So I rewatched Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency recently (I really must finish the S2 recaps). And here’s the thing: From the moment we meet Guy McKendrick, we’re looking at his feet.
I actually noticed this the first time I saw the episode: His pants are too short. We see more of Guy’s ankles than we do of Hooker’s or the other Brits when they all walk down the hall together. And it seems like those walking shots really emphasize feet.
I haven’t done a survey of every hall walk we’ve ever seen in Sterling Cooper, but it seems to me that you don’t normally see people’s feet all that much—it’s just not a very interesting part of a shot, and there’s often a knee-level cut-off.
If I’m right about this—about the pant length and the use of camera angles—it really is a very clever and subtle use of foreshadowing. Of course, Lesli Linka Glatter won a Director’s Guild Award for this episode, and there’s no doubt that she’s damn good, but I do love observing the subtle little extras.
12 Responses to “Guy Walks In”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Interesting point. Of course, feet are a pretty big theme in MM in general, starting with Bert's shoe fixation.
Living in Paris, I also noticed that the french men wear their pants much too short compared to Americans, a bit like people did in the 60's. Wonder if European men wore theirs even shorter then, too?
Interesting observation.
This is exactly why I LOVE this site.
The season opens with? Don's bare feet.
hmmm…do we ever see much of the ladies feet? Or is it all about the shoes?
Wait, I remember Joan taking off her shoes in "Nixon vs. Kennedy."
Great observations, all. We see a lot of feet because of Bert's shoe fixation, including my favorite scene where Don and Pete are headed into Bert's office to bring the big news about Don's identity and they have to clumsily remove their shoes first.
A few more thoughts:
We see Peggy's feet/shoes first as she comes to the police station to bail out Don after the car crash with Bobbie in "The New Girl." (Season 2. I hope I got the right episode.)
Also, Don's barefeet (again) in as he escapes the hotel during the fire drill in "Out of Town."
And, the teacher's bare feet dancing around the maypole.
Interesting.
Let's see. Roger wears "lifts."
There was that great scene when they fired Burt Peterson of all them sitting around in their stockinged feet, and the bookend to that one when they were preparing for the visit from the Brits.
Interestingly, I don't think Bert Cooper requires the ladies to remove their shoes (or maybe they decide not to) when they're in his office. I remember his sister Alice refusing to remove her shoes, and then there was the scene with the dog food lady. I don't think she removed her shoes. Can anyone verify this? Also, have we ever seen a secretary in his office? Does she remove her shoes when she enters? Buehler?
Feet of clay, right?
As for women in Burt's office- besides his sister Alice, who pointedly would NOT take off her shoes, and the Caldecott Lady, when have we ever seen a woman in Burt's office? A male domain, for sure.
***
Totally off the subject here, but something that bugged me a bit while I rewatched previous seasons – how is it that Don conveniently had his car in the city, apparently parked right on the street in front of the SC building, when Bobbie Barrett seduced him (if you can call it that), even though he takes the train in from Ossining every day? Just a detail the writers figured we wouldn't notice?
We saw Jane in there to look at the painting, she took her shoes off but that was probably because they were sneaking and heel holes would be more easily noticed than flats…
@# 8 gypsy howell:
In season 2, Don was driving into the office. I think it must have been part of his "agreement" with Betty. As long as he was taking the train into the city, he could always use the excuse that he was working late and missed the final train, so had to stay overnight in the city. If he had his car, he couldn't use that excuse and had to go home. Remember how deflated he was at the beginning of season 2? But he was home every night…
Maybe MM's shoe & foot fixation is just to remind us that we all sometimes have feet of clay. Love these observations and I bet we'll find more.
And of course, in the season finale, Joan's triumphant entrance began with a shot of her feet walking in. Guy walks into an advertising agency, Joan walks into a new beginning!
The very first shot of the season was Don's bare feet. And a big theme of the season is Don walking out — on Betty, and on Sterling Cooper.