provided the seed capital for Paramount, where Zukor soon partnered with DeMille.

Among others, in 1919, DeMille hired a young costume designer for the studio. Several

years later that young designer began directing movies. Since he was inclined toward

fashion, in 1937, he made a film about Parisian haute couture called Artists and Models

Abroad. For the film, he sent the Paris correspondent of Harper 's Bazaar scavenging for

clothes from Parisian couturiers. The correspondent gathered up clothes from Mme Gres,

Paquin, Patou, and of course Schiaparelli. In her communique back to Paramount, she

said: "these should do the trick." Evidently they did, because the film was very

successful. In fact, it was one of Paramount's highest grossers that year. The studio

wasn't so lucky with the other film the designer-turned-director made that year-a

screwball comedy that was quite forgettable, except for a moment when a fur coat falls

on a working girl's head.

 At the end of Easy Living, another unsuspecting girl gets hit by a fur coat. After the

misunderstanding is finally cleared up-and according to Mary Smith, it's no little

misunderstanding-J. B. Ball finds his wife in possession of that disruptive fur coat once

more. So, yet again, he throws it off the balcony, and it falls on another young girl who

happens to be standing by. She lets out a slight scream. Mary and John recognize her

confusion. Mary grabs his arm and walks away, saying "Johnny, this is where we came

in." This final moment was a late addition to the film. It does not appear in Sturges's

script, so we might assume that it was Leisen's contribution. But what do we make of this

return to the initial chance encounter?

 Ed Sikov argues that Easy Living issues from "Sturges's and Leisen's glorifying

appreciation of kismet" (122). Although Sturges's script contains this sense of