Sleevehead: "Mad" about Madrid: 1960s style                                                          

"Mad" about Madrid: 1960s style

    One more thing about Madrid. A few months ago I came across The Pleasure Seekers, a 1964 "chick flick" about three American gals in Madrid. A kind of Mad Men from the female point of view but more comically inclined, if you see the analogy. The commonality is that both Pleasure Seekers and Mad Men are set in the 1960s and offer an interesting visual record of mid-century style, dress, furnishings and the lived environment.



The film features the 60s starlet Ann-Margret, Carol Lynley, Pamela Tiffin and Brian Keith as the grizzled expat newspaper editor. Equipped with a brassy, swinging big-band soundtrack and tracking shots of Madrid (and Toledo) from 40+ years ago, The Pleasure Seekers is a lightweight, even silly film with scenes of forced seriousness. But I found it visually diverting with a memorable line or two of dialogue and sly double entendres.

Check out the mod suits with skinny lapels and pocket flaps worn by Keith and a striking lime and pink check suit worn by Tiffin (playing Susie) in the opening scene. In the Prado scene you'll see her again with a carnation-red gingham slip dress while her love interest Emilio sports a 60s monochrome look wearing a Brioni-esque grey suit with a black tie on a blue shirt. In the penultimate scene with Brian Keith, Emilio also wears a distinctive moss green/grey/blue gunclub tweed jacket with a black tie and tan trousers.

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