Gamine Explained

The gamine is a popular archetype of a slim, often boyish, elegant young woman who is described as mischievous or teasing, popularized in film and fashion from the turn of the twentieth century through to the 1950s. The word gamine is a French word, the feminine form of gamin, originally meaning urchin, waif or playful, naughty child. It was used in English from about the mid-19th century (for example, by William Makepeace Thackeray in 1840 in one of his Parisian sketches), but in the 20th century, came to be applied in its more modern sense.

Lexicography

In 1997 the publisher HarperCollins drew up a list of 101 words – one a year – that defined the years 1896 to 1997.[1] Gamine was chosen for 1899, being described by Philip Howard in The Times as follows:

Gamine has been used particularly of such women in the performing arts or world of fashion. In that context, the closest English word – of Anglo-Norman origin – is probably "waif" (although "gamine" is often seen as conveying an additional sense of style and chic). For example, in a press release of 1964, impresario Andrew Loog Oldham described the 17-year-old singer Marianne Faithfull as "shy, wistful, waif-like";[2] and writer and musician John Amis referred to German-born actress Luise Rainer (1910–2014) as Paul Muni's "waif-wife" in the 1937 film, The Good Earth.[3]

Gaminerie has sometimes been used in English with reference to the behaviour or characteristics of gamin(e)s.

In silent films

In the early 20th century, silent films brought to public attention a number of actresses who sported a gamine look. These included the Canadian-born Mary Pickford (1892–1979),[4] who became known as "America's Sweetheart" and, with her husband Douglas Fairbanks, was one of the founders of the film production company United Artists; Lillian Gish (1893–1993),[5] notably in Way Down East (1920); and Louise Brooks (1906–1985),[6] whose short bobbed hair, widely copied in the 1920s, came to be regarded as both a gamine and a "Bohemian" trait (this style having first appeared among the Paris demi-monde before World War I and among London art students during the war.[7]) In 1936, Charlie Chaplin cast his then-girlfriend Paulette Goddard (1910–1990) as an orphaned gamine (credited as "A Gamin") in one of his last silent films, Modern Times.[8]

Audrey Hepburn and gamines of the 1950s

In the 1950s "gamine" was applied notably to the style and appearance of the Belgian-born actress Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993): for example, in the films, Sabrina (1954) and Funny Face (1957). Hepburn also played the role of the gamine Gigi in New York (1951) in the play of that name, based on the novel (1945) by Colette, who had personally "talent-spotted" her when she was filming in Monte Carlo.[9] On film and in photographs, Hepburn's short hair and petite figure created a distinct and enduring "look", well defined by Don Macpherson,[10] who cited her "naïveté which did not rule out sophistication", and described her as "the first gamine to be accepted as overpoweringly chic".

Other film actresses of the period regarded as gamines included Leslie Caron (b. 1931),[11] who played the leading role in the 1958 musical film of Gigi; Jean Seberg (1938–1979),[12] best known in Bonjour Tristesse (1958) and Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960); Shirley MacLaine (b. 1934),[13] in films like Some Came Running (1958), Hot Spell (1958), and The Apartment (1960); and Jean Simmons (1929–2010),[14] for example, in Angel Face (1953). The French singer Juliette Gréco (1927–2020),[15] who emerged from Bohemian Paris in the late 1940s to become an international star in the 1950s, also had gamine qualities.

1960s and beyond

Audrey Hepburn's most iconic "gamine" role, as the main character Holly Golightly, came in 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's. In many ways, the "gamine look" of the 1950s paved the way for the success of the following English models: Jean Shrimpton (b. 1942), one of the first to promote the miniskirt in 1965; Twiggy (b. Lesley Hornby, 1949),[16] who became "The Face of '66";[17] and Kate Moss (b. 1974),[18] associated in the 1990s with the "waif" look and what, notably through an advertising campaign for Calvin Klein in 1997, became known as "heroin chic." Moss was part of a trend of "wafer" thin models which was satirized in Neil Kerber's strip cartoon "Supermodels" in the magazine Private Eye.

