MovieChat Forums > Victor/Victoria (1982) Discussion > Explain the Shoe Guy to me

Explain the Shoe Guy to me

posted 19 years ago by Immy
13 replies | jump to latest

Anyone who's seen the film a bunch of times will know who I'm talking about.
He's the guest in the posh hotel who opens his door trying to put his shoes into the hallway (presumably for the shoeshine guy). Every time he tries this he sees someone and changes his mind, clutching his shoes and going back into his room.

Why does he do this? Friends have suggested it's because he doesn't want them stolen. But if he's afraid that'll happen why put them out at all? What difference does it make if he sees someone or not?

Would love to know what the gag is...

"I will rise from the ashes like a Tuscon!"

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Trelili 19 years ago

Great! Thanks dhalgren74! I was wondering what was this whole thing about since '82. Nobody I asked knew what it was really about.
I just thought his shoes smelled bad and he was embarrassed.

[–] riff_raff17 19 years ago

Great, I come for an explanation of that scene and find the post has been deleted. Can anybody else write it?

[–] thoroughly_modern_hillry 19 years ago

Okay, I'm not the only one who was confused by this. Judging by the guy's behavior every time he leans out into the hallway - he looks stunned and guilty, and retreats back into his room quickly - I assumed that the shoes in the hallway were supposed to mean something specific in 1930's gay Paree, like a secretive signal for some sort of unsavory activity to take place (like a prostitute or, in this gender-bending farce, a gay prostitute, to service the room or something like that). But after perusing the net, I think it was just one of those Edwards touches that you either get, or you don't. I obviously didn't - but it was hilarious to watch this poor, weary man looking absolutely dumbfounded and horrified at the parade going in and out of the room across the hall. Just let the dude get his shoes shined, ok?

Moon River, wider than a mile...

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] belacane 19 years ago

The deleted post simply postulated that the guy was nervous to leave his shoes out in the hall when all these unsavory characters were running around.

I didn't write that DP, but I did manage to read it before it was deleted, and it did not mention vintage gay culture IIRC. In fact I can't imagine why it would have been deleted.

[–] floating_jetsam 19 years ago

If you wanted your shoes shined, you would put them in the hallway, and they would be shined up by morning. If you opened the door and there were hooligans parading about, you might thinking twice about putting your shoes out until after they had gone away. He did, and thus was born the gag.

[–] erinker74 16 years ago

Thank you, Jestam! It makes a lot more sense now. And thanks so much for asking this question!

[–] TheManInOil 16 years ago

Yes, it's as simple as that. The final payoff, with him seeing a guy come out of a room covered in snow, is pretty funny.

"I'm the weenie King, invented the Texas weenie. Lay off 'em, you'll live longer."

[–] Rand-o 15 years ago

Do you have heat in your room?
Lucky you!
^love that gag line!

I turned 'Stranger' into 'Starman' in the Sunday New York Times.

[–] BlueGreen 16 years ago

, I come for an explanation of that scene and find the post has been deleted

Not only that - apparently, it was deleted by an ADMINISTRATOR.
Like myriads of useful threads.
(Haven't you noticed that on some boards there seems to have been no discussion prior to 2008?)

I think I am finally ready to say it aloud, gloves off - and it gives me great pleasure to do so:

Ever since Amazon took over, this place is being run by MORONS.

So there.
Delete THIS.

[–] BoMar5353 16 years ago

Hear,Hear ! Good for you !

[–] Lokisgodhi 10 years ago

When an account gets deleted by an ADMIN, all the posts by the account get deleted.

BlueGreen wrote:

Not only that - apparently, it was deleted by an ADMINISTRATOR.
Like myriads of useful threads.
(Haven't you noticed that on some boards there seems to have been no discussion prior to 2008?)

I think I am finally ready to say it aloud, gloves off - and it gives me great pleasure to do so:

Ever since Amazon took over, this place is being run by MORONS.

So there.
Delete THIS.