Monday, September 14, 2009

MM@M: I Try to Be Like Grace Kelly

Mad Men at the Movies: Talking bout movies and movie stars referenced in the '60s set series. Previously: Gidget, The Wizard of Oz, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Natalie Wood and Joan Crawford and Marty.

1.9 "Shoot"
An ad man angles to steal Don Draper from his firm by courting his wife for a modelling gig.

Jim Hobart: Anyone ever tell you you're a dead ringer for Grace Kelly?
Betty Draper: They used to.
Jim Hobart: You know what? Coca-Cola is deep into this international campaign right now. A European face like yours, like Grace Kelly's, might be a road we could go down. We could put a call out for a Grace Kelly 'type' but I don't think we'd come this close...
As compliments go, that's quite a doozy. Do you think January Jones heard that before Mad Men or is it all in that 50's princess styling?


That "European face" they refer to was second generation American, born in Philadelphia with German and Irish heritage. Kelly's movie career was meteoric. She was famous by the age of 23 and retired by 27 after marrying Prince Rainer of Monaco. As with other A-Listers who are gone from the screen too soon (usually from death but occasionally from self-imposed retirement) she became legendary and continues to fascinate people. Including Mika, Madonna and numerous other songwriters



other references in this Mad Men episode
Cinema: "More Audrey Hepburn, less Grace Kelly", Three Coins in the Fountain | Broadway: Fiorello! | Politics: Jackie O, Kennedy, Nixon | Celebrities: Suzy Parker

4 comments:

lylee said...

I don't think January Jones particularly looks like Grace Kelly - other than being blond and devastatingly beautiful - but she's certainly got the Hitchcock blonde thing going...on the surface, at least. A lot of it is her styling as Betty, of course. And unlike Kelly's characters - and from what I understand of Kelly's real-life character as well - Betty's inner spark is being slowly smothered to death. Makes me very sad to watch.

But in so many shots, JJ as Betty definitely raises that Hitchcockian frisson of "ooh, is something bad going to happen to her?" It's deliciously chilling.

Anonymous said...

Mika isn't a legend...

Glenn said...

Nathaniel never said he was.

Gosh, Grace Kelly is stunning isn't she?

MrJeffery said...

Jones's stylings are indeed very similar to Grace's. I really noticed it in this episode, which is one of my favorites (LOVE the Coca Cola shoot).