*** boys clothing depictions in movies: alphabetical "Ca-Ce" listings








Alphabetical Movie Listings: "Ca-Ce"


Figure 1.--The scene from "Le cage aux rossignols" ("The Cage with Nightingales") shows the boys at a French school in their street clothes during the 1940s.

You can also select the movies available on HBC by using this alphabetical movie listing. At this time only a few movies have been analized by HBC for clothing information, but more pages are being added all the time. And we encourage readers to send along insights about their favorite films. This is especially important for the foreign films, many of which we have not been able to view.

Cabaret (U.S., 1972)

Classic Broadway musical. One of the most powerful scenes depicting the Hitler Youth is a scene in Cabaret. Ther scene takes place at a idelic Bavarian or Berlin festival. The scene is light hearted. The camera pans to an innocent-looking young blond, blue eyed German boy singing. Slowly the camera pans down from his face. The camera catches the swastika on his arm and the song become more strident and menacing: "Fatherland, fatherland, show me the way. Tomorrow belongs to me." As the camera angle expands he is seen wearing a Hitler Youth uniform with shorts and white knee socks. He wears a light tan shirt. The camera slowly pans down until the Hitler Youth uniform with cross-strap and swastika arm band becomes visible. The boy puts on his cap and gives the NAZI salute at the end of the song. [I could be wrong about his costume. A HBC contributor reports that he wears below the knee knickerbockers tucked into heavy socks.] The shift from pure inosence to the sinister future is the most poweful momment in the film. The inference of the song "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" becomes chillingly obvious. In many ways it encapsulates the Hitler Youth. The opening of the film was the Michael York character arriving in Berlin. By the time he encounters the HJ singer, he has fallen for Sally Bowles and the German baron has fallen for him (eternal triangle). This must be nearly halfway through the movie. The last time I saw Cabaret on stage, the NAZI song formed the powerful conclusion to Act one.

Cadets on Parade - (US, 1942)

A boy runs away from a military academy and is befriended by a poor newsboy. Freddie Bartholomew and Jimmy Lyndon

(Le) cage aux rossignols (France, 196?)

The French movie la cage aux rossignols (The cage of nightingales) was set in a school wear the boys wear short pants and smocks. The producer used choristers from the French boys choir Les petits chanteurs a la croix de bois, the Little Singers of the Cross of Bois. I do not have any information on the film or the story line. The scene here shows the choristers in an informal momment. It shows casual clothes commonly worn by French boys in during the mid-1940s. This particular scene was set in 1944.

Cahill: U.S. Marshal - (US, 1973)

A John Wayne movie where his two sons help rob a bank. Wayne is of course the marshall and the boys get into big trouble with both the bank robbers snd the law. Not one of Wayne's better films. The boys wear standard non-descript clothing. Clay O'Brian, Gary Grimes.

California Suite - (US, 1978)

Four couples in a posh Beverly Hills hotel, one of which is involved in a custody struggle.

Call It Courage -


Call Me Anna - (US, 1990)

An adaptation of Patty Duke's autobiography that traces her rise from child star to respected actress and her battle with mental illness.

Call Northside 777 - (US, 1948)

James Stewart movie in which there is a small part for the son of a convicted cop killer. The boy is about 11 or so. He wears long trousers. Most American boys did by the late 1940s.

Callie & Son - (US, 1981)

Rags to riches tale of a young girl whose climb to wealth is overs shadowed by an obsessive love for her son. Jameson Parker

Calling Dr. Kildare - (US)

Dr. Kildare examines a boy in shorts wearing over the knee stockings. Dr Kildare of course later became an important television program.

(La) Cambre Verte - (France)

I'm not real sure about the spelling, but this film includes a boy about 10 years old who wear shortish shorts and knee socks. I have no details on the plot yet.

Camp Nowhere - (US, 1994)

An ex-drama coach helps a band of misfit children realize their dream of creating their very own secret summer camp. The kids wore regular mid 90's stuff like jeans, long shorts and T-Shirts.

Camweon's Closet - (US, 1989)

10-year old Cameron (Scott Curtis) has been honing his telekinetic powers under the tutelage of his father. Somehow the evil Deceptor lodges in the boys closet and begins to depopulate the neighborhood. Worthless movie, but Scott costuming gives an idea of how a typical American boy dressed in the late 1980s.

