(or, How I Developed a 1955 Heroine)
The Story Behind Miracle on Bannock Street
by Colleen Collins
When Harlequin invited me to write a story for a Christmas anthology, their only guideline was to “base it on a Christmas movie classic.” I immediately picked one of my favorite Christmas films, Miracle on 34th Street. To put the plot into a nutshell, it’s the story of a single mother, her daughter, a lawyer, and many others who are left wondering whether or not a department store Santa, who calls himself Kris Kringle, just might be the real deal. When a court determines Kris Kringle’s sanity, the very spirit of Christmas is put to the test.
 In the original 1947 film, the adorable but cynically precocious child was played by a young Natalie Wood. Remember how her young heart was torn between rejecting or believing in Santa Claus? That’s also the basic premise at the heart of the story: imagination/faith versus facts/common sense.
I kept this same basic premise in Miracle on Bannock Street. I also set my story in a similar time frame (1955) to the original movie classic (1947) for one compelling reason: just as in 1947, in 1955 a person could be deemed mentally incompetent by a court and ordered to be kept at the state institution for the mentally infirm (after the 1970s, court proceedings like this were abandoned). Other similarities: The movie’s hero lawyer remained a lawyer in my story. And, of course, I kept Kris Kringle as Kris Kringle!
I cast the women differently, though. Instead of the precocious little girl, I cast a tough-minded orphan boy given one last chance to “make good” in a foster home before he’s shuffled off to a maximum security boys home. Instead of the mid-level manager, divorced mother who’s parenting her daughter to be suspicious of Christmas folklore, my heroine is a single PI who’s stuck with a tough-minded kid who questions the value of family and nonsensical characters like Santa Claus.
Researching a Retro Girl
 For this TellTale, I thought it’d be fun to retrace some of my research into 1955 as I dressed, made-up, and put slang into my heroine’s lips. So, put on your time-machine seat belt ‘cause we’re going back to ’55 when the word “cool” was said slow and easy, when new products like refrigerators started electrically making ice, when cars sprouted fins, and Elvis gyrated his pelvis.
Speaking of nostalgia, at the end of this TellTale, I’m throwing a retro-contest. What kind of 1950’s retro girl would you be? Poodle felt skirts? Evening gowns? Chantilly lace and a ponytail hangin down? Post your retro-girl description, and at the end of the blog run, a winner will be picked by a panel of retro-judges. The prize: goody bag of nostalgic candy (remember candy dots?) plus a signed, autographed copy of It’s a Wonderful Christmas/Miracle on Bannock Street.
Dressing the Dame
In Miracle on Bannock Street, the heroine (Stella Gray) is 26 years old, independent, and a risk-taker (she’s a private investigator, after all). In ’55, dresses were flouncy and pencil skirts were tight, shoes went from flat to stiletto, and hats and gloves were an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe. Fine, I could see Stella wearing flats, but rather than slip a handkerchief into her purse, she was more likely to slip in her dad’s .357 Smith & Wesson. So my first task was how to dress such an edgy, fearless, small-business owner in an era where most women worked in the home.
Let’s look at some styles women wore in the ‘50s.
From left to right, we see a halter dress, a plaid skirt and sweater, a couture business suit, batwing jackets, Capri pants and matching top, and long pants/matching tops. I could see Stella definitely wearing the plaid skirt/yellow sweater, those fabulous batwing jackets, and the longer pants outfits. After all, Stella was a woman on the go, ready to get down and dirty at a moment’s notice, unafraid to scuff her saddleback shoes.
By the way, eBay is a great place to go retro-shopping for a character you’re developing (or for yourself !). Below is a ‘50s sweater I found on eBay: a luscious crimson color with intricate beading. The color matches the color of Stella’s hair, and well, it’s to die for, don’t you think? This is the sweater I had Stella wearing when the hero first kisses her.
