By Michael Wright
Towards the end of last year, many a red-blooded male octogenarian felt a tinge of nostalgic heartbreak with the passing of Brigitte Bardot. In my youth, I was as Brigitte-Bardot-obsessed as Billy Mumy was in the movie “Dear Brigitte” (and I was grateful that he never wished her into the cornfield).
The French director Roger Vadim’s movie “And God Created Woman” was released in the US in 1957. I was 12 years old and had amassed a sizeable collection of Brigitte’s pictures, obtained primarily from Photoplay and other magazines taken from the waiting area of my Aunt Betty’s beauty salon, downstairs from our apartment. It always caused irritation whenever I would refer to it as “Aunt Betty’s Beauty Saloon.”
I kept my collection in a book I had hollowed out, just like the bad cowboys did to hide their six-shooters. I thought my hiding place was perfect until one morning I found it being used to prop open my bedroom window during one hot summer. Uh oh! Maybe no one noticed.
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One evening, weeks later, my mom and stepdad loaded us into the car for movie night at the Ramona Drive-In which was featuring “And God Created Woman.”
We found ourselves in a long, serpentine line of cars, which was backed up and spilling onto the highway in a line that seemed to go on forever. The turtle-slow pace prompted my folks to agree that we should turn around and head back home. Twisting to face me in the back seat, my mom said, “I’m sorry Michael!” (She knew what was up.)
My mind froze in response: “Busted!” I immediately feigned nonchalance, but my little pre-teen heart was broken… Crushed as if by a giant mortar and pestle.
Reflecting back on those days in the 50s, I think my mom was just happy to know that I liked girls.
RIP Brigitte Bardot: September 28, 1934 – December 28, 2025 If you had any particular star crushes as a youngster, please share them with Mike who says he’ll hold them in the strictest of confidence. micwrighthamo@gmail.com
