Figure 1.--Here we see a graduating senior boy (about 17 apparently) delivering a recitation of Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Bells" with exaggerated gestures and voice inflections of the sort that was common on graduation stages at the turn of the century. Click on the image for more information about these recitations. Most of the graduating seniors wear dark suits with long trousers, but this boy, apparently from a stricter, more traditional family, appears in a formal suit with knee pants and black long stockings. He wears a white shirt with stiff colar and a black bow tie. Some American boys as old as 17 or 18 were still wearing knee pants and long stockings at this period, although long trousers were becoming more usual.

Clarence Brown's classic Eugene O'Neill comedy, "Ah, Wilderness!" was made in 1935. The movie starred Lionel Barrymore and the young Mickey Rooney, who was 14 at the time and a bit too old for his juvenile role. The film is a nostalgic look backward at small-town American life in 1906. The focus is on the Miller family--a middle class family with children who are making the painful transition from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. This is his only comedy and somewhat uncharacteristic since most his famous plays such as "Long Day's Joruney into Night" are so relentlessly dark and tragic. Mickey Rooney wears short pants with long stockings. Set in 1906. Rooney was about 15 at the time, I wonder if it bothered him playing a much younger boy and wearing juvenile clothes. Poignant film about a boy (not Rooney who plays the main character's brother) breaking through the shackles of adolescence.

Filmology

Clarence Brown's classic Eugene O'Neill comedy, "Ah, Wilderness!" was made in 1935.

Recitations

Here we see a graduating senior boy (about 17 apparently) delivering a recitation of Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Bells" with exaggerated gestures and voice inflections of the sort that was common on graduation stages at the turn of the century. Such recitations were popular at many community gatherings and were also done in the home when visitoirs came. They were most common for children, but adults also did them.

Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)

Eugene O'Neill is one of Amnerica's most notable playwrites. He was literally born into the theater. His father James was a famous actor in the late 19th century. Eugene was born in a New York City hotel room. Eugene as a boy traveled with his family betweenn his father's engagements in citioes throughout America. He was admitted by the prestigious Princeton University, but unceremoniously expelled (1906). He married (1909) and had a son, but diuvorced (1909). He persued many adventures like gold minining in Honduras, merchant sailor, and other exploits. He began drinking heavily and lived in flophouses. He contracted tuberculosis. It was at this time that he began to think about becoming a playwright as during his recovery he had a great deal of time on his hands. O'Neill went on to win the Nobel Prize for literature (1936). He was awarded Pulitzer Prizes for four of his plays: "Beyond the Horizon" (1920); "Anna Christie" (1922); "Strange Interlude" (1928); and "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (1957). O'Neill is America's first widely regarded playwrite. He is credited by many litrary historians with raising American dramatic theater to a respected art form. The endearing play "Ah, Wilderness" is his only comedy and somewhat uncharacteristic since most his famous plays such as "Long Day's Joruney into Night" are so relentlessly dark and tragic.

Figure 2.--Here Tommy Miller (Mickey Rooney) is running away from an exploding firecracker which he has just set off. He wears a white shirt, knee pants, and black long stockings which barely cover his knees so there is an awkward gap between the hem of his pants and the tops of his stockings. Tommy apparently wears no hose supporters or round garters so that his stockings are always falling down to just above or even below his knees. Although falling stockings were probably seen occasionally in the America of 1906, most boys wore supporters to avoid looking so untidy. The falling stockings may be intended as an added bit of comedy to enrich Mickey Rooney's performance, but the effect seems historically inaccurate. In real life respectable middle- class parents would probably not have permitted so sloppy a look.

Setting

Thevfilm is set in 1906 thus the clothing is not represenative of the 1930s when the film was made. We see things like school recitations which were characteristic of the 1900s (figure 1). Tommy's blouse nd long stockings see right for the period, but he looks to be wearing short pants rther than kneepans (figure 2). This would not be right.

Cast

The movie starred Lionel Barrymore and the young Mickey Rooney, who was 14 at the time and a bit too old for his juvenile role.

Plot

Poignant film about a boy (not Rooney who plays the main character's brother) breaking through the shackles of adolescence. The film is a nostalgic look backward at small-town American life in 1906. The focus is on the Miller family--a middle class family with children who are making the painful transition from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Nat Miller, the father (Barymore) has two sons: Richard (who is graduating from the local high school, is smitten by puppy love, and who wants to shock his classmates by giving a graduation speech containing half-baked radical and unconventional ideas) and Tommy (a twelve-year old who loves to upset his parents and the neighborhood by exploding firecrackers on the Fourth of July). The costuming is fairly authentic.

Costuming

Tommy Miller (Mickey Rooney) wears short pants with long stockings. Tommy wears a white shirt, knee pants, and black long stockings which barely cover his knees so there is an awkward gap between the hem of his pants and the tops of his stockings (figure 2). Tommy apparently wears no hose supporters or round garters so that his stockings are always falling down to just above or even below his knees. I'm not sure how common this was. We rther thought that all but the poorest children had some kind of stocking supporters. Certainly this was the case for formal potraits. We are less sure about every day wear. His outfit looks to HBC not quite correct for 1906. The kneepants are too short and the long stockings not long enough. Although falling stockings were probably seen occasionally in the America of 1906, most boys wore supporters to avoid looking so untidy. The falling stockings may be intended as an added bit of comedy to enrich Mickey Rooney's performance, but the effect seems historically inaccurate. In real life respectable middle-class parents would probably not have permitted so sloppy a look. Rooney was about 15 at the time, I wonder if it bothered him playing a much younger boy and wearing juvenile clothes.

Created: February 15, 2004
Last updated: 4:12 AM 7/26/2005