Other gamines

Others who have been described as gamines include: Danish-French actress Anna Karina (1940–2019);[19] American actresses Edie Sedgwick (1943–1971),[20] Mia Farrow (b. 1945),[21] Liza Minnelli (b. 1946),[22] Sissy Spacek (b. 1949),[23] Jennifer Jason Leigh (b. 1962),[24] Calista Flockhart (b. 1964),[25] Bridget Fonda (b. 1964),[26] Mary Stuart Masterson (b. 1966),[27] Julia Roberts (b. 1967),[28] Winona Ryder (b. 1971),[29] Selma Blair (b. 1972),[30] Gwyneth Paltrow (b. 1972),[31] Michelle Williams (b. 1980),[32] Anne Hathaway (b. 1982),[33] and Rooney Mara (b. 1985);[34] English actresses Susannah York (1939–2011),[35] Rita Tushingham (b. 1942),[36] Helena Bonham Carter (b. 1966),[37] Tara FitzGerald (b. 1967),[38] Keira Knightley (b. 1985),[39] Carey Mulligan (b. 1985),[40] and Emma Watson (b. 1990);[41] Portuguese actress Maria de Medeiros (b. 1965);[42] French actresses Juliette Binoche (b. 1964),[43] Caroline Proust (b. 1967),[44] Vanessa Paradis (b. 1972),[45] and Audrey Tautou (b. 1976);[46] English-French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (b. 1971);[47] Australian actress Mia Wasikowska (b. 1989);[48] Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman (b. 1981);[49] English-American actress Lily Collins (b. 1989);[50] Canadian model Linda Evangelista (b. 1965);[51] American models Tina Chow (1950–1992)[52] and Kristen McMenamy (b. 1964);[53] Welsh-French model Lucie de la Falaise (b. 1973);[54] Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia (b. 1975);[55] and American singer Cat Power (b. Chan Marshall, 1972).[56]

Penelope Chetwode (1910–1986), later Lady Betjeman, wife of the Poet Laureate, John Betjeman, was described by Betjeman's biographer A. N. Wilson as "gamine of feature, but large-breasted".[57] Corinne Bailey Rae alleged that she was called a gamine in her song, "Choux Pastry Heart" (2005).

In film

See also: ingénue.

Among the notable gamine characters of film are: Gelsomina,[58] the street performer from La Strada (1954), played by Giulietta Masina (1921–1994); Bree Daniels,[59] the prostitute played by Jane Fonda (b. 1937) in Klute (1971) (whose hairstyle was sometimes referred to as the "Klute shag"); Nikita,[60] the titular punkish junkie in Luc Besson's 1990 film, played by Anne Parillaud (b. 1960); Amélie,[61] in the 2001 romantic comedy of that name, played by Audrey Tautou; and, most recently, Alice Cullen, the vampire played by Ashley Greene (b. 1987) in The Twilight Saga (2008).

Gamines share similarities with the modern, cinematic "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" stock character.

Literary quotations

In the modern romance The Life and Loves of a She-Devil by Fay Weldon, one of the female characters is a 'gamine', wife of the Doctor Black, the surgeon of Ruth Patchett, the heroine of the story.

