MovieChat Forums > Lost Boundaries (1949) Discussion > Kiss The Bride?

Kiss The Bride?

posted 12 years ago by mcbrbb
3 replies | jump to latest

Just saw the film on MLK day and thought it was wonderful. It's honest, dignified storytelling without being preachy. However, I couldn't help noticing that in the opening sequence, during the wedding all of the black men shook hands with the bride instead of following the customary tradition of "kissing the bride". Had to be because while the character was supposed to be a negro, the actress was actually white and her being kissed by black actors (even in a non-sexual scenario) was verboten. Ironic given the sensitive and progressive nature of the film.

[–] pierre-albertini3 10 years ago

You must be right. Another strange thing is the absence of any maid or cook at the Carters' place in New Hampshire. It is very unlikely a successfull physician and his family living in such a large house wouldn't have employed at least one servant. I think there was a snag : either the maid was black and it seemed difficult not to tell her the truth about the family background or she was white and you had the extremely unusual and at the time outrageous situation of a white servant working for black employers.

[–] KlutzyGirl 9 years ago

I plan to see the film for the first time today, and although your theory holds merit, I can tell you from having grown up in New England around that time that only very wealthy people (Boston Brahmin types) had servants. In this situation they might have a cleaning woman come in once or twice a week, and maybe someone to do the lawn mowing and snow shoveling, but that's it. Outside the large cities there were very few blacks, so she'd almost certainly be white. My uncle was a doctor but my aunt did all the housework herself. It's a Proudly-Self-Sufficient-Yankee/Puritan-Ethic thing.

[–] Ex-Player 9 years ago

"Had to be because while the character was supposed to be a negro, the actress was actually white and her being kissed by black actors (even in a non-sexual scenario) was verboten."

Funny, I've been to quite a few New England weddings in my time where the men shook hands with the brides as opposed to kissing - primarily because New England is a lot more reserved when it comes to such things. I guess you presume the entire world acts according to your rules.

But thanks for making up your own theory based on nothing but thin air and essentially charging the filmmakers with cowardice even though the entire point of their film proved otherwise . .

I truly love you people who just make stuff up and immediately consider it factual enough to blog all over the web without even remotely thinking it through.