Good manners, a relaxed nature and dignified attire are heralded as three of the most crucial traits to nurture if one wishes to be successful in the dating game, according to an instructional video made in 1946.
The quaint tutorial from the Prelinger Archives follows four American youngsters - two couples double-dating - preparing to attend their junior prom, with a narrator explaining the errors they make along the way and how their behaviour can be improved upon.
The tutorial, made in 1946, shows men how they should treat women when they take them out to dance
The four youngsters at the Forties prom
Pointers given to Jerry and Frank - and the ladies of their affection, Margaret and Helen - about 'dating etiquette' include 'getting dates is not hard if one will act with a bit of courage and show himself to be sincere'; 'good manners never interfere with fun'; 'a dignified occasion requires dignified clothes', and 'girls have their problems, just as fellows do'.
The vintage film explores the preferred way to request a girl's company to a dance in the Forties, the best way to introduce yourself to her family, how to dress on a date, how to learn your date's likes and dislikes and how to best handle oneself on the dance floor.
The vintage film explores the preferred way to request a girl's company to a dance in the Forties, the best way to introduce yourself to her family, and how to dress on a date
After the dance the film watches as the couples head to a late-night diner for post-prom sustenance - during which Frank 'helps' Helen by ordering for her - and then shows the boys returning the girls to their homes: Jerry and Margaret, who have been dating for some time, share a goodnight kiss, while Frank and Helen, who are on their first date, shake hands.
Be sensible, simple, relaxed and brave: How to date in the 1940s
The film shows how boys and girls 'should' talk to one another on the phone
The Atlantic picked out the top ten tips to come away with from the video:
1. Getting dates is not hard if one will act with a bit of courage and show himself to be sincere.
2. Fear of not being asked or fear of being refused can ruin our social lives if we let them.
3. Girls have their problems, just as fellows do.
4. A dignified occasion requires dignified clothes.
5. Good manners never interfere with fun.
6. Relax. Be natural. Talk.
7. It’s foolish to be jealous. It’s your own fun you’re spoiling.
8. People never like to blame themselves so they blame others.
9. Simplicity is always the safest policy.
10. Keep trying. Be sensible.
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