The Goddess, Miss Lonely Hearts or the Wise-Cracking Dwarf?

Yesterday's post really wanted to be about Hitchcock's 'Rear Window', but I wouldn't allow it. I made an Executive Decision that I wanted it to be today's post, & here it is.

See, there's one part of my life that I have at least a semblance of control over.

I won't go on too much about the plot, or the character played by James Stewart, or the fact that the film was shot on one enormous sound stage on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles, & was the largest set of any film that had ever been made.

What I'm really interested in is The 'Rear Window' Women & which of these women most resembles me.

Of course I would like to think that Grace Kelly, who plays the role of Lisa Fremont, beautiful career woman & socialite , is most like me. The hair colour is almost identical to mine & I certainly would have her hair style &  outfits if I was an adult in the fifties. And her reading material is right up my alley. 

Look at Grace wearing those Prim White Gloves. And the white hat with the fascinator. And the huge pearl charm bracelet. I would never wear the gloves, partly because I have a strict Wardrobe Rule that forbids me from wearing white clothes or accessories because I'm far too grubby. And I wouldn't wear the fascinator because they're now worn by young Wannabe Slurry Socialites  at  Important Horse Races, like the Spring Carnival . But I certainly would wear the charm bracelet. 

But the truth is, I'm probably more like 'Miss Lonely Hearts' in the next photo. I certainly feel a bit like her at the moment. This poor lady lived in the apartment across from James Stewart's & he & Grace spend quite a bit of time observing her antics, which included having dinner with an Imaginary Beau, slurping a whole lot of hard liquor & then flinging herself on the sofa & sobbing uncontrollably. 

 I, of course would never behave like that, but I might in a Parallel Universe.

And then there's Thelma Ritter, who plays a hard-boiled, but wise & wise-cracking nurse who gives daily massages to poor invalid James. Thelma, who also had a small but memorable role as Bette Davis' maid in 'All About Eve', is one of my favourite character actresses. But she gets blown away by Grace's Regal Stature in that photo. That's the problem with us Short People. We're always being knocked off the stage by Tall People. I shouldn't go on too much about this because my Best Friend Marge is miles taller than me & it doesn't make me feel bad at all. But then again she doesn't look like Grace Kelly. Hope that didn't sound too mean.

Talking of Grace again, I once saw her. It was 1974 & I was a 21 year old excitable girl driving a little Mini Minor Van with another 21 year old excitable girl around Europe. We stopped off at Monaco &  swung by the exclusive Sporting Club de Monaco where Her Serene Highness, as Grace then was, was attending some Gala with the rest of her Tragic Family. We waited outside the Club talking to her chauffeur  until finally the whole family trooped out at 3am. I seem to remember that Grace had on a billowing Grecian-style evening dress & her hair had a huge fake plait across the crown. She looked like a Goddess. I felt underdressed.