MovieChat Forums > Mildred Pierce (1945) Discussion > I don't think 'make love' means the same...

I don't think 'make love' means the same......

posted 14 years ago by shanehaynes
12 replies | jump to latest

today as it did back then. I just watched this movie. In one scene Mildred tells Wally "you make love nicely Wally, you always did"....and he's just talking to her.

The other night I watched the movie "Leave Her To Heaven" and Vincent Price has this guy on the witness stand and says to him "you knew she was engaged to another man yet you still made love to her".....all the two had done in the movie was talk to each other.

In still another classic movie I watched "The Best of Everything" an old man says to a young woman something to the effect of "you young people make love so differently these days" or something like that.

I get the impression that the term "make love" back then didn't mean what it does today. Can anyone elaborate on this please.

[–] Regina_Giddens 14 years ago

It doesn't mean the same thing. Actually I asked exactly the same question a while ago. In the book I was reading, a woman was constantly 'making love' to other men, but in the context of the book it was obvious she wasn't actually sleeping with them.

In this era 'to make love' meant to flirt with.

There's the scene in 'Dark Victory' when Bette Davis's character asks someone else 'you're making love to me. Aren't you.' And he replied 'Yes.' Obviously they're not having sex, he's just flirting with her.

But you are, Blanche. You are in that chair!

[–] shanehaynes 14 years ago

I don't remember that particular scene in "Dark Victory" but I own it on DVD and will look for it the next time I watch it.

I've noticed this phrase used in several other movies from that era also so yes, I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean having sex.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Zzzz_Zzzz_Zzzz 10 years ago

However, in the book, Mildred is having sex with everyone.

[–] snsurone 10 years ago

It's the same when the word "gay" meant "happy" and "carefree".
Nowadays, you can't say that word at all without its being a reference to homosexuality.

[–] LateNightCable 10 years ago

Well I'm 83 years old, and in my day to "make love" meant to wash and wax one's automobile.
Growing up, making love is how I made extra pocket money. And when I was grown with a family, occasionally my Father would make love, when my husband was too busy to. Dad always used plenty of soap, and never missed the hubcaps!

"Cristal, Beluga, Wolfgang Puck… It's a f#@k house."

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5947) 7 years ago

On the other hand, in The Letter (1940), Bette Davis shoots a man dead and later claims it was because he was trying to make love to her, i.e. rape.

I speculate that the expression was in a state of flux during the 40s and 50s. Of course by the 60s we have the saying "Make Love Not War" and the metamorphosis in meaning is complete.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

"Making love" meant to romance someone, as in invite someone over, give them candy and flowers, whisper sweet nothings in their ear, dance, hold hands, etc. You can hear the phrase being used everywhere back then, including The Three Stooges.

[–] Jennie_Portrait (804) 5 years ago

On that topic- there is a line in "It's A Wonderful Life" where Donna Reed's mother shouts downstairs,"what is George doing here?" To which Donna Reed responds: “He's making violent love to me, Mother!"

[–] Gubbio (3893) 3 years ago

The meanings of words/phrases change.

"The Gay Divorcee" (1934) was NOT about a Lesbian! 😲🙄

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

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[–] liscarkat (16476) 17 days ago

It meant to flirt with, or to court someone. Today it means to fuck.