"Lady in the Dark" (1944) is a visually spectacular film. The surrealistic dream sequences are stunning, with glamorous costumes, lavish sets, and multicolored swirling fog, all in vivid Technicolor. This movie has some of the most extravagant and expensive costumes in film history. "Lady in the Dark" (1944) is one of the great fashion epics of film.
Liza Elliott (Ginger Rogers) is a fashion magazine editor-in-chief. She is a hardworking, serious woman, and wears plain suits. Liza is having an affair with a married publisher. Charley Johnson (Ray Milland) is Liza's wisecracking advertising manager.
However, Liza is close to a nervous breakdown. She sees a psychoanalyst to interpret her dreams. Liza has a Blue Dream, a Wedding Dream in gold and white, and a Circus Dream that is multicolored. The dreams represent Liza's subconscious. The final scenes of all the dreams are bizarre and unsettling, reflecting Liza's subconscious unresolved issues.
In the Blue Dream, Liza wears a beautiful blue ballgown. Liza's psychoanalyst suggests that she really wants to be glamorous.
In the Wedding Dream, she wears a fairy tale wedding dress, with an elaborate headdress and a long train.
In the Circus Dream, Liza wears a spectacular dress of mink fur, lined with pink satin and gold sequins. She performs a sultry song and dance number, shows her legs and sings "The Saga of Jenny." This dream is especially colorful, in shades of pink, green, and yellow.
Director Mitchell Leisen designed the costumes, including the famous mink gowns. Leisen worked as a costume designer, before he became a director. Two mink dresses were made. The first mink dress, lined with glass rubies and emeralds, cost $35,000 to make. However, this dress was too heavy for dancing. A second version of the mink dress was created, lined with sequins, which was lighter so that Ginger Rogers could dance in it. Both dresses are shown in the movie. The dress with the glass jewels was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
Ginger Rogers' performance is excellent. She effectively portrays a variety of different roles: serious fashion executive, troubled woman in psychoanalysis, and sultry singer and dancer.
"Lady in the Dark" (1944) has artistic merit, and should not be dismissed because it is politically incorrect. The storyline is dated, and some of the dialog has an anti-feminist sharp edge. A simple revision of the script which eliminates the anti-feminist aspects, would have improved the storyline. Also, the lovely song "My Ship" should have been included. However, the movie remains an artistic achievement, a colorful fashion epic of glitz and glamour.
Liza Elliott (Ginger Rogers) is a fashion magazine editor-in-chief. She is a hardworking, serious woman, and wears plain suits. Liza is having an affair with a married publisher. Charley Johnson (Ray Milland) is Liza's wisecracking advertising manager.
However, Liza is close to a nervous breakdown. She sees a psychoanalyst to interpret her dreams. Liza has a Blue Dream, a Wedding Dream in gold and white, and a Circus Dream that is multicolored. The dreams represent Liza's subconscious. The final scenes of all the dreams are bizarre and unsettling, reflecting Liza's subconscious unresolved issues.
In the Blue Dream, Liza wears a beautiful blue ballgown. Liza's psychoanalyst suggests that she really wants to be glamorous.
In the Wedding Dream, she wears a fairy tale wedding dress, with an elaborate headdress and a long train.
In the Circus Dream, Liza wears a spectacular dress of mink fur, lined with pink satin and gold sequins. She performs a sultry song and dance number, shows her legs and sings "The Saga of Jenny." This dream is especially colorful, in shades of pink, green, and yellow.
Director Mitchell Leisen designed the costumes, including the famous mink gowns. Leisen worked as a costume designer, before he became a director. Two mink dresses were made. The first mink dress, lined with glass rubies and emeralds, cost $35,000 to make. However, this dress was too heavy for dancing. A second version of the mink dress was created, lined with sequins, which was lighter so that Ginger Rogers could dance in it. Both dresses are shown in the movie. The dress with the glass jewels was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
Ginger Rogers' performance is excellent. She effectively portrays a variety of different roles: serious fashion executive, troubled woman in psychoanalysis, and sultry singer and dancer.
"Lady in the Dark" (1944) has artistic merit, and should not be dismissed because it is politically incorrect. The storyline is dated, and some of the dialog has an anti-feminist sharp edge. A simple revision of the script which eliminates the anti-feminist aspects, would have improved the storyline. Also, the lovely song "My Ship" should have been included. However, the movie remains an artistic achievement, a colorful fashion epic of glitz and glamour.