# Fabulous Makeovers in film and tv episodes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693 "2003-07-02T01:35:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/1 "2003-07-02T01:35:52Z")
[Pygmalion](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0030637) [Miss Congeniality](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0212346) [Clueless](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0112697) Cheers episode when Diane gave Lilith a makeover. Cheers episode when Cliff gave his girlfriend a makeover, only it backfired on him because other guys were hitting on her. Brady Bunch episode when Marcia gave a classmate a makeover. I think the girl’s name was Molly. Will & Grace when Will and Jack gave Barry a makeover. Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Jonathan used a spell to make himself cool. Can you think of any others? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/2 "2003-07-02T02:16:39Z")
_Love Potion #9_ when both Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan go from geeks to hotties. ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/3 "2003-07-02T05:25:51Z")
Gilligan’s Island Some girl washed up on shore vowing never to return to society because she was ugly. (Even her name was ugly) Ginger gave her a makeover and suprise! The girl looks just like her. (Tina L. played both roles) When the girl sees how pretty she is she runs off to Hollywood. Anyone remember if there was any closure to that? ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/4 "2003-07-02T06:29:16Z")
Olivia Newton John going from geeky goody goody to A-List hottie in Grease. Julia Roberts going from streetwalker-chic to Beverly Hills-chic in Pretty Woman ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/5 "2003-07-02T15:00:14Z")
I remember seeing an episode of The Andy Griffith Show when Ellie (the young woman who worked in the pharmacy) gave a makeover to a girl named Frankie. Frankie was a tomboy whose father wanted her to stay and help out with the chores on the farm. He got angry when Ellie wanted to give Frankie some makeup (face powder, lipstick, etc.). Then good old Andy (smartest man in Mayberry, natch!) gently told Frankie’s dad that even though Frankie could do a fair job of helping out with the chores, think how much help a son-in-law could be. Andy pointed to the strapping young men gathered around the new Frankie all dolled up and wearing a dress, thanks to Ellie. Happy ending, Mayberry-style. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/6 "2003-07-02T15:22:44Z")
I’m a big fan of the Beautifications of Bette Davis in _Now, Voyager_ and Norma Shearer in _Let Us Be Gay_. But my favorite is when Ruby Keeler takes off her glasses in _Footlight Parade_, and, “why, Miss Thorne, you’re _beautiful!_” ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/7 "2003-07-02T15:44:39Z")
Ally Sheedy as Allison in _The Breakfast Club_ Xander in Buffy (not necessarily a makeover, but any scene with a normally geeky guy walking in a speedo to slow music should qualify as such, imho) And although it may ruin any shred of dignity I have at the moment to admit this, I have to say my favourite is Barbra Streisand in _The Mirror Has Two Faces_. _hangs head in shame_ ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/8 "2003-07-02T15:48:17Z")
_Not Another Teen Movie_ handily spoofs all of these Hollywood makeovers. The Big Men On Campus are looking for an ugly girl to turn into the Homecoming Queen. They reject such contendors as an albino and deformed conjoined twins in favor of a girl who wears her hair in a ponytail, wears glasses and wears paint-spattered overalls. All three hallmarks of “ugly” girls in Hollywood films and TV. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/9 "2003-07-02T15:52:51Z")
The reason makeovers on TV and in the movies are so “fubulous” is because they take attractive women and frump them up, which is a lot easier than making a genuinely ugly person look attractive. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/10 "2003-07-02T15:54:15Z")
. . . You mean where she looks _exactly the same_ only now her hair has highlights, and suddenly Jeff Bridges and Pierce Brosnan throw themselves at her feet? ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/11 "2003-07-02T17:58:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fibber McGee \* > \*\*The reason makeovers on TV and in the movies are so “fubulous” is because they take attractive women and frump them up, which is a lot easier than making a genuinely ugly person look attractive. \*\* Yes! Perfect example of this is an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show guest starring Bob Crane as “Harry Rogers” in episode: “Somebody Has to Play Cleopatra” (episode # 2.14) 26 December 1962. Everyone’s gathered in the living room of the Petrie household to rehearse the play “Cleopatra”. They need someone to play her. Camera focuses on a “frumpy” schoolteacher sitting hunched over, wearing glasses, a pencil/pen(?) in her mouth, hair pulled back and wearing a sweater. She stands up, removes the pencil/pen from her mouth, takes off her eyeglasses and sweater, removes the pin from her hair, fluffs her hair and INSTANTLY becomes a gorgeous supermodel! Bob Crane as “Harry Rogers” is eager to play opposite her, much to the dismay of his wife. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/12 "2003-07-02T18:08:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fibber McGee \* > \*\*The reason makeovers on TV and in the movies are so “fubulous” is because they take attractive women and frump them up, which is a lot easier than making a genuinely ugly person look attractive. \*\* Well, there’s always _Mrs. Doubtfire._ Or Agnes Gootch in _Auntie Mame_. “Agnes! You _do_ have a bust!” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fabulous-makeovers-in-film-and-tv-episodes/185693/13 "2003-07-02T18:12:59Z")
The title character on “Doctor Who” had periodic ultra-radical makeovers in which he came out looking like an entirely different person altogether! One of his companions, Romana, a Time-Lady, also had a radical makeover in which she also looked completely different (albiet, she took the luxury of trying out a few different bodies before settling on her new “self”.) Does Kevin Spacey’s change in “American Beauty” (from middle-aged schlub to buff gaybait) count as a makeover? Also on “Cheers”, Lilith gave Rebecca a makeover to look like a no-nonsense corporate executive. She simply dressed Rebecca up to look exactly like her! And lastly, Hilary Swank’s character in “Boys Don’t Cry” goes from hot-looking babe, to genuinely hot-looking guy! (Although I can’t remember if they actually showed her “makeover” herself?)