Grooming with Gloves
Gloves were worn everywhere in the 1950s and completed a woman’s grooming. Without gloves, a woman was not properly accessorized. Clean gloves were also the hallmark of a lady and white or cream were the most favored colors. Below is an ad from the ‘50s for Ivory soap, telling women to use the product to keep their gloves clean.
Even though Stella had a slightly rougher edge compared to other women in her day, she wore gloves, too. Not colored, polka-dotted, or elbow-length, but simple, clean, and white.
Lavishing the Locks
I thought a lot about how Stella wore her hair. Her work (stake-outs, cornering witnesses, tailing subjects) was more physical, risk-taking, and grueling than other women’s work (most of whom worked as homemakers or secretaries). Below are some pictures of popular hairstyles from the mid-50s:
In the above figure, at the far is the “poodle cut” (think Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy), but no way Stella would bother perming her hair. Did you know most women in the ‘50s permed their hair at home? Think of the time-consuming task of rolling the hair carefully around a gazillion rollers, the smell of chemicals, and if you left the chemicals on too long, you’d end up with frizzy, burned hair!
The next 3 styles seen in the above figure involved setting the hair with pincurls or rollers, as seen in the figure below (on the left is an ad showing a woman hairspraying pincurls, and on the right a diagram showing women how to “set their hair” with rollers to obtain a certain hair-do). After all that work, women in the 1950s would then sleep with those gadgets on their head!).
No way would Stella put up with all that nonsense. She was low maintenance before the term was invented. Plus, she valued a good night’s sleep. And she wouldn’t be caught running after a target with a head full of clips and pins and rollers—too easy to ID her!
So, to go back to figure 6 above, I picked the last hairstyle on the far right because it was short and easy to maintain, while remaining softly feminine. Great ‘do for a girl on the go.
Selecting the Shoes
Women’s shoes in 1955 ranged from saddleback shoes to flats and low-heeled pumps to the introduction of five-inch high stilettos, as seen in the figure below, left to right.
Stella would definitely have worn the black-and-white saddlebacks and the low-heeled pumps. But how about the Stillettos (on the far right)? No way she’d have worn 5-inch spike heels, but I made her wear them anyway when she testified in a courtroom. It added some fun, plus some additional conflict, to the scene.
Retro-fact about stilettos: Because floors were being ruined by metal-tipped stilettos (I remember my mother’s heels making a clickity-clacking sound as she walked), they were banned in many buildings!
There were many other things I researched in the fifties, such as make-up, music, cars, furniture, and more, but there’s only so much room to tell it in this TellTale, so I’ll leave you with a list of some sites so you can enjoy your own trip down memory lane:
American history 1950-1959:
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade50.html#fads
1955’s Greatest Pop Music Hits:
http://www.popculturemadness.com/Music/Pop-Modern/1955.html
Boomer’s Fifties Teen Idol Magazine:
http://home.att.net/~boomers.fifties.teenmag/
Women’s Fashions of the 1950s:
http://www.vintagevixen.com/history/1950s.asp
Contest: Who’s Your Inner-Retro Girl?
What kind of 1950’s retro girl would you be? Poodle felt skirts? Evening gowns? Chantilly lace and a ponytail hangin down? Post your retro-girl description, and at the end of the week’s blog run, a winner will be picked by a panel of retro-judges. The prize: a goody box of nostalgic candy (remember candy necklaces? Pixy Stix? Red Hots?) plus a signed, autographed copy of It’s a Wonderful Christmas/Miracle on Bannock Street.
Happy Holidays!
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I grew up in the 50’s and I was definitely the poodle skirt and I had a pony tail hanging down.
I do remember the candy you mention….a few more are root beer barrels, candy cigarettes, and wax coke bottles filled with juice.
by Estella
on December 8th, 2007 at 6:23 am
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I missed growing up in the fifties by a decade! I am a sixties/seventies girl myself. But I love the time period - Grease is a favorite movie and Happy Days were a staple in my house. I would probably be like one of the girls that Richie would date - poodle skirt, sweater twinset, saddle shoes, nose in the book, not until marriage kind of girl. Life was simpler then, wasn’t it?
by Margay
on December 8th, 2007 at 6:58 am
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The ponytail girl with bobbysocks, saddle shoes, blue jeans rolled up and poddle skirts.
