MovieChat Forums > Promises..... Promises! (1966) Discussion > Carol Channing, Marilyn, or Jayne?

Carol Channing, Marilyn, or Jayne?


Who is the "blonde" star T.C. Jones is imitating at the baby shower? The consensus appears to be Jayne and certainly the wig is a duplicate of the hairstyle Jayne is wearing. Trouble is he keeps talking about diamonds in his monologue which suggests it may be Carol Channing (star of the Broadway version of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, where "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" is featured) and Carol has long been a staple of female impersonators like T.C.'s other "stars", Bette Davis and Tallulah Bankhead. Yet he doesn't sound at all like Carol's famous raspy chirp. Maybe it's supposed to be Marilyn Monroe, who of course starred in the film version of BLONDES and the song is just as associated with her yet again, T. C. is not doing Mariyn's whispery coo and he is quite good with mimicing as his Bette and Tallulah indicates. That is perhaps why most conclude it is Jayne and yet again he does not sound anything like Jayne and even moreso, the monologue has nothing in it to suggest Jayne Mansfield (I've never associated her with diamonds). At the very least he should have squealed! The scene ends with a delighted Sandy (played by Jayne) joining in, "Oh, I can do her too!" and jumps in with a similiar bit. This seems to be an in-joke giving then that Jayne Mansfield is imitating Jayne Mansfield but I can't help but wonder if actually it is Marilyn Monroe who is supposed to be the blonde star. I think a lot of people dismiss it being Marilyn given the movie was made in 1963, the year after Marilyn's death and an "impersonation" might have been seen as bad taste. But in it's actual a harmless impersonation and don't forget that both Tina Louise and Donna Douglas "did" Marilyn in cute bits not all that long after on their sitcoms so why would it be so hard to imagine it was done in a light blue comedy as well? And one has to realize the script was surely written before Marilyn's death in late 1962. To me, it's an even better "in joke" for Sandy-Jayne to say "I do her too" and it be Marilyn Monroe, given that was the charge always thrown at Jayne. If not for the duplicate wig I would be certain it's Marilyn but I guess I do lean toward the blonde star being Jayne Mansfield.

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That scene left me with all of the same questions you had. I figured he was doing Jayne as well due to the wig and when Jayne as Sandy said I can do her too she was referring tongue in cheek to Jayne Mansfield. But the diamonds threw me as well.

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