Notes and References

  1. See The Times, 3 November 1997
  2. Faithfull – An Autobiography, 1994
  3. The Oldie, August 2006
  4. News: Zimmerman . Jean . 'Girls In The Picture' Traces A Friendship In The Flickers . 17 October 2021 . NPR . 17 January 2018 . en.
  5. News: Kanfer . Stefan . When Words Go Lightly to Screen . 17 October 2021 . Wall Street Journal . 28 June 2010.
  6. Book: MacDonell . Nancy . In the Know: The Classic Guide to Being Cultured and Cool . 30 October 2007 . Penguin . 978-1-4406-1976-2 . 17 October 2021 . en.
  7. Virginia Nicholson (2002) Among the Bohemians
  8. News: Wilmington . Michael . A restored, rousing 'Modern Times' as modern as ever . 17 October 2021 . Chicage Tribune . 26 December 2003.
  9. Judith Thurman (1999) Secrets of the Flesh – A Life of Colette
  10. Stars of the Screen (Marks & Spencer, 1989)
  11. News: King . Susan . Gene Kelly's widow recalls magic of the film 'An American in Paris' as the stage version comes to SoCal . 13 October 2021 . Los Angeles Times . 16 March 2017.
  12. News: Anniss . Elisa . A Classic in Stripes . 13 October 2021 . The New York Times . 9 March 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100311061123/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/fashion/10iht-rstripe.html . 11 March 2010.
  13. News: Bahr . Lindsey . Shirley MacLaine sets the record straight . 13 October 2021 . The Morning Call . 10 March 2017.
  14. News: That Was One Classy Dame . 13 October 2021 . Glamour . 19 October 2007.
  15. News: Piccalo . Gina . Juliette Greco, actress, singer and muse of postwar France, has died . 13 October 2021 . Los Angeles Times . 23 September 2020.
  16. News: Davis . Laura . They call me 'Twiggy' . 13 October 2021 . The Independent . 31 October 2011 . en.
  17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/breakfast/4725427.stm "The face of '66"
  18. News: Elser . Daniela . 'I had a nervous breakdown': Sad truth behind iconic Kate Moss image . 13 October 2021 . NZ Herald . 3 November 2019 . en-NZ.
  19. Book: Campbell . Mel . Out of shape : debunking the myths about fashion sizing and fit . June 1, 2013 . Affirm Press . 73 . 978-1-92221-314-3 . August 25, 2021.
  20. Web site: Cox . Rebecca . How To Dress Like: Edie Sedgwick . Grazia . August 25, 2021 . May 18, 2016.
  21. Web site: Kelly . Marie . Style Icons According To Marie Kelly: Mia Farrow . IMAGE.ie . August 25, 2021 . en . 21 April 2018.
  22. News: Smith . Liz . Liza still lively at 65 . 17 October 2021 . The Buffalo News . 11 March 2011 . en.
  23. News: Kerridge . Jake . Stephen King: True compassion lies at the heart of horror . 10 October 2021 . The Telegraph . 19 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170518175259/http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/culture/books/booknews/10320475/Stephen-King-True-compassion-lies-at-the-heart-of-horror.html . 18 May 2017.
  24. Book: Lodge, David. Consciousness & the Novel: Connected Essays. 2002. Harvard University Press. 978-0-674-00949-3. 212.
  25. News: Staff Writer . THE ACCIDENTAL STYLIST . 13 October 2021 . Women's Wear Daily . 22 January 2001.
  26. Book: Kael . Pauline . 5001 Nights at the Movies . 15 May 1991 . Macmillan . 978-0-8050-1367-2 . 13 October 2021 . en.
  27. News: McEnroe. Colin. Casting About in a Sea of Same-named Actresses. 25 August 2014. Hartford Courant. 27 January 1992.
  28. News: Calder . Peter . Erin Brockovich . August 25, 2021 . The New Zealand Herald . June 29, 2000 . en-NZ.
  29. Traill-Nash. Glynis. Cream of the gamine crop. The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 April 2007. 29 August 2014.
  30. News: Lee . Chris . One of the tops in the trade . 17 October 2021 . Los Angeles Times . 26 September 2004 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201114151659/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-26-ca-gettingright26-story.html . 14 November 2020.
  31. News: Proof we always had a taste for celeb titbits . 13 October 2021 . Daily Express . 17 April 2011 . en.
  32. Web site: Ginsberg . Merle . BAFTA Fashion: Michelle Williams Follows Chanel, Victoria Beckham, Valentino With H&M? . The Hollywood Reporter . August 25, 2021 . February 12, 2012.
