Must See Vintage Films: Joanna (1968)

Oh joy! I finally have my lovely new computer and I finally am able to take screengrabs again. This means I can finally start being geeky about costumes in films once more, for your delectation.

After the whole Side by Side fabulousness, M then gave me a copy of Joanna as a Valentine’s present. Yes, he may well be the perfect man; I had already moaned about it not being available back in January!

The first either of us knew about Joanna was when I found the soundtrack LP in a record shop in Norwich. Don’t even get me started on my idiocy in not buying it. I was transfixed by the front cover, the synopsis and the fact that it has Donald Sutherland in it. Why had I not seen this before?

Geneviève Waïte plays the title character (she would later release a cult album called Romance is on the Rise, and marry John Phillips after he split from Michelle) and the film was written and directed by Michael Sarne, occasional actor, pop singer and ex-husband of Ghost founder Tanya.

To say it’s an odd film, is to say the least. But odd in that perfect, no-need-to-make-sense kind of way that so many late Sixties films are. Better than Candy but probably not as downright amazing as, say, The Jokers or Smashing Time.

Waïte’s clothes were specially designed by Sue West and Virginia Hamilton-Kearse and were then sold through the Paraphernalia boutique in New York. There’s definitely something quirky and unique about them, they remind one of Foale and Tuffin, Quorum, Betsey Johnson etc, but have more of a homemade and eccentric feel to them.

I can see why Waïte never really continued with much in the way of acting, since I suspect that the role of Joanna was really not very far from her own personality. She’s cute, eccentric and ditsy, but with a healthy dose of logic and sense.

As with so many films of this style and era, it’s well worth watching for the exterior shots of London. This film throws up a real treat: the girls take a ‘shopping’ trip to Bus Stop where the rails are soon raided and no money is spent. Utterly brilliant.

I don’t think my screengrabs even begin to do it justice, but I hope they give you a good taste of what you might expect from the film. The outfit changes are relentless, her facial expressions ever-changing, and the locations are stunning. I’ve also captured what I’m fairly sure are uncredited cameos by Suki Poitier and Chrissie Shrimpton. Enjoy!