Candleshoe - (US, 1977)

Disney film deals with a lost fortune and an English manor, "Candleshoe". Jody Foster plays an American teenager trying to embezzle the elderly lady who owns the manor, but has a change of heart. Several children are also involved, including two boys. One of the boys is about 8 or 9, and sometimes appears is cord shorts, occasionally with knee socks and red "t" strap sandals. The older boy is a teenager who wears longs.

Cancion de Juventud -


Can't Buy Me Love - (US, 1987)

A misfit teen gets more than he bargained for when he hires the most popular girl in school to pose as his girl friend.

A Canterbury Tale
Figure 2.--The thre investigators involve local boys in their search for themysterious Glue Man..

(A) Canterbury Tale - (UK, 1944)

Three companions have a series of adventures en route to Canterbury Cathedral in this modern parallel to one of Chaucer's taleu--using Chaucer's theme of 'eccentric characters on a religious pilgrimage'. It was set during the war seems ti have been made to promote Anglo-American friendship. Two of the main characers are American and British Army seargeants. The third was a 'Land Girl who was attacked. The three set out to solve a local mystery--the 'glue man' who at night pours glue on the hair of local girls dating soldiers. No real harm dine, butvery anoying. . There is a sequence where two groups of boys have a good natured gang fight. The boys are about 8-12 and all are dressed in contemporary 1940s styless. An American soldier takes two personable little chaps aside and has a talk with them. He asks them for help in their investigation. The boys are menbers of rivl school boy gangs--but not the sinister modern manifestation. The bioys e engged in nespaoer collectuon drives. The gangs play fighting scene in a wide game resembling the fight scene in 'The Boy's From Paul Street'. Their investigation focuses durprisingly on the local magistrate. All three get unexpected surprises. It was released in America 4 years after the British version with some major chnges. It is much shorter and the idyllic scenes with the boys' river battle are cut.

Captain America - (US, 19??)

Cartoon film with a few boys playing peripheral roles and appearing only briefly. The first is an sweet little Italian boy the Fascists turn into a monster. The next two are American boys, the main character wears longs, but his best buddy is in shorts.

Captain Boycott - (1947)

Irish tenant farmers unite against a land owner who threatens to evict them. The modern word "boycott" came from a real life Cpt. Boycott. Quite a number of children are pictured, mostly in school room scenes. The boys wear knicker length pants without socks or shoes. The family replacing an evicted farmer has a nice boy, Billy, about 10 or so. He has only a small role.

Captain Eddie (US, 1945)

Darryl Hickman plays the adventuresome boy who grows up to be Fred McMurry.

Captain January (US, 1936)

The authorities want to take poor orphaned Shirley away from the kindly, old lighthouse keeper who saved her life. Sympathetic relatives step in to fend off the truant officer. The film includes a little freckle-faced chap of about 8 or 9 decked out in a sissy short pants suit which he wears with a big bow. The shorts are very short and he wears ankle socks. Interestingly, Shirley wears rather a longish dress, often she wore quite short dresses. Despite his sissy suit, the boy is nicely mischievous and laughs when his witch of an aunt takes a spill after a scholastic competition.

Captain Nemo and the Underwater City - (US, 1969)

Absolutely dreadfully acted film with hokey special affects. It is roughly based on the Captain Nemo in Jules Verne's novel. The film inclides a boy about 10 years old. He wears some interesting costumes, including a nice Little Lord Fauntleroy-type blouse with a big frilly collar and of all things ankle frills with longish, purple ankle-length pants and strap shoes. He appears throughout the film, but there are few good shots of him. There is a also swimming scene in which the boys wear little skirts instead of trunks.

Captains Courageous (US, 1937)

A spoiled boy learns many lessons on a rough fishing vessel. The movie opens with the boy's school in the 1930s. All the boys at the school wear short pants suits. Freddie Bartholomew plays the spoiled boy. Mickey Rooney plays Dan Troop, the ship's boy who befriends him. Probably Freddie's best screen role.

Captains Courageous - (US, 1950)

A remake of 'Captains Courageous' staring Dean Stockwell was made in 1950. We have not yet seen this version.

Captains Courageous - (US, 1977)

Another remake. Remade for TV with Jonathan Kahn playing a sissier boy than in the Freddie Bartholomew 1937 original. The costuming is disappointing, but set in the proper historical period and more faithful to Kipling then the earlier version.

