Friday, December 31, 2010

What's the movie Bridget Fonda is watching in "Singles" (1992)?


Search
: "gonna change my ways" "trading in my bridle" singles jane russell

Why: I watched that film the other night because I'd been thinking about it ever since I started listening to Campbell Scott reading the audiobook of The Shining. In the section labeled "The Hourglass Syndrome," Janet (Bridget Fonda) watches some musical number that features a gal who I'm pretty sure is Jane Russell.

Answer: The French Line (1953)! And the song is called "Any Gal from Texas." Embedding is disabled for the video - which is of terrible quality anyway, but you can watch it here. The part in Singles starts at 3:52.
Ha when I was playing it:
ME: Do you recognize that?
CHANDLER: It's from Singles, isn't it?
ME: Yeah [etc.]
CHANDLER: That's our state song.
Source: IMDb, YouTube

The More You Know: In fact, the film was released on my birthday in 1954. The date was pushed back because because:
  • It featured skimpy costumes designed by producer / aviator / chocolate bars & milk connoisseur Howard Hughes.
  • It was filmed in three strip technicolor and Dual strip polarized 3-D during the 3-D "golden era" of 1952-1954.
  • Jane's ample bosom literally popped out of the screen in 3-D. To stress the point Howard used the tagline "J.R. in 3D. It'll knock both your eyes out!"
  • The costumes were so purposely skimpy that it garnered a condemnation by the Catholic Legion of Decency.

4 comments:

  1. looks to me like this...

    http://tinyurl.com/29mkajt

    ReplyDelete
  2. from the same year. also starring jane russell, and directed by a howard h.

    cue twilight zone theme.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 12 years earlier, there was another Howard H. movie starring Jane Russell in a cowboy hat. I think she was kind of a one-trick pony.

    ReplyDelete