That Was Then

Frank 'n' Betty on guys 'n' dolls

Published November 16, 1999 5:00PM (EST)

The trouble with women -- and some of my best friends are -- is that they're always interrupting ... it's their chief charm ... they'll bust right into the middle of a conversation about a short putt on a wet course with the discovery that there's meat on the menu or they like the color of your tie.

When they're little girls you want to eat 'em up, and when they grow up you sometimes want to beat 'em up (what am I saying?) and either way you're liable to get bitten."

-- Frank Sinatra, "The Trouble With Women Is ..." from Cosmopolitan, November 1956.

"When you're with the shy, bashful Gary Cooper type (and believe me that ain't bad) it is your golden opportunity to outfumble him by reversing your field. You, too, become a modest toe-twister. Put on your best calf eyes, don your freshly starched gingham gown, smile, and out-silence Harpo Marx. This approach will so completely baffle him that before he knows it, he's hogtied for life."

-- Betty Hutton, "The Trouble With Men Is ..." from Cosmopolitan, November 1954.


By Salon Staff

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