "Pettin' In The Park". J Lawrence is the epitome of a man of times in the 1930s. He has money, and he's speculative of everyone wanting to use him for it. While he also plays the part of a cocky jerk by stealing his brothers "girlfriend" away from him. He dresses in the best clothes, and seems to look down on most people because they aren't of his ranking. When he's talking to the real Polly he makes a comment about how a girl with her up bringing should be with his brother because he finds her to act and be of a higher standing than the fake Polly. Even though he ends up falling in love with Carol, a show girl he eventually gets over it for love. Women in this movie are generally shown as poor, and in need of work, they dress in clothes of the time, hats are a big thing, and they are on the look out for a man to be with. Men are shown as working hard, rich or of middle class, intelligent and very protective of their money. Sexuality is shown more through the woman in the film, they wear the more provocative clothing and since they are show girls they wear clothes that show more skin then women of a higher class. Men and sexuality isn't shown as anything more than the appeal of a business man.

#3. Pick one of the musical numbers- "We're in the Money," "Pettin' in the Park", or "My Forgotten Man"- and first analyze what is happening in the scene and then explain what you think "message" is to the audience.

The song I want to analyze is "Pettin' in the Park", I picked this song not only because of the sexual nature in it, but because I feel like it gives you new insight into the new type of women that was allowed to be starting in the 1920s-1930s that didn't exist before. The scene starts off with Brad reading a book about love, which sets the mood for the upbeat tempo of the song, and the message behind it. The scene takes place in the park, like it states with Brad and Polly singing to each other on the bench with a quirky tap dance number. We are shown some touching and feeling from Brad, and with Polly's lines "Bad boy" it just leaves room for the idea that it's a sexual line.It then moves to the zoo because of her animal cracker box and shows two chimps being watched while being cute and kissing by the police officers. The scene pans out to multiple couples that are "pettin' in the park" being cute and intimate. It then shows how Polly was going to go home but is directed to a sign for "little girls who skate home" which, while she isn't a little girl she still needs to skate home because she's quite innocent. This then pans out into a skating number with the cops chasing a small child around, cutting to a snowball fight and eventually a large number of people "pettin' in the park".It's at this point a storm comes and drenches the women making them change, and the same mischievous child moves the curtain up trying to show a peak at some skin. This leads to the final scene of all the women wearing a type of armor that would deny the men from any "pettin' in the park" which makes the men throw their hands up in frustration. Brad is then given a small tool that will cut through Polly's armor and the scene ends before any skin is shown. A few line of the lyrics I want to point out include: "Underneath the starry skies, take someone like me along with you for a little exercise", that gives the impression that they'll be doing more than just looking up the stars since "exercise" is involved in it. "Pettin' in the park, (Bad boy!) Pettin' in the park (Bad girl!)", these two lines show that clearly there will be some sexual advance while in the park, and that it's actually going to be somewhat kinky. Then it continues on with "act a little shy; (aw, why!) struggle just a little, then hug a little. . . come on, maybe this i wrong". This whole verse which is pretty long to fit in here is the back and forth of two people sitting in a park pretty much getting it on, while the woman is trying to maintain some dignity and not wanting to partake. She puts up very little resistance clearly.
I found the message of this song to be 100% sexual. I understand that during the depression there were new things like birth control, and flappers. There was more freedom and people wanted to take advantage of that but singing a song about "Pettin' in the Park" is a very dirty way to do it. They also had a small child helping with the pettin' which doesn't seem exactly right. The message here was clear, as stated at the beginning of the song sometimes you need to relax, and yeah sex could be an answer but the song suggests you do it in the park. While it's a musical, it gives a upbeat tempo and it's a catchy song so many people could take the meaning seriously and actually try to do some pettin' in the park. 

#4. Are the issues of class and social status addressed in the film? Are any New Deal values about what it means to be an American reflected in depictions of class and social status?
In the film Gold Diggers class and social status are addressed in the film. The four main girls we meet are poor, and barely getting by. They steal milk from the neighbors, and worry about food and rent because of how little they have. They share clothing, because they only have so much. While on the opposite side of the spectrum we meet Brad, J Lawrence, and Peabody who are all well off. Brad doesn't bask in his wealth or really talk about it, while J Lawrence is pushing his money around. These men are of higher class and don't want to be scene with the show girls, yet they end up going out multiple times and spending a good amount of money on each girl except for Fay, she's not shown that much with the men.J Lawrence even brings up how he would like to pay Polly (Carol) off for not being of a good enough status for his brother. The musical also is able to be put on because of Brad giving $15,000 in it otherwise the girls wouldn't have any form of income.
The movie  does show some the first new deal, in recovery. Everyone is trying to recover from the baking crisis, and that's why the first show gets shut down. The lack of money is huge in this movie, and it's partially because of the banking crisis and partially because the main characters are poor. While the wealth is shown in J. Lawrence and Peabody. While the second new deal could be relative to the theater and other artists becoming more popular. I believe this is shown through Brad's character, even though he's well off, his talent is discovered and it's used in the play in two ways- acting and music. He has a scene in the movie where he's very much involved and doesn't like how the guy playing the lead is singing his song.

