"You've Come A Long Way, Baby!"

Ah!  Remember the good old days of condescending attitudes to women?
All right, before I get barraged with death threats, the above statement is called "Sarcasm".
As my penchant for movie watching is not limited to just "after hours" I stock a small portion of our movie collection here at the shop.  Just a couple hundred in the back (and the front is reserved for the DVD's).  I prefer to listen to movies rather then the annoying banter that they try and pass off as entertainment on the radio nowadays.  Yesterday, on a lark,  I opted to pop in a flick I haven't watched in decades!  Normally I just put in classics that I've seen umpteen hundred times.  I can listen and not necessarily watch, so as not to be TO distracted while I work.  Instead, I dug through some crates I haven't looked in for some time and came out with the 1959 classic "Pillow Talk" starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall (one of my all time fave actors).  Mind you, I haven't watched this flick since I was in my teens, and it ran on some Saturday afternoon UHF movie re-run. 
Now, as I am older and I would like to think a wee bit more seasoned, I was dumbfounded!  Did we REALLY, as a society,  have THIS low an opinion of WOMEN?!
Now first, I find it very ironic that for the time period the most prominent male romantic lead was gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) he was, and I think still is,  one of the best "straight men" there were.
The movie tells the story of a young, single interior designer, Jan Morrow (Doris Day) and a philandering playboy song writer, Brad Allen (Rock Hudson) who share a "Party Line" (In twentieth-century telephone systems, a party line (also multiparty line or shared service line) was an arrangement in which two or more customers were connected directly to the same local loop. Prior to World War II in the United States, party lines were the primary way residential subscribers acquired local telephone service. (THANKS Wikpedia!)).  Jan laments her inability to utilize her phone as Brad,  apparently,  is constantly on the phone romancing a variety of women, utilizing the same sappy love song to woo each lady, merely inserting their name in the appropriate verse.  Brad is irritated by Jan's constant interruptions into his philandering and oft times accuses her of jealousy as she has no bedroom activity of her own.  Basically implying she needs to get a man, and all her troubles will go away!  This is a common theme throughout the film.  Various people she encounters all insist that she cannot be happy or complete until she gets a man to take care of her.  Jonathan Forbes (Tony Randall) is a very rich patron of Jan and attempts to woo her as well.  As it turns out Jonathan is best friend to Brad and professes his desire to marry Jan.
 Through some twists and turns Jan attends a house warming party for a client, where at the end of the evening accepts the offer of a ride home with the patrons son.  A "Harvard Man" who attempts to accost her on the side of a deserted road.  This situation is treated with humor instead of revulsion, and in order to keep him from pawing her, she agrees to have a drink with him?  While at the bar her would be assailant become sloshed and just who happens to be there but old Brad.  Having learned who she was from Johnathan, he see her and is smitten.  Not wanting to reveal his true identity, he takes on the persona of Rex Stetson, Texas Ranch owner!  Sporting an overdone  Texas Drawl, he introduces himself, and quickly becomes her savior.  At this point, instead of dumping the inebriated rapist in a gutter, they pick him up, pour him into a cab and pay to send him home.  As Brad/Rex turns on the Southern Charm, Jan too becomes smitten.  At this point Brad/Rex plays double time on hapless Jan.   As Rex he is the perfect gentleman , but also plays the interfering Brad on the Party Line, masterfully toying with her sensibilities as he forewarns her of certain pitfalls in Rex to look out for.   He warns her that Rex may be a clever manipulator only playing the gentleman.   but having more insidious intentions for her.  At one point Brad tells her that on her next date with Rex he will inevitably make an excuse to bring her to his hotel, at which point he would pounce on her.  Sure enough, on their next night out for a drive, he takes her to his hotel to "Get his coat" as it's chilly.  She is wary, expecting the worst when they enter (why, if she had doubts did she even GO?) he comes up behind her...and shows her the view of central park.   Then he picks up his coat and asks her if she is ready to go.  Her belief now even more solidified that he is the perfect gentleman!  Now falling for the man, Brad makes his final play, and when he once again intrudes on her phone inquires he asks her whether or not he has made a move to kiss her (yes it's implies that that means MORE then a kiss).  To which she retorts that he is a gentleman.  Hearing this Brad implies that perhaps he is the type of man who "likes pretty colors, to collect recipes, and REALLY likes his mother!"  (WOW!  Shades of self-loathing there, Rock?).  Sure enough, there next evening out Rex, while inquiring about Jan's work, comments on how wonderful it must be to work with all those pretty colors and wonderful fabrics!  And while testing a sample of the clubs dip, states how  delicious it was and wondered if he could get the recipe to make it for his mother!  