Captains Courageous - (US, 1996)

This book appears to be reshot about every 10 years, rather like Little Lord Fauntleroy. Reasonable enough production, but the boy playing the spoiled, rich boy (Ken Vadas) doesn't come across like Freddie Bartholomew in the original production. He wears a long pants suit. This is inappropriate because the film can not be sent in the present. The the film is based on the economics of fishing decades ago when the cod fishermen fish at sea for months, explaining why the captain could not return immediately to port. Thus dressing the boy in a modern suit is ridiculous.

(The) Captive Heart - (US,1 947)

English POW's try to survive imprisonment and their families try to cope back home. I haven't seen the picture, but the families could be interesting.

(The) Capture - (US, 1950 or 51)

Terrible movie set in Mexico. A man unjustly accused of robbery becomes a fugitive. The son of the main female character is played by Jimmy Hunt (?). He has a reasonable role. He wears longs. Some Mexican children also appear.


Figure 2.--At the beginning of English fiklm, "The Card", the main character appears as a boy wearing an Eton collar.

(The) Card - (England, early 1940s)

The Card is based on the Arnold Bennett novel and starred Alec Guinneas. It dates from the late 1940s. Guinneas plays the 'card' (an English slang term now not often heard). In American English, "a card" means a wise guy or smart-allic. I'm not sure the same is true in England. The main character as a the boy appears at the opening of the film. He wears a large Eton collar and buttoned up tweed jacket. This was the standard dress of an Edwardian boy and rather restrictive for a lively youth.

Careful He Might Hear You - (Australia, 1983)

An orphan boy (Nicholas Gledhill) is fought over by his aunts. One is poor and the other rich. The boy is about 8 years old. I think he plays his part quite realistically. He wears short pants throughout, sometimes he even dresses up in a short pants suit. He doesn't wear any real fancy outfits, even when he moves in with his rich aunt would really outfit him properly. In one scene the boy is initiated at school by an older girl.

Carry-on Teacher
Figure 3.--'Carry-on Teacher' is an early one of the well-know British Carry On commedy series. The film was made in 1959. We were a little surprised to see that the students were not wearing uniforms, at least the main characters filmed in the studio. Most did, however, wear school uniform type garments.

Carry on, Teacher - (UK, 1959)

The well liked headmaster of a Secondary Modern School wants a better position. The students and colleagues want him to stay so they sabotage an inspection. Practically a text book of standard music-hall humor and movie gags. This was part of a very well known series of films, all using the same Benny Hill-style music hall humor, meaning fast paced parody, farce, slapstick, and double entendres. It will be known to all British readers, but few Americans. I do not know if there was an attempt to release the series in America, but if so it was not very popular. There were 26 carry On films. They were low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They touched on all kinds of topics. This one was about schools, but there were others about the police, army, hospitals and doctors, and much more. There were also some historical topics, like Cleopatra. They began in 1958 and ran through 1978 with a 1992 revival. 'Carry on, Teacher' was an early example, the third in the series. The movie is set in fictional Maudlin Street Secondary Modern School. American readers need to know that a Secondary Modern was a seciondary schools with generally low academic standards. The best students and teachers were at Grammar Schools (academically seclective secondary schools). A secondary modern was probably chosen because it was easier to make fun of the staff and many were coeducational. The grammar schools were mostly single-gender schools. The school does not have a uniform which surprised us because we thought most British secondary schools had uniforms. There would have been a uniform at a grammar school. While there does not seem to be a uniform, many of the students wear school uniform style garments. Asecondary modern took children beginning at age 11 years. The main characters inly include the older students. In the wide shots you can see some of the younger students, some of whom wear peaked caps and short pants. These are probably shots taken at an actual school with extras as actual students and not actors.

Carry's War - (UK, 19 )

Well made movie about the experiences of Carry and her brother when they are evacuated during World War II.

Case Busters -


Casey's Shadow - (US, 1978)

Sentimental comedy set around quarter horse raising in Louisiana's Cajun country. The main protagonists has three sons. I saw a bit of the film, a part where two boys appear. Both wear jeans and other nondescript clothes.

(The) Castaway Cowboys - (US,1974)

A shipwrecked cowboy tries to help a widow with a boy (Eric Shea) turn her island land into a cattle ranch. It is a Disney movie which dwells on the relationship between the boy and the cowboy.

