MovieChat Forums > Walk on the Wild Side (1962) Discussion > Some random observations

Some random observations

posted 11 years ago by ZolotoyRetriever
3 replies | jump to latest

1) When Dove and Kitty were at Teresina's café, I found it a bit unbelievable that Teresina would so openly pull out the wad of cash from the cash register and thumb through it right in front of strangers (Dove and Kitty sitting at the counter). Of course it was a plot device which helped open the way for the following scene where Kitty made a failed attempt to find and steal the money, but still, this was the middle of the Great Depression, and I found it hard to believe that a café owner would flaunt cash like that.

2) Also found it a bit unbelievable the way that Dove, a couple of times, walked in off the street into the bordello, and went right up to Hallie's room. Seems like there would have been more "security" measures in place to prevent random guys from just walking in like that.

3) I noticed one scene where they showed a view looking out at the French Quarter, and over to the right of the screen you can see what appears to be a scrub hillside. I'm thinking this movie was shot not on location in NOLA, but rather on a back lot in SO-CAL. Anybody know?

4) The part where they were trying to frame Dove for transporting a minor across state lines: it seems to me that interstate truckers would have had to be careful of that law, too. If they were caught giving a ride to a hitchhiker across a state line, and that hitchhiker was a female of minor age, they could be charged under that same law. As such, that trucker that stopped to offer Kitty a ride was probably taking a big risk.

[–] CanadianBill 11 years ago

1) Surprising yes. Very careless and unthinking, definitely. But I'm not so sure about unbelievable. Given the amount of human spupidity I've witness in my lifetime nothing surprises me. She (the cafe owner) really did seem like the trusting sort though. I mean, she did take strangers into her bedroom and place on of them in her bed out of sheer kindness. That sort of kind naivete alone can set anyone up for a rude awakening.

2) You'd think so, but then again one loud "yelp" from any of the girls and the intruder would have been besieged by the house henchmen armed with bats and guns etc. Perhaps their reputation with the locals was the thing they were counting on rather than having a bunch of thugs sitting around the entrance?

3) No idea. If it was a set it looked good enough to make me believe it was NO.

4) Valid point. Perhaps that is why Fonda was caste in the role? She looked a little more grown up shall we say than the underage girl her character was described as being, thus she would have very easily fooled those or any other truckers.

My issue with that frame-up job on Dove was that Dove didn't "transport" anybody. The two just happened to be going in the same direction is all, and decided to travel together. But of course when dealing with a frame-up the truth often never enters into a trial, only what a jury thinks happened.

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[–] txfilmfan 10 years ago

Regarding #3: Whoever did the location scouting for those shots should have been ashamed to be called a professional. I know Hollywood of that period wasn't known for trying for authenticity, but the opening scenes on the train when they get out before the stop in Beaumont is laughable. It's a scrub desert scene. Beaumont is the beginning of the swampy marshlands along the Gulf Coast. And the location at the TX/LA line showed a hill. There are no hills like that near the border. You have to travel at least several hundred miles northwest or west to find those. At least they could have visited a library to look at pictures of the area first.

[–] Mustang (5571) 2 years ago

I also doubt the cafe owner would allow Kitty or anyone into her private bed after they complain of a stomach ache and then leave them alone in the room. Then to forgive Dove so easily when he returns with the necklace. Then again I think she had the hots for him and knew it was Kitty who stole it anyway.

French model or not I didn't see Hailie (Capucine) as anything amazing, not to the point of being a client favorite at the brothel or the obsession that Dove has with her.