How We Do Run On

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Sunday Reading: Gone with the Wind or Tobacco Road? How Do Northerners View the South

We've got a fun bit of Sunday reading for you today: a 1957 newspaper article from the St. Petersburg Times that reports the results of a survey on how Northerners perceived the South. Did Yankees view the South through the lens of Gone with the Wind (the refined, aristocratic ideal of the Old South) or Tobacco Road (a grittier and poorer existence)?

The results as set forth in the article are as amusing as they are enlightening. My favorite tidbits? Southern women "more feminine and better dressed" than their Northern counterparts, while Southern men "drink too much." Here's the link for you to check it out:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dglSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=L3YDAAAAIBAJ&dq=gone-with-the-wind&pg=6956%2C4979855

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Rue de la Paix

This week's collage features baby Bonnie Blue Butler and proud father Rhett. Isn't little Bonnie adorable?

Baby Bonnie by carol@themovies featuring pendants

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Poster of the Week

This week we have a striking set of black and white posters that serve as a nice before-and-after snapshot of the famous jail scene.

Images from moviegoods.com.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Quotable Rhett Butler: The Really Pale Woman the Pharisees Took in Adultery

Okay, so we all know that I am not a Bible scholar, right? However, I did know a little about the reference we are featuring today, and probably so do you, because it is connected with a well known and frequently quoted phrase. The wording might be a bit deceiving, but here it is:

"'Wear that,' he said, tossing it on the bed and coming toward her. 'No modest, matronly dove grays and lilacs tonight. Your flag must be nailed to the mast, for obviously you'd run it down if it wasn't. And plenty of rouge. I'm sure the woman the Pharisees took in adultery didn't look half so pale. Turn around.'"

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter LIII

The woman the Pharisees took in adultery is actually the one that gives Jesus the occasion to say, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." The story goes, according to John 8: 11-21, something like this. Jesus was preaching at the temple and the Scribes and Pharisees thought to test him by bringing along a woman caught in adultery and asking him what they were to do with her. According to the old Law, she was to be stoned to death for her deed. But according to the Roman law, no executions could be ordered by anyone other than the Roman Empire through its officials. So they had put Jesus between a rock and a hard place, so to say. If he said that she should be stoned to death, they could report him to the Romans for disregarding their rule. If he said she should be spared, they could compromise him in front of the crowds by pointing out that he's not upholding the law of Moses. Jesus being Jesus, though, he solved it elegantly with that catch-phrase that, interestingly enough, Rhett omits to mention in his speech: ""Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Now, if Scarlett was more Bible-savvy, which she sadly wasn't, perhaps she could have saved her hide by pointing out the rest of this Biblical story to her husband. After all, if there was one thing he definitely wasn't, then that's sinless...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Honeymoon Shopping Spree, Part 3: "Satin Slippers... Three Inches High"

"And the darling little bonnets that were not really bonnets at all, but flat little affairs worn over one eye and laden with fruits and flowers, dancing plumes and fluttering ribbons! (If only Rhett had not been so silly and burned the false curls she bought to augment her knot of Indian-straight hair that peeked from the rear of these little hats!) And the delicate convent-made underwear! How lovely it was and how many sets she had! Chemises and nightgowns and petticoats of the finest linen trimmed with dainty embroidery and infinitesimal tucks. And the satin slippers Rhett bought her! They had heels three inches high and huge glittering paste buckles on them."

--Gone with the Wind, Chapter XLVIII

Today brings the last post in our Honeymoon Shopping Spree series, where we take a look at the luxurious loot Scarlett received on her honeymoon, from bonnets to lingerie and now finally slippers. To help you envision what Scarlett's fancy footwear may have looked like, we have an 1868 full-color fashion plate comprised entirely with shoes, from dainty slippers to everyday boots. To my mind at least, the bottom right pair of slippers seems like a good match to MM's description of Scarlett's own satin slippers, albeit much shorter of course. What do you think? Are there any pairs of shoes that you especially like or could see Scarlett wearing?

Fashion plate of ladies' shoes. The Queen, January 25th 1868.

Description: "Seven shoes are displayed. The top left shoe is a white flat with a small heel, and a small cording bow on the front of the shoe. The top right is a gray flat slipper, trimmed with ruffles and a gold ornament in the front. The middle row left is a brown ankle boot with a low heel, with black ruffles around the top and down the front. The center shoe is a higher ankle boot with a short heel. It has buttons down the front and a patent leather toe. The middle row right is another ankle boot with a short heel. It has brown fur around the top and buttons down the front. The bottom row left is a dark pink backless slipper with a low heel. It is heavily decorated with gold trim, tassels, and cording. The bottom right is a light pink low-heeled slipper. It has a black and gold ornament on the front and black lace around the sides, and a darker pink heel."

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Rue de la Paix

Sigh, few things could possibly be more romantic than Rhett and Scarlett exchanging love letters. And that's the theme of this week's fanciful collage, which charmingly even features the duo's signatures. It makes us wonder if Rhett remained true to his promise to write Scarlett from England. Wouldn't you love to see what those letters (and Scarlett's own replies) contained?