My dad just brought me a huge cardboard box full of old stuff that I thought were lost. In a massive file holder, I found a French teenage magazine from the 70's that I had bought in the early 80's in a discount/unsold stocks shop. The content magazine itself is not very interesting oscillating between very innocent and a tad stupid cartoons and a still very present pre-1968 flavour (you'll be a good kind housewife my girl).




The cover



A recurrent cartoon featuring adventurous redheaded twins




The 'celebrity' page. For whoever heard about Herve Vilard, they'll laugh. The graphism and gaudy colours are particularly well achieved.




Caroline... I remember reading some 'Caroline' cartoons. She had animals and was travelling on a house boat. I guess it was very popular in France but I was too little to be deeply impressed.




The only advertisement found in the magazine. Teenform is an american brand but it never took off in France as far as I know. Well we had DIM! Note the David Hamilton touch and the moody face of this poor pre-teengirl (oh my tits are growing, sigh). What was the sulking about? After all, there was a song saying...

Tu as quinze ans
Quoi de plus merveilleux ?
Les gens te diront
Que tu n'peux être plus heureux
Que tu n'as pas de soucis,
Pas d'impôts à payer
Pas de responsabilités
Tu as quinze ans et vraiment
Pas l'âge des tourments

You are 15
What else could be more wonderful?
People will tell you
You cannot be happier
You've got no worries
No taxes to pay
No responsibilities
You are 15 and really
Nothing to worry

'Ballade pour un puceau'/Ballad for a virgin by Michel Polnareff (excellent French music! Too rare not to mention it). And the much talked about poster while on tour at roughly the same period:

If you're like me a huge fan of 'Jackie Brown', here's another kitschogem featuring extravagant and powerful Pam Grier. Coffy is the sort of films you'd expect to be found in the £1 DVD bin though it deserves a view at least for the early 70s fashion in full bloom. The plot is weak though Pam Grier 'nurse by day and avenging angel by night' magnificently supports her role. Drugs in the early 70's in America is depicted as a serious problem. People lead to use drugs to bear lives far from being decent (that's more or less the message of the drug head gangster at the end). So the film has some interesting food for thought and social apspects. But what about fashion? Afros, collars, glasses and trousers are as big as they can be...



Coffy trying to trick a pusher, dressed as a prostitute/junkie. Behind her, a crochet bag (more further)



Check the tapestry in the background, some uglish 70's pattern! This is not Coffy on this one but a young woman at a callgirls pad. I love the choker necklace and the afro of course.



Callgirls pads must have been the prehistory of today's call centres (thouhg obviously they don't 'sell' the same thing!). The headset is amazingly modern. I like the little gold heart pendant, the green ostrich feather, the double bangles and her eyes are just awesome.



Coffy arrived at the callgirls' wearing this massive shells and gold necklace. I don't like too much the dress though it has some interesting split-open sleeves.



Oh my dog... Pure typical highwaisted bellbottom, cinched waist and probably platform boots under. The ad message from Coca Cola makes me wonder if this was put on purpose or not ('it's the real thing. Coke').



The pusher. This is some serious pimp costume. Looks like a jumpsuit with a cape held by a golden chain. The hat has pheasant's feathers on it and the glasses are making a big statement.



And here is Coffy's crochet bag. This is by far my favourite prop...

Coffy is available on DVD copyright American International Pictures and MGM home entertainment

I sometimes wonder how Romy Schneider coped with sharing the screen again with Alain Delon some 10 years after they split up. They were the hottest couple in the late 50's. It's been said that Delon cheated on her while they were engaged, got another woman pregnant and left Schneider for her. The opening scene shows Delon and Schneider all over each other in a rather steamy way. How much played, how much reality was involved?



Marianne (Romy Schneider) in the opening sequence

In this post I'll focus on supporting actress Jane Birkin ('la plus Francaise des Anglaises' as we call her in France) in the role of Penelope who by far has the most interesting wardrobe.

Penelope is a curious character. She doesn't say much but a lot with her look outraged by the antics of her father and the grown up world in general. The plot of La Piscine (Jacques Deray 1970) is not highly developed - a menage a trois that turns sour- and the film merely lies on the performance of three strong charismatic actors (the 3rd being Maurice Ronet) rather than the story itself.



Marianne and a rather odd green psychedelic dress and the weirdest hairdo I've come across.



Penelope (Jane Birkin) arriving at Marianne's house in the South of France. This outfit is not far from the way Birkin used to dress off set especially the wicker bag! This must have been before a bag wearing her name was created by Hermes



Another superb example of the massive sunglasses trend!



A French favourite: The gingham dress



Tiny biniki



Crochet was big in the Seventies. It came back again in the fashion magic roundabout circa 1993

If you want to know more about the Delon/Schneider romance, here's a beautiful video from Youtube where you can see some bits of La piscine



La Piscine is available on DVD copyright tf1 Video

Viveca Scott (Vera Miles) owns a powerful cosmetic brand named 'Beauty Mark Inc.' but on the decline. One of her scientists finally comes up with the Eternal Youth potion which she covets greedily in the hope she'll get her business back on the green and eventually turns it into the richest cosmetic company in the world (if such thing as Eternal Youth potion existed she certainly would).



Strolling about at a fashion show, Viveca doesn't do in half measure. 1940s white turban, swan feather caplet and glass of sparkling wine



Matching clutch in fishscales and a rather modestly designed invitation carton



Ugly duckling Shirley who's in awe of Viveca as well as bold as she turns into a blackmailer. This outfit is REALLY REALLY seventies, very dated though charming. Pointy collar, patchwork like design, fuzzy green...



Fashion shoot at Beauty Mark Inc. nice Asian model with airy gaze. Again get these lightly coloured shades back in fashion!



Featuring another all time favourite colour of the Seventies: Purple. Afros were also very popular among black women at the time



Viveca in her kitchissim office in pale pinks, plexiglass armchairs. Polka dot shirt with massive collar and matching Black/White handbag



Viveca shopping out with ugly duckling. The store has some interesting dresses with crazy patterns, bold colours, shift dresses neatly aligned on portable racks. Ugly ducklin who thinks she knows better tries to get a pink cocktail dress off Viveca using menacing blackmail techniques.

Columbo is available on DVD copyright Universal Studios

Manon has met another sugar daddy who knows nothing about the existence of her boyfriend and sends her to La Cote d'Azur for a vacation. But hey Manon takes her boyfriend with her and lazies around on a speedboat



Reminds me of that trend called 'Boyfriend', Manon has borrowed one of those big thick wooly navy jumpers that shows off her perfect legs. Somehow very 'Brigitte Bardot' too.



Sugar daddy trapped the guilty lovers and Manon is kicked out practically naked. Goodbye Ungaro! Here we go again with the 'boyfriend' flavour, men's jeans, men's t-shirt, barefeet with a sailor hat on the head. Still she looks absolutely fabulous!!

Manon 70 is available on DVD copyright Studiocanal image, Roxy films, Panda films