"The Major and the Minor" (1942)

[Lumpy]

Per Wikipedia’s entry:

After her first client, Albert Osborne, makes a heavy pass and refuses to take “No” for an answer, Susan Applegate quits her job as a Revigora System scalp massager

But is that description soft-selling what happened? I took the scene to mean that her client expected that the whole scalp massager thing was a thinly-veiled front for prostitution, and that she quit when she discovered to her disgust that that was the case. Obviously you couldn’t spell that out in 1942, but did audiences at the time pick this up as the subtext?

[Chronos]

Even if it wasn’t, clients expecting that it was would be plenty of grounds for disgust.

[Lumpy]

There might be actual legitimate vocations that call for young women to meet their male clients in their hotel rooms; but isn’t that, shall we say, abuse-prone?

[terentii]

My mother was 15 in 1942. She would have picked up on this immediately, believe me!

[DrDeth]

That scalp massager was a fake method to regrow hair- I dont think it had anything to do with prostitution.

[Beckdawrek]

It was double entendre.
Of course audiences knew what it meant.

Common trope.

[Darren_Garrison]

@Lumpy

But is that description soft-selling what happened?

No, it isn’t, if what you mean is her being raped or physically assaulted: she wasn’t. You can watch it here

The Major And The Minor (1942) (1080p)🌻 Black & White Films

She used one of these

Ubiquitous items from relatively recently youngsters may not recognise

Anyone remember these? Your barber used them. Does anyone remember a real, old-school barber? [image]

And in a (probably dead) trope I had forgotten about, she cracks a raw egg on his head and massages it in.

[Rilchiam]

@Lumpy

I took the scene to mean that her client expected that the whole scalp massager thing was a thinly-veiled front for prostitution, and that she quit when she discovered to her disgust that that was the case.

That’s definitely what the elevator operator thought. When she tells him what she’s there for, he whistles. “What’s that?” “Nothing, just [whistle!].” “Well, what do you mean, just [whistle!]?” “Ain’t it a shame how a fella’s scalp dries out this time of year.”

[Sherrerd]

@Rilchiam

That’s definitely what the elevator operator thought. When she tells him what she’s there for, he whistles. “What’s that?” “Nothing, just [whistle!].” “Well, what do you mean, just [whistle!]?” “Ain’t it a shame how a fella’s scalp dries out this time of year.”

Yes, the innuendo was definitely that any woman who would work for the Revigora System would at least possibly be willing to conduct additional business in those hotel rooms.

This was Billy Wilder’s first directorial effort, and he had written the screenplay (with Charles Brackett). A cynical viewpoint would be expected.