MAYFLOWER MADAM

US, 1987, 92 minutes, Colour.
Candice Bergen, Chris Sarandon, Chita Rivera.
Directed by Lou Antonio.

Mayflower Madam was the name the media gave to Sidney Biddle Barrows, American society woman who ran an escort agency in New York. After the police invaded her premises, she was the subject of media scrutiny as well as the possibility of court proceedings. However, according to the film, charges were dropped because of the threat to expose the public figure clients of the escort service.

This film was co produced by Sidney Barrows herself and presents a benign view of her and her ambitions. Wealthy, descended from a Mayflower Fleet family, she wanted to work and to own a business. Temporarily working as a telephonist in a grubby escort service, she decided she could do better and give the girls freedom to stay with the men hiring them or not. She ran a chic service for about six years until it was broken by the police.

The film presents her sympathetically in the person of Candice Bergen. Some of the dialogue raises the questions about prostitution, financial dealings, the exploitation of women by men. The finale is somewhat open-ended (except for the fact that Sidney Barrows was working to make this film.)

1. Interesting telemovie? Focus on a personality? Contemporary issues? Moral and legal issues of prostitution and escort services? The dramatisation of the situations?

2. New York locations, the affluent world of New York, escort services, clientele? Wealth and society? The musical score?

3. The title and the press's name for Sidney Biddle Barrows? The irony of her being a descendant from the Mayflower? The religious stances of the pilgrims? American values, morals, double standards, hypocrisies?

4. The structure of the film: the timing of the raid on the apartment, the police waiting, Sidney arriving? The flashback to six years? 1Makinz credible Sidney's character, her employment difficulties, her decision about the escort agency, the risks she ran, her beliefs, treatment of the girls, court proceedings? The moral perspective on Sidney Barrows? The film's perspective? Pro and con?

5. Candice Bergen as Sidney Barrows: her background, the rich family in New Jersey, the ceremony with the Mayflower descendents being applauded? Her friends? Her decision to work, the criticism of her attitude in not taking orders, being fired? Her interviews for jobs? Her friend, telephonist work at the agency, her manner, decision to stay? The boss and his hard line? Her concern for the girls? The decision to start her own business? Interviewing the girls, making up their names, buying their clothes? Cachet? Chic, the phone voice, the clients, the style, the money exchanged? Rules for girls and clients? Her success, the increasing business of the agency? The changes in the girls over the years? Her meeting with friends, Pam discovering the truth? Her friendship and relationship with Matt, the initial meeting of him, talking to him, her ambitions, the relationship, his house, his career, unable to contact tier? Her decision to tell him the truth? His dislike of the truth? With her, the break with her? Meeting him at the market? Her inability to be a partner? The raid, her being put in prison with the prostitutes, in court, the case by the District Attorney? The support of her lawyer? The dropping of charges? Her talking with Pam at the Mayflower ceremony? Going off by herself? Credible personality, character? Decisions and behaviour?

6. Matt and his place as a lawyer, relationship with Sidney, the outings, listening, his own career, living with Sidney, the passing of the years, his wanting something more permanent, suspicions of her, his inability to understand her motives, face the truth? With another woman and later encountering her?

7. The background of Sidney's family, the visit with Matt to the New Jersey mansion and her talk about being there on invitation with a ticket? Her ambition to be successful herself? Pam, the aristocracy of New York society? Her place in this, moving, away from it? Disowning her?

8. The focus on the girls, those working for the escort manager and the brutalisation, his taking the money? Mona and the other girls, the friendship with Sidney, their training, background studies, training for the theatre? hating poverty more than sin? Their style, their clients? The encounter at the opera with the French businessman who admired Sheila's voice, Matt as knowing the truth about Sidney? The arrest of Mona by the police? Their being put in court, the intern and her being sacked, the girl arrested after the first night? Pros and cons of callgirls, escort agencies, their pandering to their male clientele?

9. The police, the complaints by the manager and his son, eviction notice, contact with the police, the preparation for the raid, the carrying out of the raid? The District Attorney and the prosecution? The deal with Sidney's lawyer?

10. Prostitution in contemporary society? The focus on men? The focus on the women? Management? Morals and the law?