September 23, 2014 /

Greta Garbo in a hat – Ninotchka

Here’s the set up: Ninotchka commenting on western decadence – (looking at a ladies’ hat in a display window)  How can such a civilization survive which permits their women to put things like that on their heads? It won’t be long now comrades.

And then she meets Melvyn Douglas and the rest is romantic comedy history…

Garbo’s hat was designed by the famed costume designer, Adrian.

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and Walter Reisch.

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CategoriesArt Blogging Culture Design Entertainment fashion Fiction Film History Hollywood Humor Los Angeles Movies Photography Relationships Story Travel Truth & Rumors Uncategorized Writing

TagsAdrian Billy Wilder Charles Brackett comedy costume design Ernst Lubitsch Film Classic Greta Garbo hat Melvyn Douglas MGM movie still Ninotchka Old Hollywood Romantic Comedy

16 Comments

  1. Magical Effects of Thinking
    October 16, 2012

    Love the movie. Love Adrian. Love the hat. I’ve got a hat pattern from the 40’s that is similar but I don’t think I could pull it off.

    • Vickie Lester
      October 16, 2012

      Looks kind of like one of Shiaparelli’s avant garde hat forms…

  2. Madame Weebles
    October 16, 2012

    Whenever I see this hat, or some of the other more avant-garde hat designs, I can’t help thinking of that episode of I Love Lucy where they’re in Paris and Ricky & Fred pull a fast one on Lucy & Ethel by making bizarre outfits out of feed bags and buckets and telling them that they’re Paris originals.

    • Vickie Lester
      October 16, 2012

      Oh, I have to find that one!

      • laniersmith
        October 16, 2012

        What!!! You have never seen that Paris episode? Next you will be telling me you never saw the Don Loper Salon episode…. “Mrs. Richard CARLson!”

      • Vickie Lester
        October 16, 2012

        I have some serious catching up to do!

  3. laniersmith
    October 16, 2012

    “Supress it.”

    • Vickie Lester
      October 17, 2012

      “Well, I don’t have to, but I find it natural.”

  5. George Kaplan
    July 18, 2013

    Well, that’s odd, I was prattling on about women in hats in the previous post before I saw this!
    Ninotchka is magical. Ms Garbo was perfect – neither K. Hepburn or Cyd Charisse (legs apart) come close in the ill-conceived remakes. Greta even makes the kind of hat usually worn by fairies on toadstools look good and she’s wonderful in that role. Hail Lubitsch, Wilder, Brackett and Company! And oh those sweet Russians… Plus, no one smokes a pipe like Mr Douglas!

    • Vickie Lester
      July 18, 2013

      Mister, I couldn’t have said it any better! Love, love, love this movie. 🙂

  6. le0pard13
    July 18, 2013

    Great film and star, Vickie, but for some reason a certain quote from JAWS is nagging at me,

    “That’s some bad hat, Harry.”

  7. George Kaplan
    July 18, 2013

    Yeah, that’s a great quotation, le0pard13. Bryan Singer used it for the name of his production company, Bad Hat Harry!

  8. Morgan Mussell
    July 18, 2013

    To me, what is hilarious about this photo is that Melvyn appears to be looking up, and the whites of his eyes create a kind of bug-eyed expression. I find myself trying to fill in a cartoon thought bubble over his head that begins with the word, “Huh…?”

  10. cindybruchman
    September 23, 2014

    LOL. It’s hideous, even on Greta.

Comments are closed.