"Swimming Upstream" scene

[sebbie]

I was watching the 2003 movie "Swimming Upstream" (again). There is a famous scene in that movie where Tony Fingleton (as played by Jesse Spencer) is headed off to a big meet (the Empire Games) with the other Australian Swimmers. A group of young ladies are clearly fascinated by the male swimmers and their bodies. One of the young ladies rushes up to Tony and asks him if he would give her one of his suits. He says "Sure!" and pulls out a little neon-green suit (interestingly he does not war that suit in any movie scene). She says something like "but I would rather have you in it!" and dashes off.

My question is, "Has something like this ever happened to you?" with either a female or male. I'm not sure if its common for young male swimmers to get requests for suits or not (from either sex). This probably happened to the real Tony Fingleton, way back in the early 1960s, when that part of the movie took place.

This movie is set in the 50s through the 60s. All the suits, supposedly kids in early to late teens, are briefs, solid color, typically maroon, forest green or navy, but rather conservative with about 4-inch sides. Even so, that the swimmers are males is quite obvious in the movie, with sometimes the guys showing quite a bit. The last scene, however, shows Fingleton as a freshman at Harvard swimming in a much smaller and tighter suit--that suit seems too new for when that scene supposedly happened, 1964 or 1965.

One of the issues in filming this movie had to be getting the suit styles right for when each scene was filmed.

[Swimmboy]

Isn't that a great film, Sebbie? I really loved it, and even own a DVD copy of my own. The young man in the film, Jesse Spencer, is now on 'Chicago Fire'.

[Lap Counter]

I rented Swimming Upstream last night. Thanks for the recommendation!

The suits worn by the kids in the movie reminded me of the school issued suits we used in high school gym class. They were industrial grade cotton, designed to survive the locker room's hot water wash/ hot air dryers. They had something like 6" side seams, and were color coded for size, purple for the skinny little guys like me, pale yellow medium, and gold for the big boys.

To obtain one, you had to appear totally naked at the check out window and request your color. Typical '60s arbitrary rule - no idea why you couldn't get a suit first, then change at your locker.

They fit like a loose diaper, and pretty much looked like one too. Zero support, so many guys wore a jock underneath. (But you couldn't wear your jock to check out the suit because that would violate the naked rule).

Swim team guys and anyone else who owned a real Speedo could wear their personal suit. The school issued suits were gross enough to prompt many boys to go out and buy their first Speedo.

[Lap Counter]

Originally Posted by sebbie

This movie is set in the 50s through the 60s. All the suits, supposedly kids in early to late teens, are briefs, solid color, typically maroon, forest green or navy, but rather conservative with about 4-inch sides... The last scene, however, shows Fingleton as a freshman at Harvard swimming in a much smaller and tighter suit--that suit seems too new for when that scene supposedly happened, 1964 or 1965.

One of the issues in filming this movie had to be getting the suit styles right for when each scene was filmed.

Speedo made both a wider side "tank suit" and a brief cut in the mid '60s. Eventually the wide side went away entirely and all Speedos were the brief model. Of course this is before Lycra came on the scene, so all Speedos were 100% nylon.

[PSDave]

I have found pool guys, gardeners and meter readers trying on and swimming in suits I have left by my pool to dry or just cuz I took them off and left them there the day before. When I catch them they get all flustered but I assure them I don't care, if they want to take a dip and there is a suit they are welcome to use it -- or even if there isn't a suit -- to take a dip. Most respond they have always been curious to try one. I always tell them if they like it and will wear it, they can keep it. Most decline but a couple have said they would like it to have at my house to use when they come to do whatever it is they are there for. It is always interesting to me which suit they will have on if there are several out there.

[Arlen]

Yap..I have see this move..really nice move..full of entertainment. I enjoyed it.