First of all, I know I've been slacking in the movie watching department, sorry! And I did watch a movie yesterday, but I was so upset about my dog destroying my amazing new vintage peeptoes that I didn't have it in me to blog last night. More on that later...
Yesterday I watched Pretty Baby from 1950. This was a sweet little black and white film that I would definately recommend. However, it struck me how the 2 leading men physically treated Patsy Douglas (Betsy Drake). They were always pulling her around by the arms, I didn't like that.
Patsy Douglas (Betsy Drake), a mimeograph operator at the advertising firm owned by Sam Morley (Dennis Morgan) and Barry Holmes (Zachary Scott), can never get a seat on the crowded subway until one day, she volunteers to hold a baby for an over-burdened mother and discovers that people willingly give up their seats.
Later, Patsy, who has a crush on Morley, is offered a temporary job as his secretary. Patsy is a failure as a secretary, but she is in Morley's office long enough to learn that Cyrus Baxter, owner of Baxter's Baby Foods, the company's main account, has rejected their latest campaign. Morley orders the Baxter display dismantled, and that night, as she leaves, Patsy grabs the baby doll that was part of the display. Wrapping the doll in a blanket, she masquerades as a mother with a baby and thus is able to get a seat on the subway.
The next day, Baxter, who has a violent temper, gets stuck in traffic, and takes out his frustration on his chauffeur, who quits on the spot. Baxter is forced to take the subway and sits next to Patsy, who is carrying the disguised doll. In response to a question from another passenger, Patsy reveals that her "baby" is named Cyrus after the founder of Baxter's Baby Foods. Baxter is thrilled and strikes up a conversation with her, although he does not reveal his identity. When he learns that she works for Morley-Holmes, he is determined to help her out.
Later, Baxter orders Morley and Holmes to make sure that Miss Douglas is happy at work. In the meantime, however, Patsy is fired. Morley and Holmes immediately search for her, then offer her a new job as a copywriter.
Patsy stops by the office one evening to offer her help to Morley, who is working overtime on a new campaign for Baxter. By the end of the evening, Morley has fallen in love with Patsy.
Holmes then suggests that Patsy present the new ideas to Baxter. In so doing, Patsy discovers Baxter's real identity and, realizing that a misunderstanding has been behind her promotion, leaves without showing him the proposal. Patsy tells the truth about the baby to Morley and Holmes, who insist that she keep up the deception until Baxter signs a new contract. She refuses and quits.
Morley encounters Baxter and shows him Holmes's baby picture, claiming it is a photograph of little Cyrus. Baxter soon recognizes that the baby resembles Holmes and, assuming that he is the baby's father, insists that Holmes marry Patsy. Although Holmes agrees to pretend to be engaged to Patsy, she has other ideas, and he then sets out to woo her. Morley becomes jealous, and when the two men argue over her at a nightclub, Patsy decides it is time for her to leave.
Encountering Baxter outside her apartment, Patsy starts to tell him the truth, but when he explains how his life has changed since he met her, she backs down. Instead, she tells Baxter that she is leaving New York for good. Without Patsy, Baxter returns to his contentious behavior.
Later Morley waits for Patsy outside her new job and follows her to the subway. She accepts his proposal, and they leave the subway at the City Hall stop.