Love the music from the ’50’s, but I think I’ll keep the fiction we have now. I would have enjoyed the sock-hops.
by Theresa N
on December 8th, 2007 at 7:11 am
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I love Grease too and wish that I was a teenager then. I would want to wear it all the poodle skirts and sweaters and when I felt naughty put on Sandy’s black outfit that she wore at the end of Grease, it was very tight and risky for that time I think.
by Dena
on December 8th, 2007 at 7:13 am
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I was in high school in the late 50’s and my favorite outfits were plaid straight skirts with pullover sweaters. Often I would tie a silky scarf around my neck with the ties to the side and pinned in place with a gold circle pin. Of course, saddle shoes with bobby sox were the norm. I rarely wore slacks and never wore jeans back then. How times have changed! I also remember wearing the white, poplin jackets with my initials monogrammed on the left front…very cool. And rather than a long ponytail, I had a short hair cut. Remember the DA?
by Karen H in NC
on December 8th, 2007 at 7:46 am
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Mine would be poodle skirts, tight sweaters, saddle shoes, and of coutrse, the long pomy tale!
Rhonda :roll:
by Rhonda Barnes
on December 8th, 2007 at 7:57 am
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I would choose the poodle skirt, saddle shoes, pink angora sweater 50’s retro girl with her hair in a swingy pony tail and bright red/pink lipstick. I was born in 1965 but loved watching Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley on tv. I love the musio and the dancing and the guys in the leather jackets just like Fonzie. Also, Grease was my favorite movie - I must have seen it at least 5 times at the movie theater when it first came out.
by Carolyn A.
on December 8th, 2007 at 8:01 am
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I would have been on the back of somebody’s motorcycle in tight pedal pushers, a tight sweater, scarf, heels, and the darkest red lipstick I could find.
by Mel K.
on December 8th, 2007 at 8:28 am
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I would love to be retro Audrey Hepburn, bu tthat would be out of my reach. I would have to be bombshell retro girl. Tight dress showing my curves and wavy hair.
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I would love to be the girl from the 50s with cigarette skirts and always manicured :)
by Nathalie
on December 8th, 2007 at 9:44 am
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I agree I ould like to dress like Audrey Hepburn… but I would not be able to aford her Haute Couture Look!!!
by Maggie
on December 8th, 2007 at 9:45 am
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I would also love to be a 50s girl… working for some handsome boss and always wearing flattering suits!
by Lily
on December 8th, 2007 at 10:32 am
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I love the whole Happy Days/Laverne & Shirley look. A poodle skirt with a pink sweater and saddle back shoes is such a great look. I was born in the early seventies and I don’t think the fashions were near as good.
by Jody F.
on December 8th, 2007 at 10:59 am
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I was in high school in the late 50’s and had my poodle skirt, sweater or a white blouse with lace down the front, saddle shoes with socks, and my hair in a pony tail with bangs in front. We wore a lot of sweater sets and straight skirts I seem to remember.
by Shari C
on December 8th, 2007 at 11:12 am
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Hi everyone!
This is fun reading everybody’s inner-retro girl! I’d probably pick a ’50s evening gown (the clinging femme fatale look, with a high front and very low-cut back). Black. Long cocktail gloves. Stillettos. A sable-edged evening wrap. A swept-up ‘do.
