MovieChat Forums > Pal Joey (1957) Discussion > Rita's Hair/Makeup/and Clothes Were Not...

Rita's Hair/Makeup/and Clothes Were Not Flattering

posted 14 years ago by Helpfan65
12 replies | jump to latest

Rita Hayworth is such a gorgeous woman, yet in this movie she looks so washed out and tired. I attribute that to the poor makeup, hairdo and clothes that were selected for her in this film. Rita's olive complexion looks ghastly in those peaches, yellows and tan ensembles they put her in. And they didn't even try to put more color in her makeup to balance it out.

Hated that frumpy up do they gave her, I get that she was supposed to be older and not have long hair (loved the scenes where she did get to wear her hair down) but I think they could've done something more flattering.

The only dress she really shone in was the black and white dress she wore in the Zip number. She also looked cool in Joey's dream sequence. Her slender figure was shown to full advantage in both.

I think her beauty didn't get showcased to full advantage in this film.

[–] don-lockwood 14 years ago

Oh, I agree. Why was Rita Hayworth arguably the most beautiful woman in the world in her glory days, only to appear so tired and haggard just a decade later? I know she had her share of personal problems stemming from abusive relationships, so I'm sure that justifiably wore her out. But still, she was younger than 40 in this film but doesn't look it. Nowadays, she would have gotten Botox and a facelift (if necessary), but even so I agree that more could have been done, short of plastic surgery, to make her look her best, particularly around her eyes. But in the Zip scene and whenever her hair (artificial? who cares?) is down, she still looks gorgeous. The short hair just never looked right on her.

[–] EntertainMe463 14 years ago

I just watched it again after many years and YES I totally agree! Figured it was to purposely make her look harder/older next to Kim?

~talk about POP culture...talk about POP culture...shooby dooby do wop!~

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] bon22 12 years ago

Absolutely agree. W/in the 1st 30 seconds of seeing Rita, I thought 'She looks strange, bad, is that really her?". In every scene, kept thinking "what is it about her look that doesn't seem right?" First thing I noticed was that her hair style was so unflattering: short w/ tight pin curls or something that a grandmother would get from a local salon.

Also agree about the colors of Rita's wardrobe: yes, she's olive, so peach ain't her color. And, the circles under her eyes. All as if her beauty was sabotaged. They made (or tried to make) her look like a plain, frumpy Jane. But, she did look like the old Rita in the Zip & Bewildered numbers and when she kicked Sinatra out prior to the dinner party.

Good point FordMadoxFord re: making her look older to suit the role. But, imo, Rita & Sinatra seemed miscast: Rita, too beautiful (so they uglied her up) & Sinatra too old. Nonetheless, some major Hollywood legends, incredible songs & great shots of SF. However, due to the miscasting, the story seemed forced & artificial and I didn't buy the romance between Sinatra & Kim.

[–] LarrupinLou 12 years ago

If there's a problem, it's having the older, beautiful Rita next to the younger, beautiful Kim. However gorgeous you were or still are, you're going to pale in comparison.

Having said that, I found Rita extremely appealing and sexy in this movie. She could still turn heads, IMO.

No blah, blah, blah!

[–] LiteraryLegend 11 years ago

"it's having the older, beautiful Rita next to the younger, beautiful Kim. However gorgeous you were or still are, you're going to pale in comparison."

Exactly. Put a 1940's Rita next to Kim and Novak instantly becomes a plain Jane. I admire Hayworth for doing this movie. Most veteran female stars wouldn't work with a younger newcomer like this, but Rita didn't feel that way. From what I understand, she was nothing like "Gilda" and hated the character. Men "go to bed with Gilda and wake up with me"...she said.

"There is nothing more powerful than the written word..."

[–] LarrupinLou 11 years ago

Exactly. Put a 1940's Rita next to Kim and Novak instantly becomes a plain Jane.

Well, I wouldn't go that far. :-) I think they were both equally beautiful at the height of their loveliness, although in different ways.

No blah, blah, blah!

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] darkangel2003 10 years ago

It's definitely possible, Rita was eager to break her ties with Columbia and get away from Harry Cohn and as a result she was deliberately made to look matronly.

It's similar to how Orson Welles, after their divorce, made her cut her hair and die it blonde for The Lady from Shanghai. It changed her image that millions loved and expected.

Interestingly Rita and Kim both apparently got on really well. Despite Kim replacing Rita as Columbia's big thing, Rita was happy to hand over her mantle.

[–] Errington_92 10 years ago

No one else thought about characterisation? Vera (Hayworth) is the antagonistic character compared to innocent Linda. We're not meant to be attracted to Vera as Joey's real feelings lied with Linda.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

[–] jm31315 8 years ago

Ms. Hayworth was playing an older woman, and was dressed in character. I do think she had dark circles under her eyes and motion picture makeup during that era couldn't cover them as it can today.

darkangel2003 is correct; Ms. Novak was interviewed on Turner Classic Movies and spoke warmly of Ms. Hayworth while working on the film "Pal Joey," especially in the process of preparing a dream ballet choreographed by Hermes Pan. Ms. Hayworth and Ms. Novak rehearsed extensively for it; Mr. Sinatra's style was to minimize rehearsal time, so much of the dream ballet was cut. According to Ms. Novak, Ms. Hayworth took it in stride.

Perhaps she wanted to move away from Columbia Pictures indeed.

[–] denis-38 9 years ago

Although Rita had aged since her glory days, she WAS only about 37 here. Her experiences with Aly Kahn and Dick Haymes had taken a terrible toll. She drank, too. But nothing can excuse how poorly she was presented. She didn't complain, either. She wanted out of Columbia and obviously didn't care how she got out!

Very few were as beautiful and vivacious as Rita at her peak.