On the Frontiers of Costume Design — ‘Twentieth Century’

Posted on November 21, 2014 by lmharnisch

"Twentieth Century"

I watched “Twentieth Century” for the first time the other night and was more than a bit surprised to see Carole Lombard clearly braless in this scene. It’s not as apparent in a frame grab as it is in the film, but she jiggles mightily.

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
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6 Responses to On the Frontiers of Costume Design — ‘Twentieth Century’

  1. normandesmond says:
    November 21, 2014 at 7:04 am

    and here i was always under the impression that carole had no nipples.

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  2. Jeannie Weller Cooper says:
    November 21, 2014 at 7:18 am

    As a southern lady raised by old southern ladies who came of age at this time, I am always fascinated with these pictures (movies, folks, movies.) They explain a lot, sociologically, about our Deep South and many layered codes of dress, as well as mores relating to female anatomy and appropriate use of such. If one didn’t know better, one would be surprised at the relaxed (ha ha) view- yep- I said it- that older women took on brassiere wear here. (I was a CLC for years, so I had to keep – no, I won’t say it- of these issues.)

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  3. vp19 says:
    November 21, 2014 at 7:47 am

    And just in time, too — this not only was one of the first screwball comedies, but Lombard’s last pre-Code film.

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  4. Anne Papineau says:
    November 21, 2014 at 9:36 am

    I love the phrase “jiggles mightily” which would make a first-class porn name. Two other bra-less ones who rise immediately to mind are Greta Garbo in the latter half of “Anna (dat ol’ devil sea) Christie” and Clara Bow wrestling the Great Dane in “Call Her Savage.” They had nipples then.

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  6. Zabadu says:
    November 21, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    I think the movie people of her time didn’t wear much underwear. Bras really came of age in the 50s, and it’s puritanical thinking. In the 20’s and 30’s, bras were basically a hankerchief and ribbons. And Jean Harlow was known to air out her parts frequently. I’m sure Carole, who was a definite free spirit, went commando all the time.

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