when one of the detectives takes margot's bag and wants to go out, inspector hubbard tells him: 'you can walk around like this, youll be arrested..'
what did he mean by that? that the detective will look gay? is this good old homophobia from the eraly days?
- is this good old homophobia from the eraly days?
no its not, its just some trolls always try to fit a pro/anti gay theme into everything.
It would have looked like he stole it.
" Look, there's two women fuc*ing a polar bear!" - Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas 1998
People thinking he stole the purse is what I always assumed. I never even considered homophobic reasons.
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I assumed it was because he had it dangling off his wrist like a big ole girl! It wasnt a homophobic comment. It was Hitcocks sense of humor.
shareWe just saw that tonight and it was SO funny, yes it did look funny him hanging it on his wrist like a woman would, TOO funny!
shareI agree that it was Hitchcock in his usual way, making a social/sexual comment.
Interesting point: Not five minutes later in the movie, Tony Wendice comes walking down with a purse on his arm and books in the other. And it is true: He does get arrested very shortly!! (Though not for carrying a purse, of course.)
On a separate issue, I thought it was interesting that Hitchcock kept the action closed within the flat almost for the whole film (outside of the men's club gathering). Most plays-to-film open up the action with (sometimes unnecessary) outdoor scenes to visually proclaim, "This is a movie. We're not limited to the stage set." Maybe Hitch did it to add a note of claustrophobia.
DaleYaVoo, I have read many books on Hitchcock. The set did add a note of claustrophia, to be sure, but I think in Knott's original play, it was basically in one room. Hitchcock wanted to be true to the original work.
shareI always assumed Hubbard's line was a joking reference to laws against public cross-dressing, which existed in some (most?) American jurisdictions at the time this was made. I vaguely remember hearing about arrests for this being possible when I was a kid. While I don't know whether the UK had such laws then, it wouldn't surprise me if they did, or if Knott was willing to simply assume so.
The one law like this I saw quoted on the web had weasel-words about "without lawful purpose". I'd guess that makes it unconstitutionally vague by today's standards, like an anti-loitering law. However, at least it would stop the police from raiding the Texaco Star Theater TV show and arresting Uncle Miltie in a dress.
I always assumed Hubbard's line was a joking reference to laws against public cross-dressing, which existed in some (most?) American jurisdictions at the time this was made. I vaguely remember hearing about arrests for this being possible when I was a kid. While I don't know whether the UK had such laws then, it wouldn't surprise me if they did, or if Knott was willing to simply assume so.
The one law like this I saw quoted on the web had weasel-words about "without lawful purpose". I'd guess that makes it unconstitutionally vague by today's standards, like an anti-loitering law. However, at least it would stop the police from raiding the Texaco Star Theater TV show and arresting Uncle Miltie in a dress.
I didn't take it to be anything homophobic nor that it would look like he stole it (but that does make sense now that it's mentioned.) To me it was just a funny visual, and it would have looked funny to anyone who saw him, not that he would literally be arrested. Just an innocent bit of humor.
shareLike we live in a perfect society now and homophobic characters don't exist in new films.
This was a harmless joke. Lighten up.
I don't know if it's been mentioned in this thread yet, but homosexuality was a crime punishable by a prison-term in Britain at the time this movie was made. So yes, if the policeman were seen walking down the street holding a small woman's purse he might well have been arrested. (And, of course, the line itself was Hitchcock's attempt to interject a little humor into this murder story. Nobody at the time could predict that it might actually offend anyone over 50 years later.)
shareA small woman's purse or a woman's small purse? Sorry I just had to go there.
shareYou're homophobic for assuming gay people walk around with womens purses.
Happy Festivus!
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