Bonnie and Clyde–Never Out of Style

We’ve been trying to catch up on our classic movies this summer and Bonnie and Clyde was up tonight. Luckily for me, Lilly is an old soul so she’s willing to watch the classics without complaint. I subscribe to the TCM channel, which is the best way to catch all the best movies for sure. Have you ever seen the 1967 version of Bonnie and Clyde? Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway definitely make the best B & C. I’ve always been fascinated with true crime, especially 1920’s-1940’s true crime. Things were so different then. People ended up in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. They were tough on crime back then. But…criminals seemed fearless. Check out the movie when you get a chance…here’s some fun trivia before you do!

• When Warren Beatty was on-board as producer only, his sister Shirley MacLaine was a strong possibility to play Bonnie. But when Beatty decided to play Clyde himself, for obvious reasons he decided not to use MacLaine.
• Warner Bros. had so little faith in the film that they offered first-time producer Warren Beatty 40% of the gross instead of a minimal fee. The movie went on to gross over $70 million.
• In real life, Clyde Barrow was a highly dangerous marksman who had mastered most firearms, including the Browning automatic rifle and the Thompson submachine gun. The lawmen chasing him were well aware of his ability with a gun, which partly explains the ruthlessness behind the way he was gunned down.
• Gene Hackman was on the set one day when he noticed a guy standing behind him and staring. The man said, “Hell, Buck would’ve never wore a hat like that.” Hackman turned around and looked at him and said, “Maybe not.” He looked like an old Texas farmer. The man introduced himself and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m one of the Barrows.”

• In the Special Edition DVD Documentary, Estelle Parsons says she was the only member of the cast who actually researched the history of the Barrow Gang. She also says that early in the filming, she wanted to meet the real Blanche Barrow, but Warren Beatty, in his capacity as the producer, was against the idea. Finally, after a week, Warren relented and set up a meeting with Blanche, but at that point, Parsons lost interest and never met Blanche. In fact, Warren Beatty brought the script to Blanche for her to read for her approval before she would give permission to use her name. She agreed the script was factual and approved it. While there, he played the piano and sang for her. She was very fond of Warren, even though the director completely changed the script to make her look like, in her own words, “a screaming horse’s ass.” She took her third husband Eddie to see the movie with her for the first time and nearly died of embarrassment.
• The real Blanche Barrow sued Warner Bros. over the way she was depicted in the film. In reality, Barrow was the same age as Bonnie Parker and arguably better looking than her. She was not a preacher’s daughter and had married Buck knowing that he was an escaped prisoner and twice divorced.
• In one scene, while holding up a bank, Clyde Barrow tells a farmer he can keep his own money. (“Is that your money or the bank’s?” “It’s mine.” “You keep it then.”) In real life, it was bank robber Pretty Boy Floyd who allowed a farmer to keep his own money during a hold-up.
• In planning her performance, Faye Dunaway wanted to wear slacks as Bonnie Parker, since the character would need to move freely to race in and out of getaway cars. In contrast, costume designer Theadora Van Runkle suggested a more glamorous look with long skirts, a beret, and a short jacket. The “Bonnie and Clyde Look” became a fashion rage, and for many years afterward, Dunaway would insist on having Van Runkle design her costumes.
• Thousand of berets were sold worldwide after Faye Dunaway wore them in this film.
• The story of Bonnie Parker smoking a cigar in a picture is accurate. She did it as a joke. But after the shoot-out at the bungalow in Joplin, Missouri, police found the photos the gang had taken and published the photo of Bonnie, thereby leading to her unearned rep as a “Cigar Smokin’ Gun Moll.”
• Before filming started, Faye Dunaway was told to lose 25 pounds off her 5’7″ frame. For weeks she fasted except for an occasional salad and walked around wearing a 12-pound weight belt, with smaller weights around her wrists to help her burn the pounds off faster. She only took the weights off to sleep and bathe.