Stylish Olympic Movies

The chic French team...The Olympics provides some very interesting style notes. During the opening ceremonies I was happily surprised by the many sophisticated and exciting team uniforms, as well as the sheer beauty of the athletes from around the world. Tall, fit, smiling, and exotic... Granted, some of the outfits were fairly awful, but I loved both the French ladies' bold leather belts, and the Mauritius fellows and their polka-dotted shirts! For a full run-down of the Parade of Nations fashion, check out this article from The National Post.

I've been thinking of how the Olympics are depicted in films, and while one wouldn't automatically think of Olympic films being stylish, there are some exceptions.

The first is Chariots of Fire. Classic Cambridge in the 1920s, close relation to Brideshead Revisited. (The book & 1981 mini-series, haven't seen the new one...) Sleek blazers with contrast trim, long striped scarves, and v-neck sweaters with sporty edging. Then, there's the quirky comedy with Cary Grant called Walk, Don't Run about the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. The streamlined mod look of Japan in the sixties mixed with the traditions of tea and kimonos. Oh, and Cary Grant as the roommate...priceless!

Of course, I couldn't overlook the subplot of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes wherein the US Olympic team shares a boat to Europe with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Lines such as "Girls like that couldn't drown," "Dibs on the shot-putter," and "I like a man to run faster than I can," set up the promise of flirtation and romance, only for Jane Russell's character to find out that the whole team has to be in bed by 9PM on coaches' orders.

So, in the Olympic spirit, I give you "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love"... a great musical number featuring athletic choreography and a lot of guys doing handstands.