Wow.
In 1955 that is when life, apparently, ended (for women). And all those women looked like they were in their late sixties and seventies.
Today, I know some 56 year olds that out-walk, run and out-think me by miles ... One runs her own business and the other goes to 24 hour fitness every other day and looks fab. We are involve in charity work and have a great time on weekends just gabbing away, going to movies and living life.
How times change!
Haha! I was thinking the same thing. I thought I heard her wrong when she said she was 56.
shareThe sisters certainly are made to look and act much older than 56. The point of the scene is that -- at least within the Italian-American culture of that time -- widows without advanced education and job-market skills were limited to the home-caring work they had done for most of their lives. Probably some truth to this, but, in a fiction, the "curse" of this situation is of course exaggerated.
I had an uncle (not Italian), born and raised in NYC, who lived with his parents in their Queens apartment until he got married (in 1960) at the age of 42! My brother and I think this is hilarious. However, our mother (our uncle's sister) insists that it was the cultural norm for single people (female and male) to live at home until marriage, at whatever age.
Martha Washington was a hip, hip, hip lady, man.
The sisters certainly are made to look and act much older than 56. The point of the scene is that -- at least within the Italian-American culture of that time -- widows without advanced education and job-market skills were limited to the home-caring work they had done for most of their lives. Probably some truth to this, but, in a fiction, the "curse" of this situation is of course exaggerated.
I had an uncle (not Italian), born and raised in NYC, who lived with his parents in their Queens apartment until he got married (in 1960) at the age of 42! My brother and I think this is hilarious. However, our mother (our uncle's sister) insists that it was the cultural norm for single people (female and male) to live at home until marriage, at whatever age.
Martha Washington was a hip, hip, hip lady, man.
Yes, in Paddy Chayefsky's "Middle of the Night", Frederic March talks about being 56, spending at least one week in the hospital each year, and being preoccupied with thoughts of death. So I guess 56 was old in the late 50s when life expectancy was around 65.
shareBoth of my Grandparents died in their 60's when the average age people died was 67 and Social Security paid out for about 5 years.
Today, medications and nursing homes keep elderly alive way past that age and their capacity for quality of life. Not to mention that Social Security can't sustain it.
Maybe it was better in my Grandparents day when grown children didn't worry about paying for nursing homes and doctors didn't try to keep elderly alive with every new pill.
__________
"We in it shall be remembered;
We few, we happy few;
We Band of Brothers" ~ W.S.
I don't want to live like that
Life expectancy in American has never been 65. Here is the average life expectancy at age 65 for America...
1900–1902: 11.9 years
1940: 11.9 years for males and 13.4 years for females
1990: 15.3 years for males
2010: 19.1 years
2019: 20.8 years for females
2020: 18.8 years for both males and females
2021: 17 years for males and 19.7 years for females
Most people do not understand life expectancy. Life expectancy used to be very low because they counted in infant mortality, which is meaningless for anyone who has already gotten to a certain age.
Wow.
Life Ends at Age 56 ....In 1955 that is when life, apparently, ended (for women). And all those women looked like they were in their late sixties and seventies.
56 is still really old, you crusty fossils. <--Tell that to Social Security. I know people in their 50s whom are in better shape than those in their 20s.
http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com
Right, I thought being 30, unmarried and without children was tough in 2016.....if I live in the 1950s, I would have been considered an old maid! Society was tough back then.
shareTry the 40s, Jackie. LOL
http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com
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this is a film. it exaggreates. there were plenty of real life women of 56 in 1955 who were leading interesting lives. the actresses playing those parts for example.
shareChild birth back in the 1930's-1960's was BRUTAL on a women's body. It is feasible with the number of times these traditional women gave birth that by the time they were 50 they were indeed old.
shareIt still is.
shareChildbirth was brutal because male doctors did not bother to use gloves or sterilize their hands before operating.
shareI wish I could see this in a theater with a crowd because that line ("I'm 56") brings big laughs.
shareAnd not to mention that Marty is only 35 and looks 56.😂 The ladies are only in their fifties and look like they are in their seventies. People looked a lot older years ago. Why? I’m not sure but it isn’t just that case for this movie.
shareI don't know why people looked older back then. My father's parents died in the '40's at 53 and 56. In pictures, you'd swear they were pushing 80.
Then, in movies, look at "Andy Hardy's" parents. They could have been his grandparents.