  33. News: Means . Sean P. . Monsters emerge from pain in inventive 'Colossal' . August 23, 2021 . The Salt Lake Tribune . April 17, 2017.
  34. News: Lacey . Liam . The girl with the sudden cachet . September 7, 2021 . The Globe and Mail . December 16, 2011.
  35. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/16/susannah-york-dies-battle-cancer Susannah York, the gentle star of 1960s cinema, dies after battle against cancer | Film | guardian.co.uk
  36. News: Hodgkinson . Will . Interview with Rita Tushingham . 12 October 2021 . The Guardian . 15 June 2001 . en.
  37. News: Rees . Jasper . MAYBE SHE CAN ACT, AFTER ALL . 13 October 2021 . The Independent . 23 October 2011 . en.
  38. News: Cooper . Neil . Valley of the doll's house Tara Fitzgerald flirts with her dangerous side as Nora in a vivid new version of Ibsen's play . August 25, 2021 . HeraldScotland . February 2, 2004 . en.
  39. News: Johnson . Brian D. . KEIRA THE CONQUEROR . 13 October 2021 . Maclean's . 14 November 2005.
  40. Web site: Shone . Tom . Great Expectations: The Inimitable Carey Mulligan . Vogue . August 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170429134318/https://www.vogue.com/article/great-expectations-carey-mulligan-as-daisy-buchanan-in-the-great-gatsby . April 29, 2017 . April 15, 2013.
  41. Web site: Schulte-Hillen . Sophie . Emma Watson's Bouncy New Bob Is Our Midweek Beauty Inspiration . Vogue . August 23, 2021 . December 9, 2015.
  42. Book: Dunn . Megan . Things I Learned at Art School . August 17, 2021 . Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited . 107 . 978-0-14-377486-0 . August 25, 2021 . en.
  43. News: Moore . Roger . JULIETTE BINOCHE ARRIVES HAPPY WITH 'JET LAG' . August 25, 2021 . OrlandoSentinel.com . September 17, 2003.
  44. https://www.newstatesman.com/node/164494 Detective chic
  45. Book: Thomas . Mathilde . The French Beauty Solution: Time-tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out . 2015 . Penguin . 978-1-59240-951-8 . 39 . en.
  46. Web site: Susman . Gary . Audrey Tautou will join Hanks in Da Vinci . Entertainment Weekly . August 25, 2021 . January 24, 2005.
  47. News: Merkin . Daphne . The Unfairest of Them All . August 23, 2021 . The New York Times . October 16, 2005.
  48. News: Mottram . James . Mia Wasikowska: A new Aussie movie queen . August 23, 2021 . The Independent . August 30, 2012 . en.
  49. Web site: Okwodu . Janelle . At 40, Natalie Portman Remains Hollywood's Vegan Fashion Queen . Vogue . August 25, 2021 . June 9, 2021.
  50. News: Embleton . Fiona . Lily Collins on her all-time favourite beauty products and why being different is cool . 17 October 2021 . Marie Claire . 19 October 2019 . en.
  51. News: Hochswender. Woody. The Ultimate Marketplace – The Models and the Glamour Trade. The New York Times. 12 November 1989. 23 July 2014.
  52. News: Sweet . Matthew . The Gamine . 19 October 2021 . The Economist . 27 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200919153111/https://www.economist.com/1843/2015/05/27/the-gamine . 19 September 2020.
  53. News: Sajbel. Maureen. Style : Spring Beauty : The Latest on Looks : Making Waifs. Los Angeles Times. 4 April 1993. 15 August 2014.
  54. News: Hume . Marion . FASHION / He's not famous, he's my brother . 28 September 2021 . The Independent . 26 June 1993 . en.
  55. News: Jupp . Emily . Natalie Imbruglia: 'The 90s are back in. Have I just become vintage?' . 17 October 2021 . inews.co.uk . 3 September 2021 . en.
  56. News: Frere-Jones . Sasha . Wonder Woman . 19 October 2021 . The New Yorker . 3 December 2007.
  57. A. N. Wilson (2006) Betjeman
  58. News: King . Loren . Fellini's Masterpiece 'La Strada' Shines in New Restoration . 13 October 2021 . Newport This Week . 19 November 2020.
  59. News: Kirwin-Jones . Ellie . Jane Fonda details working with 'crush' Robert Redford 'Think I'd done something wrong' . 13 October 2021 . Daily Express . 10 September 2020 . en.
  60. News: White . Rosie . Violent Femmes: Women as Spies in Popular Culture . 13 October 2021 . Routledge . 13 November 2007 . 9781134198078 . en.
  61. News: Kaltenbach . Chris . So sweet it might make you ill . 13 October 2021 . The Baltimore Sun . 9 November 2001.

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