Let's Give a Tea (1946)

[Music] have you went for the entertainment Committee of one of your school clubs and then found that you were a little afraid not of the club sponsor she is but afraid knowing what is the correct thing to do afraid of not knowing what is proper the president of this club Barbara is suggesting that her friends serve with her on the entertainment committee and the sponsor is willing that they should go ahead the first social event of their season is a mother daughter tea Barbara knows the girls are fearful because they have never attended a tea before actually there is nothing to be afraid of but an thinks a te could not be as much fun as any kind of game June is willing but shy Corine is Bored very bored however Barbara knows that in spite of what they say or how they act they are not eager to give a tea because they aren't sure of how they should dress or how they should behave Barbara isn't finding much enthusiasm but at least the girls are agreeing to divide up the work of preparing for the tea after all women have been serving tea to their friends for a long long time and there is no reason why the girls shouldn't learn how a tea is only a formal way of entertaining and showing respect to others etiquette itself is simply the way one polite person shows consideration for another jun's share of preparing for the tea is the making out of invitations but she is running into problems and would welcome a little help Barbara is sympathetic because she has gone through the experience and knows the questions that are troubling June but she'd like themselves they won't learn if someone else does the work for them Corine covers up her not knowing about invitations by pretending that she thinks te's are dull and beneath her an doesn't know either so she acts as if the writing of invitations were a useless formality something that should be done much more simply of course some invitations are made simply and directly but should the invitation to a formal tea be made by phone Barbara is saying no definitely no and should know that the formality of the invitation varies with the formality of the occasion If This Were a small te for just a few close friends then a phone call might be all right but what they are planning is a a more formal occasion one for the mothers of the club members June thinks it is about time she consulted a book of etiquette and found up for a tea now an and June are ready to admit that they too are curious so Barbara explains that the invitation is like a memorandum it is sent two weeks in advance to allow the guest time to plan on attending the invitation needs to give only the name the date the hour and the place but it may give the purpose as well it may be thought of as telling like a newspaper story The Who what why when and where the forms shown in the etiquette books do not have to be followed strictly they can be vared to meet different needs Barbara is willing to make out an invitation form for their use but she does insist that they all help in the writing so that they may practice their learning Barbara and June believe they have the invitation made out correctly now but have they the teamers club requests the pleasure of your company on Friday the 6th of October from 4: until 6: in Stanley Hall and now there is another matter that Barbara is concerned with what about the handwriting itself would anyone be flattered to receive an invitation as messy as this an can write clearly and evenly and she should so that her handwriting can be read easily this is all that is required of her a handwritten invitation is meant to be a friendly and personal message the handwriting shouldn't be childish or affected or badly spaced it should be neat and well-mannered the writing doesn't have to be perfect or an imitation of an engraved card but as a matter of courtesy the person who receives it should be able to read it easily but what of the RSVP in the corner would please reply be better anyway Barbara is making the girls learn the basic ideas that the invitation should be as formal as the occasion will be and that the form of the useful the basic ideas are really quite simple the invitations have been sent out and the replies are beginning to come back but still there is no real enthusiasm for giving the tea as far as the girls are concerned it is all Barbara's idea or the club's idea the tea is still a long way off and they are not eager to be planning for something they don't expect to enjoy Barbara wishes they could see that they haven't any enthusiasm because they think the party won't be any fun they think these parties are involved and stuffy only because they don't know about them she insists that if they don't learn the etiquette of attending teas they can never enjoy them and if they never go to teas they will be missing a very enjoyable way of meeting friends and making new ones the etiquette is easy to learn if they will just pay a little attention to it for instance the replies to their invitations do they know how a reply should be made correctly Mrs Samuel otus Brown accepts with pleasure the kind invitation of the Teen timers Club on Friday the 6th of October in Stanley Hall 367 cesal Avenue again the who what where when of the invitation again it is simple and sensible and not nearly as stiff as it first seems apparently Corine thinks that there is one part of the tea that she will enjoy the formal dress however June and Anne think she is overdoing it and definitely so does Barbara a tea is formal yes and it requires formal dress yes but formal dress must be in good taste in the first place Corine will be acting as a Hostess not a guest she will not be wearing a coat let alone a fur coat she will not be carrying a bag Corine argues that she ought to be allowed to wear whatever she thinks is becoming to her but June and Anne think she would look silly trying to serve tea to guests in an ensemble as elaborate as that even if Corine supposed that she were a guest and if she were going to an extremely formal tea she would still be far overdressed good taste in dress depends more on line and color than on richness or ornamentation moreover in acting as a Hostess Corine will dress quite simply no gloves and certainly not the long white gloves which are intended for formal e evening wear jewelry should not be overdone hats are worn only by the guests there is nothing at all wrong in corin's wanting to dress formally but she must learn what is in good taste Barbara changes the subject to ask Corine what she is planning as entertainment for the tea Corine confesses that she hasn't even thought of it and's suggestion of a basketball game is vetoed should be something that everyone at the tea young and old alike can enjoy Corine has suggested dramatic readings she of course would do the acting something like the sample she is offering but Barbara and June seem to believe that Corine's acting might not be as entertaining as she thinks Anne interrupts to show her idea of what would be a simple way of dressing for the tea the durndle is simple and colorful but as the others agree it lacks dignity Corine carried the idea of formal dress to one extreme and is going to the other Barbara is trying to explain that etia choosing the correct dress for each occasion doesn't require a large or expensive wardrobe good taste doesn't require a great deal of money but etiquette and taste must be learned the dresses they'll wear as hostesses will be formal but simple while serving tea they will not want to be encumbered with gloves hats heavy