1950s relationship portrayed in films starring men like Spencer Tracy & Clark Gable there was an underlying theme. The spirited independent irresponsible brat transformed when she found the strong man, who often ended up spanking her before the film was done. She never became less than what she was as a result & found her place at her man’s side and at his feet while he sat a read the paper. She found happiness and contentment and the security she hadn’t known since she was a little girl. She might have been an actress, an officer, a land owner or even the owner of a newspaper. Nothing about domestic discipline takes anything away from what she can do. But her central romantic relationship is the strong man who she looks up to, who sets her boundaries and treats her at times as his little girl. Perhaps this was rare. But many still wish for a man who means what he says, who lays down the law and loves his little girl.
