Tags: 1950s United Kingdom/ novels adapted into movies/ cleaning ladies/ Dior/ Mrs. Harris Travels to New York/ Paris/ Paul Gallico.
The author of The Snow Goose tells the story of a London charlady and a Dior dress.
This is not an old-fashioned book, as it portrays the typical charlady of late 1950s London, Mrs. Harris. Since then, the world has changed so much, but her profession of cleaning upper- and middle-class customers’ homes daily was her way of making a living and keeping body and soul together. She worked tirelessly, and the drudgery of her job no longer exists. Gallico Paul put her in the spotlight with two stories published in 1958 and 1960.
… the litter of dirty dishes and greasy pans in the sink, acres of stale, rumpled, unmade beds, clothing scattered about, wet towels on the bathroom floor, water left in the tooth-glass, dirty laundry … and of course, cigarette ends in the ashtrays, dust on tables and mirrors, and all the other litter that human pigs are capable of leaving behind them when they leave their homes in the morning.
Dishwashers and automated vacuum cleaners, small-business house cleaners, and professional cleaning services have substituted the ‘traditional housewife’ with her cleaning tools, work attire, and headscarf, which is now only reminiscent of 1960s sitcoms.
The book has been reissued as a film adaptation, and the story has recently been transformed into a movie. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a charmingly nostalgic tale, may not be considered a work of literature, but it unabashedly evokes sentimentality in its narrative. Gallico once characterized his writing as “not even literary” because his primary focus was on storytelling, evident in all of his books. The Snow Goose, his wartime narrative that was successfully adapted into a film, has sold over a million copies and remains in circulation, making Paul Gallico widely recognized as a beloved author of short stories. Even novels and novellas have undergone transformations.
Mrs. Harris is in a world where British European Airways assistant stewards serve a ‘wholesome’ British breakfast on the short flight from London to Paris, and offer you friendly advice when you order a taxi. Gallico’s characters are caricatures and his plot is simple.
Ada Harris, the Lady of Dant’s house, opens her wardrobe and sees two Dior dresses as she cleans up during the ‘Arris process.
… as she stood before the stunning creations … she found herself face to face with a new kind of beauty – an artificial one created by the hand of man the artist, but aimed directly and cunningly at the heart of woman. In that very instant she fell victim to the artist; at that very moment was born within her the craving to possess such a garment.
There was no rhyme or reason for it, she would never wear such a creation, there was no place in her life for one. Her reaction was purely feminine. She saw it and she wanted it dreadfully.
Mrs. Butterfield, getting ready for their ‘threepence a week’ ritual of ‘filling out their vouchers for the weekly football lottery’, feels exceptionally fortunate and surprises Mrs. Butterfield by declaring, ‘This is for my Dior gown.’ Throughout that ‘moist, miserable, and foggy day’, the idea of the gown warms her, and that night during her usual visit to her fellow cleaning lady friend, Mrs. Harris is astounded – ‘Four hundred and fifty quid … How would anyone ever obtain that much money?’ – But her desire for the gown intensifies. Lady Dant cannot resist bragging that the gown cost ‘approximately four hundred and fifty’ pounds.
Mrs H is clever and inventive, but due to currency limitations in the UK, she can only withdraw ten pounds from the country. After two years of hard work, dedication, and some fortunate circumstances, she manages to accumulate enough money. Despite her initial disappointment, she resolves to economize and save until she can afford the dress, although it is still not quite within her financial reach. Eventually, she wins a sum of ‘one hundred and two pounds, seven and ninepence halfpenny’.
… [her] code of ethics was both strict and practical. She would tell a fib but not a lie. She would not break the law, but was not averse to bending it as far as it would go. She was scrupulously honest, but at the same time was not to be considered a mug.
Mrs. Harris, an American, agrees to help her impecunious nephew, who lives in Britain, by exchanging British pounds for American dollars. She solves the problem of her not-too-bright American client by being constitutionally obligated to send him the cash.
It would have been better to go to the rear entrance, and resembling a janitor, the cleaning woman surveys Mrs. Harris and concludes that she is being confronted by Mme Colbert, the female manager. Mme Colbert ultimately climbs the grand staircase but is almost forced to retreat due to the overpowering scent of sophistication. However, she gathers her British courage and pushes open the door, revealing the array of clothing, mannequins, or display windows that resemble those found in Selfridges on Oxford Street or Marks and Spencer’s in Paris. To her astonishment, she realizes that Mrs. H has arrived outside the Christian Dior House at last.
Ada, an English university student who studied at an English salon presentation of the latest ‘collection,’ attends a salon where she sees a dress she wants to buy. She encounters many unusual encounters and misunderstandings with an elderly gentleman who has fond memories of a charlady who brightened his life in his gloomy college room. Ada is determined and has money, so there is no nonsense standing in her way.
She discloses the truth to the customs officer, transporting her valuable possessions in her ‘spacious and worn-out plastic suitcase’ while discarding the fancy Dior dress box. In this way, she successfully sneaks the dress past British customs without incurring any duty fees (which she cannot afford to pay). Throughout her journey, she participates in dress fittings, assists Mme Colbert in resolving her troubles, supports a newfound friend in his romantic endeavors, and eventually enjoys a week exploring the sights of Paris, all due to her genuine friendliness, empathy towards others, and innocent nature. It is evident that nothing is straightforward.
The customs man grinned. This was a new one on him. The British char abroad. The mop and broom business must be good, he reflected … It was not the first time he had encountered the London char’s sense of humour.
There are still a few more experiences linked to the outfit, and Mrs Harris is a transformed woman.
For it had not been a dress she had bought so much as an adventure and an experience that would last her to the end of her days. She would never again feel lonely, or unwanted. She had ventured into a foreign country and a foreign people whom she had been taught to suspect and despise. Had found them to be warm and human, men and women for whom human love and understanding was a mainspring of life.
The suggestion is that the result will be a fun and adventurous tour of Paris, filled with glamour and interest. There are beautiful models and gorgeous dresses, and the setting is colorful and exotic. The film is a lighthearted and enjoyable love story, with a likable, humorous, and spirited heroine. It is an unusual story, but it also touches on clichéd and outdated opinions about foreign cultures and social class. Mrs. Harris’ novella, Paris to Goes, reveals the age and times of Paris.
Mrs. Harris goes to New York instead of taking a flight to Paris. She tries to track down her lost son, ‘Enry, as he embarks on an eventful journey aboard the Ville de Paris. Along the way, she explores other parts of America and takes a tour of New York City. Meanwhile, back in London, the young lad is being abused by his foster parents, but unlikely kidnappers, Violet Butterfield and Ada Harris, become aware of his situation and decide to take action.
Mrs. Harris, an MP from New York, lived in Moscow in 1974 and Mrs. Butterfield, who was also in Moscow, wrote two stories that suggested Mrs. Harris might become homesick. However, Mrs. Harris never sat back in London, where she had been living since 1965, and eventually Paul Gallico wrote more stories about her.
Paul Gallico’s novel, “Mrs. Harris Takes a Trip to Paris / Mrs. Harris Takes a Trip to New York,” released by Bloomsbury in paperback edition, comprises
Dr. Ann Skea, an independent scholar of the work of Ted Hughes, has her Ted Hughes webpages (ann.Skea.Com) archived by the British Library. Her work is published globally and she is the writer of Ted Hughes: The Poetic Quest (UNE 1994, currently accessible for free download here). Additionally, she works as a freelance reviewer and writer.
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