Mad Men's Don Draper similarities?
Is Mad Men's Don Draper based on Gregory Peck's character or look?
And how so?
watch the movie and find out
Literary, like Gregory Peck here in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit , Don Draper wears a hat and light grey suits too, a color that stands out a little in the Mad Men's office.
Maybe figuratively too, when I read the plot summary for The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049474/
written by garykmcd:
"(...) when the opportunity arises, Tom (Gregory Peck's character) applies for a public relations job with a major television network. (...) At his new job, the head of the network Ralph Hopkins takes an immediate liking to him. Tom soon realizes that he will have to choose between becoming a wholly dedicated company man or maintaining a healthy work-life balance. (...)"
Or maybe it's just the style and that period and the look of Gregory Peck in that movie they went for.
Also someone else remembered an episode where Don Draper was spotted "Look, the man in the Gray Flannel Suit", a definite reference to Gregory Peck who starred in that movie.
I might nevertheless watch this movie someday Mr. Michael Phelps... And what's with *your* swimsuit?!
all i am trying to say is that mad men didnt invent the sixties
The beat-generation did. And hippies created the flower-power era. The sixties happened before I watched a TV show called Mad Men that was set in that era.
So I guess I don't know what you're trying to say Mr_Phelps.
I'm from 1963 and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band taught me my first english (and what timeless music should sound like).
"The writers of Mad Men (adveritsing people at the beginning of the sixties) had a particular actor in mind creating its character Don Draper. Who was this actor?" - was the question to a quizz that was held here in The Netherlands where season 1 had just started. I had an idea, but decided to check it with you people on the american IMDb-boards. (I thought it was Cary Grant, but it was suggested it probably was Gregory Peck.)
It's in "Mad Men" (2007) {Six Month Leave (#2.9)} and the sarcastic comedian's name is Jimmy Barrett (Patrick Fischler). Here's the part from the synopsis of Mad Men that is referring to The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Later the pickled trio bribe a big fat guy to get into a "secret" casino complete with cocktail waitresses, tables, high rollers. They sit to play. (...) Don gets up and walks away. Roger apologizes and says "you're so secretive." Turns out he was walking towards, not away. He goes to the table and we see Jimmy Barrett. After Jimmy calls him the man in the gray flannel suit Don promptly clocks him good. Roger grabs him and they skedaddle. Freddy jokes to the bouncer guy not to worry about it since it's probably not the first time Jimmy's been punched in the face. Jimmy pops up and asks "the champ" (Floyd Patterson I'm guessing) how he did. The guys leave and Don says it's time to goshare
Just rented the first three episodes of Mad Men. It could be taken as the continuing story of Thomas Rath type men, five years+ later. We see Don Draper pull out his purple heart medal from his desk, so he definitely was in combat.
Don Draper is a sleazier character however. Openly has a mistress, womanizes with clients, heavy drinker, smoker, and neglects his family because of it. Will have more to say as I view further episodes.
RSGRE
what i was trying to say is that the sixties were a very interesting time long, long before mad mans came along...
I'm taking my talents to South Beach.
After watching the entire 4 seasons of "Mad Men" I am disappointed. All the main characters are sleazy and get no sympathy from us. There is no one to "root for". A far cry from Thomas Rath and the integrity and decency issues in this film. Since most of the producers of "Mad Men" are jewish, it seems to be a deliberate "put-down" of WASP America. How quickly they forget our sacrifices for them...!
RSGRE
RSGRE, you are a BIGOT, plain and simple! "How quickly they forget our sacrifices for them...!" Jeezus H. Kee-rist!! Give me a break!!
share Well...maybe I did get a little bit carried away. If it had not been for IMDB's e-mail advisor of your response, I would have pretty much forgotten about this altogether. I was disappointed that Mad Men even had Betty Draper take the sleaze route. I would have kept her as the chaste, pure ex-wife, still carrying the torch for her philandering ex-husband. That way we could sympathize with her. (As we did with Betsy Rath and her turmoil.) I realize that one of the points that Mad Men is trying to make is that "men were men, and women were women back then", and not picking at each other as they do now. But...they didn't have to go overboard and make everyone sleazy...!
On the subject of bigotry...will have more to say about that. Thanks for your response.
RSGRE
On the subject of bigotry, I try to be enlightened and not fall into that trap. I think that on that particular day I was just disappointed with the season finale, and had just re-visited this film and realized it's integrity and honesty even more. I was invited to an exclusive men's club for lunch, and gave each of my friends a copy of this film as a thank you. One was a WWWII veteran who had been a tail gunner on a B-29 flying bombing missions to Japan from Guam. The other was a retired college professor. I thought this flim might resonate with them...and it did !
I don't harbor any particular prejudices against Jewish people...did not grow up in that kind of environment. Just something I hear, see, or read occasionally that bothers me a bit. I admire their enormous talents, speaking of which, Bernard Herrmann did the remarkable score for this film...excellent. He is one of my favorite film commposers, and he had a very distinguished career. Just finished listening to his complete score for "Beneath the 12 Mile Reef"...an incredible major masterpiece of some kind, for a long forgotten minor adventure film. Wonderfully evocative of the sea and it's adventures and dangers. (I say that as a former Navy sailor). Might have more...
RSGRE