Inspired by one of my favorite movies! I made this necklace a few years ago using this still photo from the movie, the details aren’t clear so I guessed.
I finally got the chance to watch this movie in a theatre two weeks ago and paid close attention to the scene with this necklace. Looks the same in the movie as the still photo. I am still curious and do some internet sleuthing to find this photo and a description of the necklace being turquoise and gold.
In the second picture of Doris, the necklace looks more like aventurine than turquoise–a soft green instead of the bright blue in the movie still.
When I clicked on the movie still, there was something about the dress being green, and what I can see in the still does look dark green; and a green necklace would look better with it than a bright blue one.
So I wonder if the magicians of Technicolor oomphed the color of the necklace. They did a lot of oomphing back then; some old movies are so brightly colored my eyes hurt.
Lots of oomphing with this necklace. The dress is blue the jacket is green. I called a photographer friend to ask if lighting and angles can change the color of the item. She said yes and my husband and I jumped around Beverly the mannequin to make it happen
There is more…the necklace was made for Lana Turner to wear in the movie Imitation of Life. She preferred gold and turquoise. The necklace being a product placement from Laykin et Cie. There was a scandal attached to the movie when Lana Turner’s teenage daughter was arrested for killing her mothers boyfriend. The necklace was put on Doris Day because her " good" reputation. Along with being shown with a completely different color outfit, lighting and angles would restore the positive association to the brand without having to physically change the necklace. The movies were filmed a few months apart but released the same year. Both movies were a huge success earning Oscar nominations. Lana Turners daughter was found not guilty because it was believed that she was acting in her mothers defense and did save her from being beaten to death.
Not the artistic fantasy story I had hoped to find.
I do not have a gown but might wear it to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on St. Patricks Day.
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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lol I went down that rabbit hole and now know more about Lana Turner than I probably needed! There are a lot of murder/death stories around a lot of the old movie stars…Natalie Wood comes to mind…it was an interesting story about your inspiration necklace!
I think it will spruce up whatever you decide to wear it with! A jeans and a classic white blouse looks lovely with diamonds and pearls!
You’re very welcome! Celebrating your 25th wedding anniversary on St. Patrick’s Day sounds like a fantastic idea. While wearing a gown isn’t a requirement, it could add an extra touch of elegance and make the occasion even more special. Whether you choose to wear a gown or not, the most important thing is to enjoy the day and cherish the wonderful milestone you’ve reached in your marriage. Congratulations in advance on your upcoming anniversary, and I hope you have a memorable and joy-filled celebration!
Oh, this makes me so happy to see! I grew up on Doris Day movies - my mom was a huge fan when she was younger and so it carried over to us - and this brought back so many memories. It turned out beautifully!
Do you want real turquoise?
If not, you could just paint the blue beads with nail polish. It sticks and holds very well.
Dollar Tree has a good color selection.
I would paint beads.
I would also like a smaller width gold element. The coins I used were too wide. That pattern was 2 crystals-dangle-2 crystals. Making the design stretch across the base necklace rather than be centered.
The pattern I should try is crystal-dangle-crystal. A smaller width gold element will allow the design to hang more closely together and appear more centered. That pattern would mean more crystals available for the base necklace.
It turned out beautifully!