Colloquium
For the presentation of my proposed research, I went a slightly different route than the conventional Powerpoint. I held a demonstration of my work by copying an opening scene of the original 1960s Mission Impossible television series. The episode I chose is the only one of the entire series where a recurring character (other than the head agents) accepts a mission briefing. In this case, the character is Cinnamon Carter, the main female lead. I recreated her signature yellow dress, wore a blonde wig, filmed myself in place of her closeups, sought out the original tape player she uses, and presented the whole thing with manifestos in envelopes dead dropped on audience seats.
A full shot of the yellow dress Ms. Carter wears in the “secret passphrase” and “mission briefing” sequences. My first step was to remake the dress.
Notes from A. Ali after sending them some preliminary still frames from the episode. They helped me work out basically all of the sewing/draping, and is entirely an expert on knowing how garments are constructed. We had a lot of fun looking at the details from single frames of the episode and figuring out how that translated to the construction. This is a note on darts.
However, I also went digging through sewing patterns from the era of the television episode (the mid to late 1960s) for sale online, which mostly used French darts for a sheath dress shape. Cinnamon Carter is a fashion model type, so it would make sense that TV viewers would emulate this style with these household sewing patterns.
The dress was completed!! It took me about a week to sew. My parents were in town and helped me to get the yellow woven fabric from Queen Textiles, along with some coverable buttons for the back. They also helped me procure the yellow ribbon and blonde wig (plus, the black hat was one I gifted my mother a few years ago). I had loads of wig styling help from D. Welsh, an expert in wigs (their studio space is pictured behind me…note the blonde/rainbow wig on the desk).
Turns out several of the early Mission Impossible episodes used this reel-to-reel, a Craig 212. I found the model from a helpful Youtube video from an amazing tech guy who has done some in-depth research on the spy-corders of the TV series. For the familiar “self-destruct” sequence, the player was outfitted with a special device that sparked and smoked (note the tiny metal dish on the right, above the reel, missing on my player below).
Here you can better see the working mechanisms and buttons that make the Craig 212 go. You can also see the label, covered up in the TV series. Instead of buttons, this recorder/player was designed with a snappy little joystick for each function. To record, you would first hold down the red plastic “ALC RECORD” button, then push the joystick down. It recorded best with a microphone (not pictured) plugged in, which you can see on the bottom left. The volume is the nifty dial on the bottom right. The player is surprising loud when it’s working…
For the video part of the presentation, I kept shots of Cinnamon when she was on screen with another individual or in a distinguishable set, but on the closeups I replaced her face with my own, in character.
I wanted to replicate the fantastic button-up back as well, even though I knew no one would see this, as I would be facing the audience the entire presentation. But I would know it’s there.
With an idea of the final shape I made this muslin sloper, which helps in pattern making. The sloper is fit as closely as possible, and adjustments can be made on the body or after the form is taken back down into pieces. The pieces of the sloper (plus any adjustments for size, darts, decorative elements) are traced onto paper to make a sewing pattern.
I was officially Cinnamon Carter.
I wanted to use the same tape player she pulls from a locked drawer to hear the mission briefing. I did some internet sleuthing…
However mine was not right away. The player was in surprisingly good condition, but wasn’t advancing so smoothly. My parents were able to help me here as well, driving up to Markham to have it repaired by probably the only guy in the area who knows how. PATRICK!! He is apparently a wizard at repairing any kind of reel-to-reel player/recorder. His workshop has dozens of players of all kinds. He (carefully) performed a miraculous repair, replacing a tiny spring, resetting the record button back into place, and replacing a rubber belt. He did a test recording and it played back! The player was good to go.
Tried my best to get her intrigued stares down on film.
Sadly the Craig 212 stopped working on the morning of my presentation. I didn’t have enough time to take it back up to Patrick, so I played a “mission briefing” recording of my friend Ian on a cassette player instead. Still a triumph all in all!