The cigarette girl (above) is Garbo, the famous Swedish American actress of the 30s and 40s. I've blogged about her before but this time I'd like to focus on her feet. She's reputed to have walked on what amounts to kayaks. You'd think this would be a career-ending flaw for a dramatic actress, but the public forgave it. They were all focused on her face.
'Lest you've forgotten, this...
...
this is the famous face.
Some of my favorite Garbo films were the ones where she appeared to be studying the face of the person she talked to. Humanity was a puzzle to Garbo, something to be figured out.
Bye the way, how did she come up with that flat-on-the-sides hair style? It looked like her hair was carved out of wood and lowered onto her skull with chains.
Artists loved her.
Men went nuts over her. She was so...
mysterious!
Even the great Barrymore (above) fell for her. Look at that indecipherable look on her face. Fans clamoured to know, "For God's Sake, what is she thinking!!!???"
Maybe she was just bored, or maybe she had judged the human race and found us wanting. I prefer to think she was developing some great thought...some idea of cosmic significance that had the power to change the world if only she would divulge it.
Anyway, about the feet...She was a boon to women with big feet. She made it seem downright fashionable.
According to this artist (above) she had feet you could surf with.
It was a great look. Even fish tried to imitate it.
Who knows what influence she might have had on fashion had not WWII intervened?
4 comments:
Garbo's one of my favorites from the Golden Age of Hollywood for all the reasons you cited! Now those really are big feet!
I have a book for you to look at Sunday. Bring your camera.
She was bored, most likely!
Her feet weren't at all big for her height-she was quite tall for those days, 5'7" or so. But she liked to wear unflattering "sensible shoes" that were fun to caricature.
Anon: Argh! Maybe that is more plausible!
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