Defining Color

Today you get an excerpt (courtesy of my co-worker) from the script of a '40's movie entitled "Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House". Muriel, played by Myrna Loy is married to Jim played by Cary Grant. In this scene Muriel is communicating to the painter exactly what she wants.

We, as designers, get to deal with similar situations on pretty much the daily basis, but I WISH we could have the same answer as the assistant dude.


Take it away:

-----------------------------------------------------------
            MURIEL
                         Now I want the living room to be a
                         soft green.
                              (PeDelford nods)
                         Not quite as bluish as a robin's
                         egg, but yet not as yellow as daffodil
                         buds.

                                     PEDELFORD
                         Mm.

                                     MURIEL
                              (handing him a sample)
                         The best sample I could get is a
                         little too yellow, but don't let
                         whoever mixes it go to the other
                         extreme and get it too blue. It should
                         just be sort of a grayish yellow
                         green.

                                     PEDELFORD
                              (making a note)
                         Mm-hmm.

               They turn to the dining room.

                                     MURIEL
                         Now the dining room I'd like yellow.
                         Not just yellow, a very gay yellow.

                                     PEDELFORD
                         Mm-hmm.

                                     MURIEL
                         Something bright and sunshiny.
                              (sudden inspiration)
                         I tell you, Mr. PeDelford, if you'll
                         just send one of your workmen to the
                         A&P for a pound of their best butter
                         and match it exactly, you can't go
                         wrong.

                                     PEDELFORD
                              (making a note)
                         Mm.

                                     MURIEL
                         This is the paper we're going to use
                         here in the foyer.
                              (hands sample to him)
                         It's flowered but I don't want the
                         ceiling to match any of the colors
                         of the flowers. There are some little
                         dots in the background, and it's
                         these dots I want you to match. Not
                         the little greenish dots near the
                         hollyhock leaf, but the little bluish
                         dot between the rosebud and the
                         delphinium blossom. Is that clear?

               PeDelford looks carefully at the sample, then:

                                     PEDELFORD
                              (making note)
                         Mm-hmm.

                                     MURIEL
                         The kitchen's to be white. Not a
                         cold, antiseptic hospital white -- a
                         little warmer but not to suggest any
                         other color but white.

                                     PEDELFORD
                              (note)
                         Mm.

                                     MURIEL
                         Now for the powder room, I want you
                         to match this thread.
                              (hands him thread)
                         You can see it's practically an apple
                         red. Somewhere between a healthy
                         Winesap and an unripened Jonathan.

                                     PEDELFORD
                              (making note)
                         Mm.

               There is a crash from the kitchen.

                                     MURIEL
                         Will you excuse me?

               Muriel hastily exits toward the kitchen. PeDelford turns to his assistant.

                                     PEDELFORD
                         Got it, Charlie?

                                     CHARLIE
                              (deadpan; indicating
                              rooms with his thumb)
                         Green, yellow, blue, white, red.

                                     PEDELFORD
                         Check.

                                                                   DISSOLVE