The Bikini
Remembering last week childhood days of gruesome clothing and swimming gear in particular, I was reminded of an incident that occurred many years later while I was a freelancing photographer.
I was commissioned to join a film crew for a few days and to write an illustrated piece about it for a magazine.
On location, I found the very young and gauche Second Assistant Camera trying very hard indeed to behave like a veteran. This was quite obviously for the particular benefit of the girl playing the part of a student model. It was comical to watch him hovering near her whenever he found an excuse to do so.
However, there was something he did not know: although the director had auditioned for a teenage girl the eventual girl, who appeared to be a shy seventeen from drama school with her innocent, wide-set eyes, was in fact an extensively-practised 22-year-old. She was a very busy model girl.
We were all turning in for an early night in preparation for an early start the next morning. I was in my room sorting my baggage. The door was still ajar. I caught sight of the girl as she walked past toward her room. She was followed by the young assistant. They halted at her bedroom door.
I heard her say, ‘You wanted something?’
‘No! Yes! I mean, look, love. A little word in your shell-like ear. About these scenes tomorrow. The Bikini scenes. Now, there’s something you won’t know about filming in Bikinis.’
‘Oh? Really?’
‘Yes. You see, Bikinis, in your actual camera, well, they show a bit more. . . you know what I mean? Yes? Mm? So, what you’ll have to do tonight is to, um, remove the, um.’
‘Oh! Really? I see,’ she said.’ Well, I think you’d better show me, don’t you?’ and I heard her door gently opened, and then closed.
He still looked surprised at breakfast.
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Text and illustration ©Paul Wigmore 2010