MovieChat Forums > Irma la Douce (1963) Discussion > Insight into the American culture

Insight into the American culture

posted 10 years ago by sherineyousery
2 replies | jump to latest

I still haven't watched the movie, but I read some of the reviews and one said : " If you find yourself critical of the film, remember that this is late 50's, early 60's America. It came out during the cold war, in a period where TV was still in its 'Andy of Mayberry' days. Movies were heavily censored and even the media was under intense scrutiny for what topics matters it discussed."

I am not an American, so I have no idea what this is about. Can anyone give me an insight to what it was like ?

Thank you so much.

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

I wouldn't say this was typical of The Andy Griffith Show situation comedies of the time. This was a fairly risqué mainstream movie comedy ago, dealing as it does with hookers, their clients, pimps, couples living in sin and indulging in pre-marital sex etc.

[–] pc-daisy 10 years ago

A good example is Breakfast at Tiffany's. Truman Capote's novella is about a prostitute whose best man friend Fred is gay. In the American film version the first fact is glossed over and Holly Golightly becomes a very naive 'good time party' girl who has a happy ending with Fred. The author was most upset at what his work was turned into.

But is was a big, big hit because of the delightful Hepburn and is among Blake Edward's best work, not to mention the Henri Mancini score, including the massive Oscar winning Moon River. And the cleaned up storyline and obligatory happy ending.