FASHIONS FOR MEN

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3269, 7 March 1931, Page 2

FASHIONS FOR MEN

WILL ADOLPHE MENJOU BREAK THE RECORD ?

Men do not have nearly the same number of opportunities as feminine stars do on the screen to wear clothes; neither are they expected to. The fashion appeal of the modern picture as revealed by feminine stars has been brought up to a fine art by the various producing companies. They all have special departments for this work, famous designers in many instances being in charge. Adrian, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fashion designer, is a particularly well-known representative of this branch of movmg-making. Yet occasional y" we see a Beau Brummel and other kinds of roles which require many changes of suits. John Gilbert, John Barrymoye-, Lon Chaney—these are just a few of the names that leap to one's mind in recalling male parts of that nature. But Adolphe Menjou threatens to break all existing records in " The Easiest Way," his first feature picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, in which the famous sophisticate is seen as head of a big advertising agency — with a sharp eye for a pretty lady ! You could not guess off-hand how many different suits Menjou wears in "The Easiest Way." The number exceeds what you would, in all reason, consider likely—so much so that even the feminine record, which is probably held by Norma Shearer, may be hopelessly shattered ! Menjou is required to wear fifteen different suits in his role as Brockton, one hundred per cent of the menace, and fifty per cent of the male sex appeal, in the new talkie translation of Eugene Walters' stage success.

For those interested in the details of how a man cou d possibly wear that many suits of clothes, the collection includes double-breasted blue, for "office wear; double-breasted dinner jacket, for the club; black and .white striped double-breasted, for the office; light grey single-breasted, when he buys " Laura " a fur coat; dark coat and grey trousers, for the purchase of expensive motor car; grey double breasted tweed, for travelling; singlebreasted green tweed, with black leather buttons, for his discovery that his girl loves another; double-breast-ed tan suit, when he buys " Laura " a diamond bracelet; full evening dress; riding clothes; sports suit, tweed coat and grey trousers; mink overcoat, derby hat, spats, etc., for winter auto riding in Central Park, the start of his affair with " Laura; " Norfolk jacket and knickers, for another episode after his girl discloses that she loves another; blue velvet home dinner jacket; and that indispensab e item of attire for every well-regulated masculine menace of the movies, a blue panne velvet dressing gown. If clothes "make the star," and they have certainly helped in the case of Adolphe Menjou, admirers of this well-known player have a very distinguished achievement to look forward to in " The Easiest Way."