ornaments or corsages the requirements of etiquette are only sensible and good taste requires that each person choose clothes which will set off his personality to best advantage that's only sensible too an's wanting to wear her tailored suit suit is wrong for her as a Hostess although it would be all right for a guest moreover the lines of a tailored suit are wrong for her figure and make her look heavier since the girls are so uncertain of what is correct and in Good Taste Barbara suggests that they try putting on a style show as the entertainment for the tea it would interest everyone old and young or would they prefer a musical films book reviews suddenly another question Rises should the type of entertainment have been mentioned on the invitation Barbara has to admit she doesn't know actually her invitation was correct a few the tea an tries practicing at home she has at last admitted to herself that she has much to learn she know she is bungling even though she is trying hard but she isn't sure of anything where the teapot should be placed where the cup should be or the spoons and plates how the lemon or cream and sugar are offered these are details but they make all the difference between being graceful and being awkward and when she hears her friends she hopes she can make them show her what is right Corine and June are intrigued and they're sympathetic with Anne because these same problems have been bothering them an is discovering that there are a lot of small questions that need to be answered she is beginning to worry about the mistakes that she might make at the tea she wants Barbara to show her first how the poorer should serve correctly and afterward she wants to be shown how a guest should act she would like to know even though she won't pour or be a guest as for the pouring that is simple everything is placed where it can be reached easily then one pours in a way that is efficient but also develops graceful habits as to how a guest should act that is simple too Barbara knows the questions that are in the minds of the others so she will show them the answers a guest may go directly to the tea table herself to be served or she may wait for someone to serve her if she is wearing a veil she will put it out of her way her bag will then be placed under or over her arm and she will remove her gloves she will help herself to a napkin plate spoon and whatever she wishes to eat the porer will ask her preference as to lemon or cream and sugar of course other drinks than tea may be served coffee for instance or punch the guest will take her choice she will continue to chat and eat or drink and when she is finished she will place her plate out of the way it is all very simple and really quite enjoyable when one learns how then comes the tea itself all is going smoothly the guests are being received and Barbara hopes the girls will find the tea to be fun an is meeting in the guest of honor someone like herself that's right she should not be chewing gum there's one mistake for Anne but she's not letting it trouble her she Usher the mother and daughter to the tea table ready to serve them so far there have been no difficulties in the making and receiving of introductions and Barbara hopes her girls will do well even though she didn't drill them they should know the fundamentals of waiting to be introduced of introducing a younger person to an older one of shaking hands only when the person to whom you are introduced offers a hand Jun is doing very well but an is inclined to be athletic in her handshake Corine to theatrical however improvements in the girls manners will depend on their seeing the need for improvement and they will see the need when they realize that etiquette is primarily the means by which won shows his respect and consideration for another a party is essentially a way of showing friendliness it is the friendliness respect and consideration that count that are really enjoyable the Tea Party could be larger or smaller more formal or less the service could be elaborate or very simple and still the most important thing would be the real sociability behind it an for instance has no difficulty in getting along with her school friends she knows what they consider friend and so she knows how to act toward them soon perhaps she will be at ease with any group of people these are the things that have to be learned the stylist for example is very much like Corine but she has learned not to be affected or theatrical for such manners offend those who don't understand them but she understands Corine and her theatrical handshake and simply pulls it down to the proper level maren is happy to find herself understood and is particularly careful to introduce the stylist to the poers in the most gracious way she knows Corine feels especially friendly toward the stylist and finds it a genuine pleasure to serve her also Corine is aware that the stylist is demonstrating as Barbara has shown them how one can deal with a bag and remove her gloves unobtrusive interfering with her conversation Corine is realizing too that she might never have made the stylist's acquaintance if it were not for the tea for her this is a strong argument in favor of teas The Stylist is one with whom she would like to make friends for Corine the tea is already a success beyond their value as food they are a symbol of hospitality they are a mark and a gesture of friendliness and they are served in a manner that is intended to show respect for a guest's dignity and good breeding the silver teapots could just as well be China the food much simpler and still the importance and the value of a tea party would be there Corine is finding it so and if we may jum judge from the way that Anne is bustling about eager to serve her guests it would seem that she too is enjoying the party in a way she didn't anticipate but she is trying to serve the guests with the same speed and energy she would put into a basketball game a little too fast and there's a pen one shouldn't take accidents too seriously except to see that they don't happen again the guest of honor puts Anne at ease by congratulating her ironically on playing a fast game and making a good shot the the sponsor explains that this show is intended only as a beginning style is not the same thing as fashion which changes style is the use of definite principles of design it doesn't require expensive clothes but it does require good taste style is the Art and Science of enhancing one's personality through clothes it involves the Practical considerations of how to emphasize good features and mask the less attractive ones of how to use lines colors Fabrics so as to meet the problems of the individual figure the tall figure is broken with horizontal lines the short figure heightened with vertical lines one person appears larger in white the heavy person looks smaller in Black if the hips are large attention is focused on the shoulders or Bust the thickness or thinness of fabrics can seem to add or take off weight colors and color combinations are used like lines and accessories for effect it is by the awful use of principles like these that the smart woman learns to dress in a way that suits her personality as The Stylist begins to analyze the first series of dresses in terms of good design the sponsor takes an opportunity to congratulate Barbara and the committee on their success the girls are enjoying themselves their fears are gone they can look forward with pleasure to other parties each of the girls has learned for herself the real meaning of etiquette [Music]