Madonna and Old Hollywood: her finest inspiration.

(Madonna photographed by Steven Meisel, 1991)

Welcome back on Blogger!

Today I want to talk about one of Madonna's biggest inspirations: old Hollywood.

I have always loved classic stars and movies myself so I am very happy to share this article with you.

Let's get into it!

(Madonna on the set of the Material Girl 
music video)

Madonna has often expressed admiration for legendary pop figures, not only actors and actresses but also films, with specific attention to the characters and their main trait, may it be wit, melancholia, romance, sensuality or ambiguity.

Their style, beauty and overall uniqueness have been honored by Madonna through her music videos, performances and outfits. In particular, our Diva is great at giving new life to them, she is able to re-invent them in a new context, thus making them timeless.

Marilyn Monroe is probably Madonna's biggest inspiration, aesthetically speaking. She has paid tribute to the blonde bombshell several times throughout her career, starting in 1985 with the music video for Material Girl, inspired by Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), one of Monroe's most popular movies. In 1991, Steven Meisel recreated some iconic pictures of Marilyn with Madonna for Vanity Fair. Between 1985 and 1987 several music critics named Madonna "The Marilyn of Pop". The cover of the standard edition of Rebel Heart (2015) is a homage to Monroe.

Over the years, Madonna has found herself flattered but at the same time annoyed at the comparisons with the actress: "I do feel something for Marilyn Monroe. A sympathy. Because in those days, you were really a slave to the whole Hollywood machinery, and unless you had the strength to pull yourself out of it, you were just trapped. I think she really didn’t know what she was getting herself into and simply made herself vulnerable, and I feel a bond with that. I’ve certainly felt that at times – I’ve felt an invasion of privacy and all that - but I’m determined never to let it get me down. Marilyn Monroe was a victim, and I’m not. That’s why there’s no comparison."

(Photo by Steven Meisel, 1991)

I think Madonna's intent was to take Monroe, who was constantly objectified by the media, and turn her into a strong, independent woman who was aware of her sensuality and could use it to her own gain. In a way, I do feel like she wanted to rehabilitate Monroe to the eyes of the public: ""When Marilyn Monroe was alive, they were so vicious and cruel to her - they ripped her to shreds. They wouldn't give it up to her in any way, shape, or form. Then when she died, it was just like "Oh, she's a comedic genius!" I mean, excuse me? I mean, they do that to everybody, they did it to Vincent Van Gogh. I mean, history just repeats itself over and over that way".
Our Diva has also expressed admiration for Monroe's acting skills, her comedic talent in particular, in 1986: "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny...and I saw myself in them...my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence".

This last quote is the perfect bridge to our next icon: Carole Lombard.

(Photo by Herb Ritts, 1986)

I think most fans do not realise the incredible influence this actress has had on Madonna. Known as "the queen of screwball comedy", Lombard was our Diva's biggest inspiration when it came to acting, as she tried to emulate her innocence and sense of humor. In preparation of the movie Who's That Girl in 1986, Madonna carefully studied Lombard's comedies, paying attention to her characters' traits and the way she portrayed them. Nikki Finn was a result of this and it remains one of Madonna's most underrated characters and acting performances in general, in my opinion. 

Lombard has also been described as being "a natural prankster, a salty tongued straight-shooter, a feminist precursor and one of the few stars who was beloved by the technicians and studio functionaries who worked with her", traits that can be said about Madonna as well. 

(Madonna for Harper's Bazaar, 2017)

Two important figures who have inspired Madonna's showmanship are definitely Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.
Their dance moves influenced Madonna both on stage and in her music videos, particularly in "Vogue", where one of the dancing routines is inspired by the actors' performance in Ziegfeld Follies (1946).
Madonna and Kelly have also met in the early 1990's. He motivated her to include the Dietrich inspired performance of Like a Virgin in the Girlie Show Tour, about which she was unsure at first, and was also initially hired to put together the performance of Rain.
Songs like "White Heat" and "Jimmy Jimmy" are dedicated to James Cagney and James Dean respectively. About the latter Madonna said: "I used to fantasize that we grew up in the same neighbourhood and that he (James Dean) moved away and became a big star".
The "Vogue" video is of course the clearest example of Madonna's love for old Hollywood glamour.
Directed by David Fincher, the video perfectly recaptures the beauty of classic black and white shots and Madonna and her dancers' poses are reminiscent of popular portraits of iconic stars like Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich.
Both the song and the video represent a heartfelt homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood and a celebration of dance music and fashion that transcends time.

(Madonna on the set of Vogue, 1990)

There is a saying within Madonna's fanbase that "no one does old Hollywood glamour better than Madonna". 

Honestly I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, she has it in her face and her attitude, she is an old soul. She looked stunning at the Academy Awards in 1991, in her Rita Hayworth inspired look, with which she stole the show, even overshadowing none other than Michael Jackson, who was her date that night. The same could be said for her Liza Minnelli/Marlene Dietrich mash-up in the Open Your Heart video.

And what about her iconic "cigarette poses" in the early 1990's? That was pure Lauren Bacall magic. 

It was as if Madonna was a reincarnation of all of these legendary stars but with her own attitude, her own ideas, her own beliefs, drive, strength and passion. She was the star that old Hollywood promoted on its screens but did not want to deal with in real life. That is why she stood out and that is why she created such huge controversies in her early days. In a way, she somehow avenged these legendary icons, who were most of the time prisoners of their fame, public reputation and even the bigotry of their time. 

I think Madonna somehow brought old Hollywood stars back and even made them more relevant than ever. Speaking of "Vogue" and its iconic rap segment in particular , it is wonderful to think that these legends will always be featured in one of the biggest and most acclaimed pop moments of all time. 

Let your body move to the music.