Archival Obsessions: Don't Cry Dear Lady

Anatomy of an era

A trip to the cinema during the Second World War promised more than a feature film; the advertisements screening before the movie were in themselves like a cinematic short.

Mel Bondfield, Digital Content Producer, Editorial & Content at the NFSA, thinks the Tandaco Prepared Stuffing commercial – subtitled ‘Don’t Cry Dear Lady’ – is a great example of how ads were similar to feature films of the era. 'Down to the opening titles, orchestral score, saturated colour and the dramatic opening cut to a beautiful young housewife in tears,’ she says. ‘All of these elements make it a joy to watch.’

In the ad, a well-dressed housewife cries as she peels onions for a roast chicken stuffing. She’s short on the herbs she needs, so she imagines a scenario where she serves her husband and his boss the roast chicken without any stuffing. In her mind, the fallout is not worth the risk.

All of this features matter-of-fact narration. For the dream scenario, in which the chicken without stuffing is served, the result is disgust and the narrator warns, ‘You can’t have that happen’.

Cue the use of Tandaco Prepared Stuffing – followed by compliments from her husband’s boss: ‘You can’t beat this homemade stuffing’.

The ad goes on to trumpet the packet stuffing’s versatility: it’s not just perfect for chicken; it can also come in handy for cutlets and leg of mutton, and for stuffed baked rabbit or stuffed tomatoes resting on pineapple rings.

Its singular delights

Bondfield was a child in the era of Bill Collins’ Golden Years of Hollywood, and developed a love of old movies. ‘This was “appointment television” in our household, and so I developed a love for films of all genres from the ‘30s and ‘40s thanks to my mother and older sisters,’ she explains.

‘I love this advertisement because it reminds me so much of the filmmaking from that era. The first time I watched the ad, it immediately felt familiar to me.’

Bondfield admits that the ad’s outdated gender dynamics are also part of its charm. ‘I find the gender stereotyping hilarious – the insinuation that her husband’s career and reputation may depend on the quality of her stuffed roast chicken is beyond absurd to a modern audience.’

A product of its time

Bondfield says many of the cinema ads of the era featured a narrative or took the audience on a journey. But this particular ad also has an opening title sequence. ‘This was not so common,’ says Bondfield, pointing out that it opens with a title of Don’t Cry Dear Lady.

‘It makes you feel as though you are viewing a short film. It also has a producer credit in its opening sequence.’

Origin story

The opening titles credit Ralph Smart Productions for the ad. Ralph Smart (1908–2001) was an English-born director, writer and producer of film and television from the 1930s through to the '70s. His film credits include the Australian features The Overlanders (producer, 1946), Bush Christmas (director, 1947), Eureka Stockade (writer, 1949) and Bitter Springs (director, 1950).

While this and other ads of that era were influenced by feature filmmaking, Bondfield says the storytelling devices used are also well-known. ‘The camera zooming out from our distraught “movie heroine” to reveal the reason she is crying – chopping onions – lightens the mood and sets an almost comedic tone,’ Bondfield says. ‘And the unseen but all-knowing male voice-over takes us on the journey instead of having the “dear lady” revealing her own thought processes.’

Bondfield thinks the ad may have influenced advertising to come later in that decade, including some of the JWT ads made at the time, Persil and Rinso Washing Powder being two examples.

To this day

The entire ad is a fascinating little time capsule of Australian life in the early 1940s for several reasons, Bondfield says.

‘It gives us an insight into filmmaking and advertising techniques of the time. It’s also a glimpse at household life during the Second World War – fresh vegetables and herbs are difficult to come by, so we are told,’ notes Bondfield.

She circles back to gender roles and attitudes, which are on full display. ‘Note that, while the woman is the main character of this story, she does not get a chance to speak – as mentioned, her story is told through a male narrator who is patronising and condescending about her actions as he makes it clear that her failure is not an option.’

Bondfield knows that the ad will have a strong but different impact to modern audiences.

‘The husband as working man and breadwinner and woman as homemaker and housewife whose job it is to make her husband look good,’ Bondfield says. ‘Young women viewing this ad today would find the stereotyping comical and completely unrealistic. I think they would have a good chuckle at it, just like I did!’

Main image: Carving a roast dinner. Photo credit: Igor Jovanovich, iStock