Audrey at the photographers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Late 1944
- Contributed by听
- Audrey Lewis - WW2 Site Helper
- People in story:听
- Audrey Lewis (nee Colman)
- Location of story:听
- Rotherham, South Yorkshire
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A3399500
- Contributed on:听
- 12 December 2004
Late in 1944 I made the dress in the photograph from remnants of blue silk brocade and brown crepe bought from Rotherham market. The design was copied from a dress Deanna Durbin wore in one of her films. I was sixteen, thought she sang like an angel and wanted to be like her.
All my teenage life had been spent in wartime, when things were in short supply and life could be very dull. It was the cinema that opened up a new world and Hollywood films that transported us into luxury and high fashion, with long, flouncy dresses, exotic hair styles, coloured high heeled shoes, expensive hats, strong makeup and exquisite jewellery displayed in the most glamorous settings.
Many of us, especially the girls, coveted and dreamed of the sophisticated and extravagant world of the stars. We learned to tap dance like Ginger Rogers, took singing lessons to be able to sing like Deanna Durbin; had elocution lessons to act like Ingrid Bergman and attended night school to make our own clothes and emulate them.
Unfortunately, some girls also picked up bad habits from the film stars. Many took to smoking cigarettes and became life-long smokers.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Story with photo