Furs on Film – Every Day’s a Holiday (1937)

I have neglected the classics over the past year but will fold some good Old Hollywood films back into the program. What better way to start than with a new entry in the 20% club? Okay, thanks to a lot of ermine, it gets across the finish line, but it's legit. It is our latest (and not last) Mae West review. So let's get back to work because Every Day's a Holiday

Every Day's a Holiday – The Film

The irony is… this is another period piece. But it's a Mae West period piece, so it's got way more fur in it than it should. In turn-of-the-(20th)-century New York, con artist Peaches O'Day (Mae West) is going around selling the Brooklyn Bridge (which was not a tired joke in 1937). She gets caught but continues the grift, all the way up to getting a patsy elected mayor of New York. Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss, baby.

Every Day's a Holiday – The Furs

Mae West in Feathers - Every Days A Holiday 1937

Every Day's a Holiday works its way up to the best stuff, as befitting the ever-increasing stakes of Peache's latest con. She's out selling the Brooklyn Bridge in pretty rudimentary .

Mae West in Ermine - Every Days A Holiday 1937

She moves up to this ermine wrap and muff fairly quickly and spends several scenes in it.

Mae West in Ermine - Every Days A Holiday 1937

One of those scenes involves using hapless butler Graves to steal outfits from a shop window, including more furs.

She utters these immortal words here as Graves requires too much direction in what to steal.

Mae West in Ermine - Every Days A Holiday 1937

While the scene where the ermine is stolen goes on for quite a while, we only see Peaches wearing it briefly.

Mae West in a Fur Muff and Stole - Every Days A Holiday 1937

Another brief entry in the film's cavalcade of fur fashion is this muff and stole combo that isn't worth dwelling on and is not on screen for long.

Mae West in a Rex Fur Wrap - Every Days A Holiday 1937

What is on screen for a while is this, likely rex rabbit fur, though possibly chinchilla fur, high-collared capelet.

This is the second longest fur on screen and better than the ermine. Peaches is wearing a wig and pretending to be “Fifi.”

Mae West in a Rex Fur Wrap - Every Days A Holiday 1937

Fifi's accent is… of unknown origin.

Mae West in Mink Fur Trim - Every Days A Holiday 1937

There is yet another very short interlude before the big finish. This jacket has a (comparatively) conservative bit of trim on the collar and cuffs.

Mae West in a Huge Fox Fur Collar - Every Days A Holiday 1937

Finally, we arrive at the film and fur fashion climax—this magnificent fox .

Peaches is leading a parade in support of her mayoral candidate and dressing for the occasion.

Mae West in a Huge Fox Fur Collar and Trim - Every Days A Holiday 1937

She delivers a rousing speech and, naturally, gets her man elected, putting the latest mayor of New York into her fur coat's back pocket. We get wider shots showing the large fox train on the coat.

Mae West in a Huge Fox Fur Collar - Every Days A Holiday 1937

One more, because why not. This collar certainly deserves all the attention. No doubt I have gone on record in the past as liking “large collars.” This. This is a “large collar.” Almost no notes.

Every Day's a Holiday is pretty great on any level. It is a solid 20% club member, offers variety in the furs on screen, and provides one solid, fantastic fur to top it all off. Starring Mae West doesn't hurt, either. I know it's in black and white, so it will never get the engagement of my color posts, but if you're turning your nose up at this, I just can't understand.

  • Fur Runtime: 19:20 minutes
  • Film Runtime: 80 minutes
  • On-Screen Fur Ratio: 24%

Find-a-Fur: Every Day's a Holiday, 1937

(all times are approximate and are affected by the cut of the film)

  • 6:55 – 9:30 big collar feather
  • 11:20 – 27:05 – ermine wrap muff, big gaps
  • 33:34 – 36:35 – muskrat? muff stole
  • 53:30 – 59:30 – rex wrap
  • 1:07:25 – collar + muff
  • 1:14:30 – 1:18:25 (end) giant fox collar

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