“You wanna own the world? You want it stuffed and mounted? You can’t do it sitting down! Stand Up and be counted. But if you wanna break the rules. Stand Up!” (Rick Springfield, 1984)

As the Guidebook opens to the end-year offerings, we find the final set of rule-breaking women, Lila Dixon, Linda Mason, and the Haynes Sisters (Betty and Judy).

These ladies join Hannah  (Easter Parade), Millie (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Marian (The Music Man), and Kathy (Singin’ in the Rain) as women who defy a culture that tells them they should marry and raise a family. (“Are you interested in families or children, Miss Haynes?”) 

Welcome to The November – December Edition ~ The Empowered Career Woman ~ Holiday Inn and White Christmas.

As each story begins, these empowered women look to make their mark as performers.

Lila embraces performing with Ted Hanover. (“The two of us dedicating our lives to making people happy with our feet.")  Linda makes the most of a chance meeting with agent Danny Reed. (“I’m Linda Mason. I sing and dance.” Danny: Oh, of course, sure. You worked hard. You want a chance. So what? So, I’m going to give it to you. A friend of mine is opening a place in Connecticut. Holiday Inn. You take that card out there, tell him I sent you, and you’ll be all set.”)

The Haynes’ Sister Judy takes advantage of an “old army friendship” between her brother Bennie and Wallace and Davis when she writes to them using Bennie’s name. Her goal? To inspire fame. (“It’s good business! Just like honesty needs a little plus, fate needs a little push.”) Bob Wallace applauds her efforts. (”Even little Judy’s got an angle. She played a percentage, it worked, and we’re here!”)

Judy’s drive to succeed allows her to suggest that Wallace and Davis perform at The Columbia Inn to help an “old pal in the army”  out of a deep financial hole. Wallace suggests, “We’ll bring the whole show up here! Whatever  acts we can’t get, we’ll fill in with the Haynes Sisters!”  

As Wallace and Davis mount Playing Around at the Columbia Inn,  let’s look at Linda Mason and see how she fared at Holiday Inn in Connecticut.

Linda arrives at Holiday Inn. After a snowy encounter with the proprietor, Jim Hardy, she sings a lovely rendition of White Christmas and is hired. Together they perform in holiday shows for New Year’s Eve,  Lincoln’s Birthday, and Valentine’s Day. A proposal caps off the idyllic situation. (Jim: “Maybe when we start doing better, you can stay out here all the time.” Linda: “I guess I’m engaged!”)

At this point, we are thinking: Perfect! Each couple has what they want “someone to adore.” (Linda has Jim, and Phil and Judy were a fit when they discovered  The Best Things Happen While Your Dancing).

So, let’s stop here and praise these career-minded women for having it all - a career and love!

However, we all know the movie musical isn’t complete without misdirection or misunderstanding.

For Linda and Jim, misunderstanding is precipitated by Ted Hanover, who believes he has the right to control Linda’s career by professing his love for her. When she politely refuses, he retreats, returning in the spring with an offer involving starring roles in pictures. Fearing Linda may find this offer too good to refuse, Jim uses misdirection to delay Linda’s arrival at the Inn during an Independence Day performance.

After landing in a lake, Linda uses misdirection and leaves her rival, Lila, stranded in the same lake.

Upon her return to the Inn,  this empowered woman has no patience for explanations or fools: “You knew there would be men here tonight who might offer me a chance in pictures. You decided I shouldn’t have that opportunity. Not even the opportunity to refuse! I’ve had about enough of that, Jim!”

With this declaration, Linda heads for Hollywood and has a  successful career with another man.

A solo career is thrust upon Betty Haynes as she and Bob  Wallace fall prey to a misunderstanding precipitated by rumor. This rumor leads Betty to break up the sister act, board a train, and as Bob runs after her apologizing, she heads for New York and an empowered performance, singing, Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me.

As these empowered women move forward, their decisions are based on asserting independence and advancing their careers. However, their choices regarding repairing their love relationship are clouded by bruised feelings. It falls to their partners to remove the rumors and misunderstandings and bring back the love.

Bob chooses honesty. (“Betty, I know that knight of yours has slipped off his white charger. Why I don’t  know, but I’d like to do all I can to get him back up  there again  for you.”) Jim chooses a little scheming. (He locks Linda’s fiancée in a closet and hides backstage while filming a pivotal scene in a Hollywood movie.)

They choose a song (White Christmas)  and symbolism (a pipe on the piano, a knight on a white horse) to rebuild their relationship.

As the stories end, the implication may be that these empowered women sacrifice their careers for family. (Phil: “Welcome to the family, buster! Wallace and Davis are flat! We gotta take the show on the road.” Bob: “ I’m sorry. I’m gonna be much too busy.”  Jim to Linda: “ We’ll stay at the Inn singing.”)

I think these empowered women will have it all - a career, love, and the support of their men as they perform at the Inn.

Thank you for joining me for an exploration of  The  Empowered Woman in the Movie Musical. It has been a joy sharing a new perspective on the structure of these films. Moving away from boy meets girl and moving toward the idea that the female character drives the story forward and stands on her own.

Join me in 2023 as we explore The Many Faces of Romance in the Classic Movie Musical!

In the meantime, and in between times, 

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday.

~~ Lori

References

Yauch, L (1 June 2022). The Empowered Independent Woman {Blog Post}. Retrieved from www.moviesandmusic.biz

Yauch, L (1 November 2020). Holidays in Isolation{Blog Post}. Retrieved from www.moviesandmusic.biz

Yauch, L (1 November 2021). The Faces of Friendship{Blog Post}. Retrieved from www.moviesandmusic.biz

Yauch, L (1 January 2022). The Empowered Women in The  Movie Musical {Blog Post}. Retrieved from www.moviesandmusic.biz

Bruce, embittered to a degree, yes, some other love didn’t do right by her! And yes, we will agree to disagree regarding empowerment Thank you for the kind words regarding my writing

Lori Yauch. That is a great article ... brava on your most thoughtful analysis and excellent writing. I love all the rest of the characters you cite, but I just find Betty Haynes cold and charmless; not empowered but embittered (somebody in her backstory must have really done a number on her ) ... hope we can agree to disagree! ????