M/S of a woman walking along a catwalk in The Cypress Club, London, modelling a brown and cream silk dress and matching chiffon coat; she is rather less svelte than your average model. People sit watching at tables as she turns to show off the outfit.
C/U of an extremely glamorous puppet called Mamselle Zizi who has blonde curled hair, very long eyelashes and glossy red lips; tilt down to show she is wearing a figure hugging jewel encrusted silver gown, a white fur stole and a diamond choker. C/U of another marionette's feet (wearing court shoes, of course!), tilt up to show she is wearing a copy of the brown silk dress we saw being modelled earlier. This puppet, Germaine, is whisked out of shot; we pan left to see the next puppet, Martine, in a diamond tiara, necklace and earrings.
M/S of Maisie Mumford operating the strings of Germaine before a mirror, while in the background Frank Mumford dresses a voluptuous blonde puppet called Madame Linda who is hanging rather elegantly by her strings from a rail. Two other puppets (another blonde and Martine) hang beside her. The mannequin we saw earlier comes into shot and crouches down to meet her puppet counterpart in identical dress, Germaine; they hold hands - no jealousy between these two! Germaine sashays out of shot, with Maisie's help at the strings.
M/Ss and C/Us in the club as Maisie assists Germaine in her walk along the catwalk; shots of the audience in evening dress looking amused. Commentator informs us the puppets are modelling copies of outfits worn by conventional models at this fashion show of clothes by Selincourt. Frank and Maisie, who make and operate the puppets, started in children's theatre, graduated to cabaret and have done shows similar to this one in France.
C/U of Martine checking her appearance in the mirror as we see she is wearing a white lace evening gown with spaghetti straps and a train plus long white gloves. M/S as she takes her turn on the catwalk, with a lace stole to match her dress around her shoulders - I think it is actually the train of the dress pulled up and fastened around her shoulders - how ingenious darlings! She makes some little bows to the audience as she leaves the catwalk (with stole now in place as the train).
C/U tilt up of the voluptuous blonde puppet, Linda; unfortunately, she has a bit of a kewpie doll face - I was expecting her to look like Mae West! She is modelling clothes for the fuller figure. She takes her turn on the catwalk and shows off her outfit of gold evening dress with fur over the shoulders and around the v-shaped back; she also wears lovely gold sandals and seamed-stockings - great outfit.
M/S as Frank dresses the star of the show, Mamselle Zizi, in a mink coat as she hangs on the rack. Linda (upstager!) walks past camera with Maisie. Frank takes Zizi from the rack and assists her along the catwalk. We then see her in her original outfit of silver gown and fur stole, sitting on the arm of a balding man and mopping his brow with her chiffon handkerchief as they both laugh - fast worker! M/S of Linda at another table; a grey-haired man (who looks very much like Harold Wilson) reaches out to her, but she sidles away, walks along the hand of another man to rest in the crook of his arm and put her head against his - he looks very pleased! C/U from behind the grey-haired man as Linda snuggles close to him and strokes the back of his head - what a hussy!
Note: Fascinating notes on file with more details about the puppets and this fashion show, plus a great article from The Daily Sketch with photos of these glamour pusses by Terry O'Neill!
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