MovieChat Forums > Nothing Sacred (1937) Discussion > "Show them the finger, babe."

"Show them the finger, babe."

posted 8 years ago by erinmoralde
4 replies | jump to latest

I was absolutely flabbergasted when that scene came up. When the announcer first says "show them the finger, babe" I thought the lady on the horse was going to do something else (I kept thinking censorship code existed at the time that would prevent the movie from showing the finger), but she actually goes and gives the audience the finger! I literally said HOLY *beep* at the screen and started laughing for like a minute.

I mean, if that scene was done today I wouldn't be so surprised. But seeing as how the movie was made in 1937 I was shocked. This was the era where you couldn't show two married people sleeping in the same bed...

[–] notmtwain 8 years ago

If you read the earlier thread (http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0029322/board/threads/93406951/ "Middle Finger??" ), a lot of people think it was her index finger.

In the olden days, these things flashed by and they didn't get to watch the frames over and over. I was actually looking at the IMDB message board, not the screen, and reading your post, when it flashed by. Fortunately, there was a rewind button.

I agree with you but many people saw it differently. For that very reason, I think it's the kind of thing that could have made it past the censors and just been a private joke shared by a few at that time.

[–] Ghetto_Defendant 8 years ago

Forget the other thread/post.

I'm watching right now and I'm able to pause and go through the film frame by frame.

She most definitely has a wrapped middle finger sticking straight up (in the style of a tied bandage, but with lace to go with the sexy theme of the event).

And it "looks" deliberate.

[–] terao2002 8 years ago

I'm just watching this now, and even in my less-than-ideal print I can see the shape of her folded index finger. I did a double take thinking it was Pre-code. Looks like a definite "up yours" to Breen & Co. I live for moments like this in films :).

[–] jonkennedy 8 years ago

I did the same thing, and it's definitely her middle finger.