Castle of Purity - (Mexico, 1974)

A neurotic husband keeps his wife and children virtual prisoners in their own home.

(The) Cat - (France, 1958)

Love and intrigue in the French underground during World War II. May have been mistaken with the following.

Cat! - (US,1966)

A boy makes friends with a wildcat which eventually saves him from rustlers.

Cat and Mouse (Germany FRG, 1969)

Another coming of age story in NAZI Germany. The two teenage boys are played by the sons of former Chancellor Willy Brandt.

Catch Me if You Can - (US)

In "Catch Me if You Can" there are several scenes where children ask air pilots for their autograph. 'Say are you an air pilot. Sure.' Then air pilot signs autograph book. Film suggests that both boys and girls held these flyers in high esteme during the period, 1950 to middle 1960s.

Cattle Drive - (US, 1951)

Dean Stockwell.

(The) Cay -

Alfred Lutter

Celebration Family - (US, 1987)

Made for TV movie about a couple who begin adopting unwanted children when they find they can't have any more children. There are blond boys in the movie, but they have small parts.

Cement Garden - (UK, 1994?)

This film show cases English fashions in the eaely 1900s. A teenager, Jack who is about 15, tries to hold his siblings together as a family. After their mother dies, the children try to stay together. Jack is awkward, remote, doesn't know what to say or how to act. He is tall, pale, has mournful dark eyes peeking out from a mass of fluffy black hair which gives him an androgynous look. Jack and his older sister are charged with the care of their siblings. Jack's younger brother is played by the director's 7-year old son. He gets beat up and decides it better to be a girl. His sisters play along and dress him up. His schools has the boys in nice short pants school boy outfits. He appears in a variety of outfits, including shorts, dresses, or a short girls school skirt. Jack appears nude, once curled up with his brother in a crib.

Centennial (US) -

TV epic of a James Michener novel. It was not very well done, basically uninteresting, except that a boy (I think he was Doug McKeon) appears in the circa 1880 era and he wears a velvet suit, lace collar, long white stockings, and strap shoes--one of the few real Fauntleroy suits on a big boy I have ever seen on television. While a boy ythat age may have worn a Fauntleroy suit in the 1880s, it is unlikely he would have worn while stockings. He appears for a few scenes in it and then switches to ordinary outfits like the other boys were wearing. The boy has long blond hair, but no curls.

Centennial Summer - (US, 1946)

Musical set in 1876, the costumes are elaborate, but unfortunately there is only one boy. He looks uninteresting at first as he is a rather big boy and his suit isn't frilly, but when you see his pants they are checkered kneepants. Rather a big boy for shorts. More interestingly, though is that he wears white stockings. HBC believes that most boys that age in the 1870s who wore kneepants wore dark stockings with them. He also wears a nightgown.

Central Station - (Brazil, 1998)

Brazilian films with important boy characters often deal with the underprivlidged. Central Station is no exception. The film is about a Josu� of Rio de Janeiro who sees his mother die in a traffic accident and is left by himsef. The plot of the film deals with a woman is alternately torn between caring for him and abandoning him.j

Cerf volante du bout du monde (France, 1960s?)

This interesting little French film is set in a run-down suburb of Paris. Regrettably, as they so often do, the TV channel cut the credits short before the date came up, but it looks to me late 50s or 60s. There are few cars on the road and the ones you do see are pretty old-fashioned. It's about a group of bored children making mischief to fill the days (eg sticking a cat up a tree and then calling the fire brigade so they can watch them get it down!) One of them has a Chinese kite, with a message on a piece of paper in Chinese on it. His mates try to grab it to sell to an antique shop. One night, one of the boys and his sister are visited by a mysterious Chinaman and are promptly floated off on their bed to China in their pajamas. The Chinaman clicks his fingers and they appear once again in their everyday clothes, and have all sorts of adventures in China. As for clothes details; it's much clearer on the telly than in these grabs. Footwear: mostly plimsoles and various varieties of brown sandals. Trousers: mostly shorts....interestingly, many German-style lederhosen, sometimes rolled up at the bottom. One kid wears jeans, and as is so often the case, age seems to have nothing to do with it; he's by no means the oldest. Shirts: a variety of t-shirts and normal button-up shirts with collars. Headwear: only the Chinese kids seem to go in for that, and then not very often.







HBC






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Created: January 30, 2000
Last updated: 8:22 AM 4/5/2012