Of course, I couldn’t eat too much at the dinner because the dress was already too tight :)
Keep those inner-retro girl descriptions coming…
Colleen
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I grew up in the 1950s and know this era well. I had a beautiful pink poodle skirt, with black poodles inset through the skirt and wore this proudly with a white twinset sweater set that I loved. I had the navy and white saddle shoes that I wore with white bobby socks. I had long,brown hair in the pony tail and went to the weekly sock hops that were memorable and fun. The surroundings in which I live are a 1950s replica community so it is a time warp feeling and I love it.
by anne
on December 8th, 2007 at 11:15 am
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I like to write poetry, so I can see myself as a Beat girl! Black cigarette pants, black turtleneck, ballerina flats, and a beret. And the piece de resistance : catseye glasses!
by Kimberly
on December 8th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
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I would have liked to be like Audrey Hepburn too. She always looked good no matter what she wore.
by Glenna Day
on December 8th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
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I always admired June Cleaver, Beaver’s mother on the show “Leave it to Beaver”. She seemed so at peace with her life. I loved the fifties - the decade I was born in.
by Marilyn Wons
on December 8th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
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Been there, done that!
I seem to have worn all those clothes=poodle skirts, tight sweaterss, bobby socks and saddle oxfords, and pony tails. Duster coats were in style and the colors pink and black. Can’t tell you how many girls had on pink dresses at our prom where we twisted the night away. And girls did not wear levis-only tight fitting slender legged capri pants. the goal of every girl was to look like Audrey Hepburn with her tiny waist. She was the fashion trend-setter of the day.
Little did we know those were the good ol days.
by JOYE
on December 8th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
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I too was there. Poodle skirt one day plaid the next. Twinsets or white blouse, both with the scarf knotted at the side and the color matching the skirt. I had a DA once, but mostly wore my hair long and sometimes in a double ponytail-pull the hair through a doughnut in the back and wind half around the doughnut and let the rest hang out in the ponytail. I had saddleshoes and at one time white bucks. Most of the time we wore sneakers - not athletic shoes. :grin: What fun it was!
by Dee
on December 8th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
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The ponytail girl with bobbysocks, saddle shoes, blue jeans rolled up, that is what I would have been and for some part was. I was born in 1950. I so remember the ponytails and French rolls Mom used to do my hair in and then pin a silk flower in the
French roll. Sleeveless blouses with blue jeans or the tight legged pants. I hoola-hooped
and played Scotch Hop. I remember the candy necklaces and just bought some for our grandkids and my nieces and nephews because I think they are so cute. I had the scarf and pin clamp thingy going on.
by RobynL
on December 8th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
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I was born in 1960, so the 50’s were my fav.
I always wanted to to go sock hops parties and since I did not have a poodle skirt, I wore my jeans rolled up, a white t-shirt with a pink scarf wrapped around my neck , bobby socks and Black & White saddle shoes. I would have worn the poodle skirt if I had it.
by Dina
on December 8th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
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I’d be in a poodle skirt and twinset with saddle shoes.
by Sandy
on December 8th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
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I would be poodle skirt and saddle shoes all the way. I love the 50’s music and I still listen to it all the time.
by Danielle
on December 8th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
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Oh, I would have to be a bit further back…I have always fantasized of being a flapper! I just love the Deco look….
by Diane Pollock
on December 8th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
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I grew up watching Happy Days, so I have fond memories of the ’50s even though I hadn’t been born yet during that period. I can imagine myself in white bobby socks wearing saddle shoes, a black, pink and white plaid skirt, and a pink sweater over a white blouse with my curls tied back into a ponytail with a pink scarf, dancing in front of the jukebox at the local burger hangout. I would have been totally an Elvis fan listening to Don’t Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel and All Shook Up.
by Sue A.
on December 8th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
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I would choose to dress as Jacqueline Kennedy did when she was the First Lady. She was a such a trendy dresser .
by Crystal B.
on December 8th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
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I would want to look like Grace Kelly in “Rear Window.” She looked amazing. Her outfits, hair and makeup were perfect.
by Jane
on December 8th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
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I’d dress as a beatnik: tight black pants, large floppy sweater, ballerina flats and a pony tail.
by Laidybyrd
on December 8th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
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I think it would be fun to be in the evening gowns…since it is the complete opposite of me now..LOL!
by Kathleen
on December 8th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
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I was born in November of 1950 and the only thing I can remember wearing are the saddle shoes. My sister who was 4 years older had a poodle skirt. I guess I was just a tad too young. The heels appeal to me but I’m really more the ponytail type lol.
