Doris Day

Doris Day passed away today at the grand old age of 97. Seeing the news reminded me of something funny from my film viewing past.

When I was young we lived near my granny and used to visit her regularly or I'd stay with her when my parents were off gallivanting. We often watched films together and one night there was an old one on called Pillow Talk. It starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson as two people who lived in the same apartment block who initially disliked each other before coming to fall in love. The usual, a simple aul romantic comedy.

There was one scene in a bedroom with a couple who slept in two separate beds. I was confused and asked why they did that? My granny, looking for a way out of a potentially awkward conversation, told me that's what couples did back then, in olden times no one even slept together. Me, being an easily led fool assumed she was telling the truth and went back to enjoying the movie and my Turkish Delight bar.

For years I thought it was the truth until one day I was watching a documentary on film censorship and the subject of the Hays Code came up. It was a collection of standards America films had to uphold from 1934 until the late 60's. Profanity was banned, overt violence, drugs, nudity and sex were all no-no's. The last one was so frowned upon that men and women couldn't even be seen in bed together and so it was just easier to have 2 single beds in bedroom scenes than a double. It was like a lightbulb popped on over my head. Ok, this all makes sen..........wait a minute, my granny lied to me all those years ago!!"

So thanks Doris Day for making me realise that all grown ups were liars.

And for all the films of course.