Signal, The

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You You The little Marchioness the rein and dawn was still asleep in her dark and perfume bedroom In her soft low bed between sheets of delicate cambric finest lace and caressing as a kiss She was sleeping alone and tranquil She was awakened by loud noises in her adjoining drawing room And she recognized the voice of her dear friend the Baroness to conjury Was disputing with the ladies maid because she would not allow her to go into the Marchioness room So the Marchioness got up And with some impatience Admitted her obviously distraught friend What is the matter with you that you have come up so early? I must speak to you something horrible has happened to me Come in my dear The Marchioness got back into bed while her maid opened the windows to let in light an air Well, tell me what is it? Madame de Grangerie began to cry Shedding those pretty bright tears which men say make women more charming.

Oh My dear what does what has happened to me is a vulnerable? Abominable I have not slept all night Not a minute.

Do you hear not a minute? Here just feel my heart how it is beating it happened to me yesterday afternoon at about four o 'clock Oh half past four.

I cannot say exactly You know my apartment the neighborhood of the railway station is very gay So full of motion and lively just what I like The window was wide open and I was not thinking of anything simply freezing the fresh air Do you remember how fine it was yesterday? Suddenly I noticed a woman at the window opposite a woman in bright red I Was wearing red also, but a more discreet red But I saw immediately that she was a bad girl She was resting her elbows on the window ledge and Looking down at the man and the man looked up at her also all or nearly all What is suddenly who raised their heads and exchanged a swift look with her You cannot imagine how funny it was to see her carrying on such a piece of work Though after all it is her regular business Occasionally she shot the window suddenly and I saw a gentleman go in She had caught him like a fisherman Then I looked at my watch I found they never stopped longer than from 12 to 20 minutes I Asked myself How does she manage to make herself understood so quickly so well and so completely? That's the other sign of the head or emotion of the hands to her looks first of all a glance then a smile then a slight sign with the head which meant are you coming up and I asked myself I Wondered if I could do that little movement from below upward Which was at that same time bold and pretty as well as she does for her gesture was very pretty I went and I tried it before the looking glass and my dear I did it better than she I cried deal better I was enchanted and was zoomed a place out the window I Said to myself if I give them a sign will they understand me? Who am I respectable woman and I was seized with a mad longing to make that sign to them.

I had a longing a Terrible longing, you know one of those longings which one cannot resist I have some like that occasionally What can happen to me? Nothing, whatever we should exchange a smile and that would be all and I should deny it most certainly So I began to make my choice and suddenly I saw a tall there Very good looking fellow coming along.

I like fair men as you know, I looked at him He looked at me I smiled he smiled I Made the movement.

Oh so faintly He replied yes with his head and there he was my dear He came in at the large door of the house You cannot imagine what passed through my mind then I thought I should go mad.

Oh How frightened I was and he would ring in a moment I thought I would go and meet him and tell me had made a mistake and beg him to go away so I rushed to the door and opened it just At that moment when he was going to ring the bell and I stammered out quite stupidly go away, mr Go away.

You have made a mistake a Terrible mistake.

I took you for one of my friends whom you are very like a pity on me, mr But he only began to laugh and replied good morning my dear I Know all about your little story.

You may be sure you are married So you want 45 instead of 20 and you shall have them so just show the way He kissed me Put his arm on my waist and made me go back in the drawing them Then he began to look at everything like an auctioneer and continued By Joel, it is very nice in your homes.

Very nice You must be very down on your luck just now to do the window business Then I began to beg him again.

Please go away My husband will be coming in soon.

It is just his time.

I swear that you have made a mistake But he answered quite coolie come my beauty I've had enough of this nonsense I need your husband comes in I will give him five Franks to go and have a drink at the cafe opposite He asked me is that your your husband? Yes, that is he Who is this one of your friends? It was your photograph my dear, you know the one in the bald dress Just then the clock struck five and I all comes home every day at half past then then I completely lost my head all together I thought That that the best thing would be to get rid of of this man as quickly as possible The soon it was over you understand And I was he good -looking Yes, he left me to 25 pieces on the mantelpiece no more that is very little it would have humiliated me Well, what am I to do with the money? You must make your husband a little present with it.

That will be only fair You

Identifier

F.2010-02-0207

Date Of Production

circa 1966

Abstract

A charming short film featuring puppetry and stop motion animation by Norma and Rhodes Patterson. The film is based on the short story Le Signe, or The Signal, written by Guy de Massupant, published in 1886.

Description

The film tells the story of a woman who decides to copy a gesture she has seen a neighboring prostitute make at men walking in the street, secretly signaling them to her home. Much to her surprise, a young man responds favorably to her offer, which leaves her guilt ridden and distraught. While overt references to prostitution are kept oblique in the film - noted, instead, as the "window business" - the repercussions faced by the housewife are made clear straight away.

The Signal is a trial print; it is unclear if the film was ever released.

Run Time

0:09:21

Format

16mm

Extent

345 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Print

Genre

Drama
Women

Form

Animations
Short

Subject

Women
Animation (Cinematography)
History

Related Collections

Rhodes Patterson Collection

Main Credits

Patterson, Rhodes (is filmmaker)

Additional Credits

Patterson, Rhodes (is cinematographer)

Patterson, Norma (is animator)

Patterson, Norma (is writer)

Participants And Performers

Patrice Philippe Bowen (is narrator)

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