by catslady
on December 8th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
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I was still in elementary school in the fifties. My mother made a lot of our clothes for my sister and me, and I remember she made us pink poodle skirts. As I got a bit older I liked jeans and pedal pushers with the tight sweaters, buttoned in the back, with saddlle shoes. i remember eating candy dots, cigarettes and the wax bottles all the time. The sixites was more me, the hippy bell-bottom jeans and tie-dyes, lol.
by Pam P
on December 8th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
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I wasn’t born untill 1960 something but loved fonzie from happy days I probably would’ve been the Sexy Michelle Piffer type from Grease 2 probably the jacket rolled up jeans and bobby socks probably more on the rebellish side. I don;t think i could have ever pulled off the poodle skirt look. 
by Lori Barnes
on December 8th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
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My 1950’s memories are very clear since I wsborn in 1951 and experienced all of the styles mentioned, but my favorite one was wearing the poodle skirts with crinolines so that they swooped out during the dances at the sock hops I went to every Friday night which were a highlight of my week. I wore these cool saddleshoes with pink bobby socks and a lovely pullovet silver grey angora sweater. My hair was worn short in a bob. I have fond memories of those special days.
by ruth
on December 8th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
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I would definitey be a poodle skirt and sweater girl. I love wearing sweaters! I would wear flats and pink lipstick. I would have medium length wavy hair. I remember eating those candies when I was young and now my children enjoy eating them.
by Linda F
on December 9th, 2007 at 12:06 am
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I remember sleeping in curlers. OUCH. Curlers and garter belts were torture!!!!!
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I would pick a red dress with gored skirt and matching short jacket and black stilettos. I don’t think I would perm my hair since I did that in the 80’s and don’t want to do it again. I would go with the pin curls.
by Maureen
on December 9th, 2007 at 5:56 am
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I think I would love to be a 1960’s housewife. I love how the women wore dresses every day, had tupperware parties and parties where they served celery with cream cheese or fondue.
by Jackie Villano
on December 9th, 2007 at 8:30 am
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I wore the poodle shirt and sweather set and the saddle shoes and the bobby sox.And had very long hair in a ponytail.I love the 50’s music and still listen to it. I have fond memories of those days.
by Emma
on December 9th, 2007 at 11:41 am
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Continue to enjoy reading everyone’s responses! Surprised only one of you ever slept in curlers (I should admit I did, too…amazing we don’t have more neck problems considering the propped-up angles we had to sleep at!).
We’ll be picking a winning Retro-Girl entry this coming Friday, December 14. So keep those retro-entries coming.
The gift box of nostalgic candies is almost as fun as the candy inside–on the cover it says “Be-bop back to the past! Classic Candy from the 50s” with a big-fin pink Cadillac and jukebox on the cover. Besides the candy already mentioned, it has Smith Brothers Cough Drops (anybody remember those?) to Rootbeer Barrels to bubble gum cigars, to candy lipsticks.
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My favorite decade is the 1950s due to its musical influence which I found utterly compelling. I listened to the Hit Parade and loved the songs. During that time I wore my hair in a DA and had several favorite outfits. The special one I reserved for going out on the weekend was a baby blue swing dress that fit so perfectly, that it made me feel like a princess. To complement the outfit I wore saddle shoes and white bobby socks. What a sight that was and what a stir it made. The evening was complete.
by pearl
on December 9th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
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I always wanted saddle oxfords but my mom wouldn’t buy them for me because she didn’t want to have to polish them. I was in elementary school in the 50’s but I remember Elvis and the Everly Brothers and poodle skirts. I was definitely the rolled-up jeans and bobby sox type.
I also remember my mom giving me Toni home permanents. Talk about smelly! And frizzy too.
Television was just coming into most homes. We had one before most folks cause my daddy saw one and decided he was going to save up money and buy it. We watched Gunsmoke and I Love Lucy and my favorite was Howdy Doody and Hoppalong Cassidy. As I got older I loved Hit Parade (remember Giselle McKenzie?) and the Ed Sullivan Show (poor Elvis got cut off at the waist LOL!).