The Crowd (1928)

The Crowd (1928)

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#1. How does the film relate to Chapter 20 in Foner?

-The Crowd relates to Foner Chapter 20 in multiple ways. Money was being spent on leisure time activities, the flapper was born, jobs were lost, and hard to find. Also, public opinion was manipulated, and money/ credit was used a lot on material goods now. Sometime money wasn't easy to come by and some families barely made enough to get by. John and Mary are an example of a couple like this. John had first come to New York with big dreams of a high paying job. He ended up at the bottom and couldn't seem to work his way up the ladder though. John and Mary  they dealt with a lot of things that were common during the 1920s. John was unhappy and drank a good amount during the prohibition, so he was smuggling the alcohol. John was also hit on by a Flapper that his friend Bert had hanging out with him. 

"Andre Siegfried, a frenchman who had visited the United States four times since the beginning of the century, commented in 1928 that a "new society" had come into being, in which Americans considered their "standard of living" a "scared aquisistion", which they will defend at any price (763)." I feel this quote reflects the relationship John and Mary have, because John isn't making a lot of money they can't afford a lot of things that they want for their kids, and they don't go out often. When John gets a bonus for a jingle he wrote they immediately spent the money on material goods. Near the end when John can't provide too much, he gives his relationship one more go by buying movie tickets to take Mary and their son out which ends up making her stay. Also during the film Bert is able to get higher on the Corporate ladder which brings us a bigger picture into the Upper class. At the time there was a divide between the classes and it was shown in a lot of ways. Bert stays single and because the "Flapper" is born he's able to have relationships that way, he also is the person that has alcohol during the prohibition and is just a free single man at the time.

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1. #2. Why is this film titled The Crowd ?

In the film The Crowd it shows that life is exactly just that, a crowd. Multiple times in the film we see examples of crowds, New York is packed, the beach is packed, the office is always packed, when you're doing anything someone is always by you looking over your shoulder crowding you.During this time period cities were being overwhelmed by people looking for work, looking to relax at the beach, movies, tour busses. When John and Mary first meet they take a tour bus around the city and there are crowds of people walking everywhere. When John's father dies there are people crowding downstairs in the house waiting to hear the news and to give their sympathies. When John and Mary have Mary's Mother and brother's over for Christmas they crowd him and give him troble for his lack of money, and he doesn't come back to be that crowd. At work the offices don't give much space for anything. There's a bathroom scene where everyone is in there and they all walk by and have something to say to John, it's like he doesn't have any privacy. When their daughter is hit by a car everyone is crowding around her and there's barely any room. Naming this film The Crowd shows just how little space people were given at the time, you were always a part of one crowd, based on class, job, home anything you were never alone and always crowded.

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1. #3. Are John and Mary exemplary examples of the American Dream?

I feel that John and Mary are an attempt at the American Dream. John didn't realize how hard he was going to have to work at the American Dream. He was raised by his father to think that he was special and he would be able to do anything. While that's not a bad way to raise your child his dad died before the Depression hit, and it was harder to make a name for yourself. When John and Mary get married, they go on their honeymoon and they plan out their lives together. That plan doesn't end up happening, because it's hard for John to move up in the company, he doesn't ask for a raise, and he's barely making ends meet. Mary's mother and brothers don't approve of John and they want her to move out form living with him. While they were happy on and off together they also had two children, until one day they lost their daughter. So they had a dark cloud looming over them, then John gets upset at work because of how he's being treated and he quits. Then he's unemployed and trying to live this American Dream. He isn't making any money and he fights with Mary a lot and they just aren't happy. Mary doesn't want to leave John but she tries to leave with their son anyway. While she was getting ready to leave we see how John found a job. The movie bring it full circle because John is working as the clown he made fun of during their bus ride when they were going around the city. We see John and Mary give it their best attempt to be part of the middle class/ high class during this time trying to live the American Dream. Although in the end we see that they learn all they need is each other and whatever income they can get to be happy.

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1. #4. Connect the bus ride John and Mary take at the beginning of the film where John looks down on people and talks about “the poor boobs” and the “poor sap. I bet his father thought he would be President” to the last scenes in the film.

This is an example of everything coming "full circle" from the start of the movie to the end of the movie. At the end it's seen that John is just like the guy he's talks about and how his dad probably thought he was going to be president or achieve great things. John goes through a lot and it turns out the juggle job of a clown is the only place he's able to get a good stable job and make money. He essentially becomes "the poor boobs" that he's mocking and making fun of at the start of the movie. Before his dad died he too thought John was going to be something big and he ended up barely making a living and passing by in life. John was lucky that by the end of the film that job afforded him movie tickets and another chance to make things work with Mary even though she was really close to leaving him.