Figure 1.--David takes pictures with his camera near the beginning of the film at a family party held to celebrate his father's purchase of a new villa on the outskirts of Prague. The scene is somewhat ominous because the previous owner of the villa, a family friend by the name of Stein, has hurried left for America--a hint of the NAZI persecution of the Jews which will shortly follow. Stein got out of Czechoslovakia in time whereas the adult members of David's family delay their emigration until, tragically, it becomes impossible. In this scene David wears a spring or summer knee pants suits (it appears to be beige) with white knee socks. One unusual feature of the suit is the short sleeves of the jacket.

David's clothes seem to be very accurately reproduced for 1939, the year in which the story is set. David is about 10-11 years old. His dress-up clothes consist of a cream-colored short-pants suit (single breasted) worn with shirt, tie, and knee socks. Rather unusually the jacket had short sleeves. I have never seen actual suits like that. His school clothes consist of short pants worn with suspenders and knee socks. During the chillier months he wears tan long stockings with his shorts and what look like calf-length boots. For his trip to England he graduates to long trousers. I'm not sure how common that was in reality.

Created: 3:30 AM 10/31/20055
Last updated: 3:30 AM 10/31/2005