Your story sounds like such fun, Colleen. I’ve been reading Christmas novels and novellas for the past few weeks to keep me in the holiday spirit.
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I love the 50s. Way before my time, but I have a lot of the old movies from that era on tape. I’m not much of the poodle skirt type, maybe more the capris? :grin: Or the beautiful old evening gowns and gloves.
by Lis
on December 9th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
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To grow up during this era was unique and special in so many ways. When I look back upon those years it is with great nostalgia. The music had the most incredible melodies and the singers had the greatest talent. We had fun, going for walks, to movies, and riding bikes, and were surrounded by people with ethics and integrity. I had a ponytail, pedal pushers and a cute jersey and saddle shoes with bobby socks. But for a special occasion such as a dance I wore my poodle skirt with a matching pink blouse with white narrow stripes and my saddle shoes. These were the best times.
by ellie
on December 9th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
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I would be the poodle skirt and sweater type. I always wanted a poodle skirt. :mrgreen:
by Amy S.
on December 10th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
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I would totally have been a poodle skirt kind of girl with a pink and white poodle on the skirt (my aunt actually made me this skirt and I still have it). I would have a pink sweater to match my poodle; the sweater would have pink strings coming from the neck with pompoms at the end. I would have my saddle oxfords and pink bobbie socks. And of course my hair would be in a ponytail with a scarf tied around it.
by Kelli Jo Calvert
on December 12th, 2007 at 11:54 am
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hey-in my own way–i’m already a retro-girl, i’m not a young chick-but i have always dressed and lived in the old style-my children have told me to liven up my look-and come into the 21st century—but now i have an excuse-thanks to y’all—cause i’m a ‘retro-girl’!!!!! ;-)
by JACKIE YOUNG
on December 13th, 2007 at 5:19 am
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Tomorrow, Friday Dec 14, we pick the winning Retro-Girl entry! Keep those retro-entries coming in! 
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Wow, poodle skirts, and the shoes- the fun of the music but then the fancy dresses and the long gloves and the hats- oh my those were so pretty. Hair was perfect, makeup ws perfect and families didn’t have the computer or tv for that fact- they were together. Remember candy cigarettes- oh and the driveins were so popuLAR. People went to the five and dime and the deli and the butcher and the grocery on the corney for the items they needed…no supercenters…food was virtually from scratch. Curlers a pain- sanitary napkins oh my..times sure have changed- some for the better some not.
by sandy
on December 14th, 2007 at 5:52 am
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Since today is my birthday and I was born on December 14, 1947 it is a milestone for me. Considering the changes that have taken place I did wear an adorable pink poodle skirt, with white poodles around the hem. With the requisite white twin set and pink bobby socks as well as the saddle shoes I thought this was quite the outfit. I had dark brown hair in a ponytail and loved this entire look. I shopped at Woolworths, my favorite store, rode my bike all over the city, saw movies for $1.50, and watched Gunsmoke and Roy Rogers. Life was good and I live in a different time and place now. It is time travel for me today. Best for the season.
by sharon
on December 14th, 2007 at 8:07 am
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The retro judges are sitting here (crowded around the computer) reading your entries, which are all wonderful! Your colorful descriptions have made our retro-judging very tough!
After much nostalgic deliberation, the Retro-Girl winner is…
Pearl!
We loved that baby blue swing dress. And to have worn it with saddle shoes and white bobby socks, yes, we agree you must have made quite a stir!
Pearl, please sent your full name & mailing address (which will be kept confidential) to cocowrites2@gmail.com
And Sharon, happy birthday! As a runner-up prize, please send your full name & mailing address too (to cocowrites2@gmail.com) and we’ll send you a copy of IT’S A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS/MIRACLE ON BANNOCK STREET.
Everyone, thank you for playing! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season, Colleen & The Retro Judges
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