Jan is thus manipulated into asking him to define their relationship.  In resopnse, he kisses her and the deal is sealed.  At this point, Jonathan has paid an investigator to look into "Rex Stetson".  He is presented with a photo revealing that Rex and Brad are one in the same.  Jonathan now comes into the nightclub to confront Brad, and inform him he is sending him to his weekend house in Connecticut (Jan was conveniently in the restroom) to finish working on a musical score for him, and to distance him from Jan.  Jonathan gives him a few moments to excuse himself from Jan, and leaves to meet him at his apartment to insure he packs and leaves.  Once again Rex/Brad twists the situation and informs Jan he must spend the weekend at a friends house he is intent on buying, admitting how lonely it will be, thus manipulating her to join him (they REALLY didn't have much faith in a woman's intelligence back then).  All warm and tingly, in anticipation of "sealing the deal" they drive off together.  Once there, while Brad/Rex collects more firewood, Jan is poking about his music sheets, and starts to tap out a familiar tune on the piano, and in a cathartic moment realizes that it's Brads sappy love song.  As she is storming off to leave, Jonathan, having discovered she too had left to Connecticut barges into the house.   Swooping her up and ferrying her back home, they leave a poor dejected Brad/Rex behind.  Sadly, it would appear the directors wanted the audience to feel SORRY for poor Brad/Rex!  All the way home Jan is crying (and you get the feeling she isn't crying because she was so poorly manipulated, lied to and used, but that she was disappointed for unrequited love?) At one point, a somewhat annoyed Jonathan pulls into a little road side cafe to get her a coffee "because it will make her feel better".  In the process of her hysterics he slap's her because "she needed it".    WOW!  Did that EVER really calm women down?  I will say, to the credit of the director, one of the other male patrons in attendance, when witnessing this, gets up and slams Jonathan in the jaw.
Now back at home Brad, realizing he really DOES love Jan,  looks for a way to get her back.  In the process he solicits  the advice of her housekeeper.  Over several shots of Scotch he is convinced to hire her to redecorate his apartment.  She being the professional, disregards her personal opinion of the man and accepts the job.  He insists she design it to be something "she'd be comfortable living in" (man this boy is an IDIOT!).  Now, inspired by a desire for revenge, she sends him out of the apartment while the work is being done and seeks out as much gaudy, tacky, tasteless trimmings and baubles she can!  Once the work is complete Brad goes to witness the final reveal and discovers his home has been turned into a multicolored Sheiks throne room!  Incensed, Brad does what any red blooded romantic male smitten by love would do!  He storms to her home, literally kicking the door in and drags her bodily out of bed.  Scooping her up, jammies, blankets and all, he carries her out of her building, heading to his. And not without the help of others such as the elevator operator (man), Door man (man) and a police officer (man)!  Even after she asks for his help as she is being taken unwillingly to his apartment!   To this the officer only responds "I can't say as I blame him, Miss"  (WOW!  No wonder we have all the laws we do nowadays!)
Sadly, Jan doesn't put up much of fight through this whole ordeal.   Once at Brad's apartment, she inquires as to what he is doing.  His only response is "it's customary to carry a bride over the threshold".  Well apparently back then the magic word necessary to eliminate all feelings of abuse, deception, betrayal, loathing and revulsion in a woman's heart was "bride".   Because at that point all negativity and fear was washed way from young Jan, as she turned into a smiling, doe-eyed, love struck pile of mush as he uttered the word! 
And they lived happily ever after!
REALLY!?
Ummm, by today's standards I see a lot of behavior and happenstance that may be a wee bit, Oh I don't know...Immoral?
If nothing else, these films, while admittedly somewhat entertaining, do serve a purpose.  They offer up a time capsule of social norms which, for all intense and purpose, are better left to the confines of history!
ANYWHO!
Managed to put out two new ones yesterday, with a third almost done.  I will pic 'em below, but don't get to excited as they sold REAL quick!  Thanks to all the folks paying us some props yesterday!  And ALL the trust with repairs! 
Update on the Newest addition to the working world, Elijah!  Seems it pays to pay attention.  Either that or he didn't get all the skinny on the work schedule!  He spent all day Thursday running around last minute preparing for the trip, securing his ID and opening up a bank account for his check to be direct deposited into (yea.  Guess who foot the bill on all that!) so he could be ready to head out at 6.30 pm.  Well, it wasn't so they could have an early check in time at the hotel!  NOPE, the crew he's signed on with works NIGHTS!  8.30 pm to 8.30 am.  OUCH!  (he said suppressing a sadistic chuckle!) He ended up doing a full 24 hour stint.  The fact that he survived it AND worked is a major surprise for someone accustomed to sleeping 14 plus hours a day.  Seems like he
is handling it though, so that's promising!
Alright, I think this has to have been the longest post for some time, so I'm gonna git ta werk! (finally)
See ya all SOON!