"As Cora, Lana Was Costumed Throughout In A Stark White Wardrobe. Her Hair Was A Snowy White As Well,

"As Cora, Lana was costumed throughout in a stark white wardrobe. Her hair was a snowy white as well, and against a deep suntan she acquired for the role, the effect was startling. At the time, Life predicted Lana's all-white wardrobe would 'become historic.' More recently, director Garnett recalled the incentive for this striking conversation piece: 'The white clothing was something that Carey (Wilson) and I thought of. At that time there was a great problem of getting a story with that much sex past the censors. We figured that dressing Lana in white somehow made everything she did seem less sensuous. It was also attractive as hell. And it somehow took a little of the stigma off everything that she did. They didn't have 'hot pants' then, but you couldn't tell it by looking at hers.' "The 'hot pants' referred to by Garnett was actually a two-piece playsuit designed by MGM's Irene and her associate, Marion Herwood Keyes. It was so effective at the time that it helped popularize the vogue for women's shorts. This is the outfit that Cora is wearing when she makes her first breahtaking entrance into the film. The scene begins as a lipstick rolls across the floor. Frank Chambers (Garfield) stoops to retrieve it and his eyes hit upon a figure in the doorway. At first glance, it appears to be an apparition. The camera slowly scans the figure from her white high heels, up her slim naked legs, to her white form-fitting shorts and well-filled blouse. Finally, it settles on her face and her lush, platinumed hair, so perfectly encased in a white turban." -Lou Valentino

LANA TURNER in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE — 1946

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