In the 1950’s, what did the phrase “make love” mean?

Amanda L: In the 1950’s, what did the phrase “make love” mean?
I am an avid watcher of classic films, and am always a little shocked to hear an actor/actress use the phrase “make love.” I’m watching “Indiscreet” right now, and the tagline for the movie was “How dare he make love to me – and not be a married man!” Was the connotation the same then as it is now?

Answers and Views:

Answer by DR W
That connotation goes w-a-a-a-a-a-y back before movies.

Answer by Grammie
When I was 16 I had a pen pal, male, who was in the Army. He sent me a record, “make love to me” I never realized what it really meant.

Answer by Tinman12
The term meant the same back then as it does today. But today some will be a little more daring and call it for what it is. One would hear “lets have sex”. I guess love has been tossed out the window with today’s generation.

Answer by Jackie Blue
Heck, I’m still trying to figure out who came up with the line, ‘sleeping together,’ when sleep has nothing to do with it!

Answer by skippa_10
I know what you mean. I’ve noticed the same thing in classic movies and I think, although I’ve never had it confirmed, that even just kissing or voicing a deep desire for someone was considered making love. However, I’m not sure this was as late as the 1950’s. From my recollection this was in movies made earlier than this. Possibly the ’20s and ’30s.

Answer by curious connie
Same thing it means now.

Answer by irishlady
It meant exactly what it says yrs ago my mom told me about a movie star named Mae West who was famous for saying Come up & see me Sometime & that was in the 40’s I think sexual inuendos have been around since man walked upright & spoke lol

Answer by Taracat
same as always , sex 🙂

Answer by answer
I don’t think it had the same connotation, at least when it was used in movies and songs. I’ve heard this phrase used in much older movies, too. Usually, the man would speak romantically to the woman, and then the woman would ask if he was “making love” to her. It appears from this that the phrase meant to speak intimately and romantically to someone, complimenting their eyes, hair, etc., and maybe declare their love. Now, it might have meant more in real life back then, but this was how it was used in the movies, and the same for popular songs. Even aside from the Hays Code, there was a different moral code back then and society wouldn’t have accepted songs that spoke specifically about “having sex.” The songwriter who came closest to getting away with this was Cole Porter (“Let’s Do It,” “Let’s Misbehave”). In movies, fading out during a kiss was often used to imply that a lot more happened after that kiss that they just couldn’t show you! One movie that does this in a humorous way is another Cary Grant film, “To Catch a Thief.” Instead of just fading out during a kiss, they cut to fireworks.

Answer by NickN
I know what it meant to me. Sex. But I also feel that as “answer” said it was about romance and the chase as it were all being part of that romantic thing.

Answer by Genie
I don’t know about the 50’s but much earlier, “make love to” meant to woo a woman, not to have sex with her.

But in that movie “Indiscreet”, he was doing both. I love that movie!

Answer by Me-She 2
Sex
Roll in the hay
Under the sheets
Jump in the sack
Make whoopie
Commit a sinful act
Go against the commandments
Fornicate
Get down
Get it on
Do the wild thing
Make love

Basically, all of the above refer to the act of fornication or sexual relations between a man & a woman.

These days it could mean other things…depending on the person who are conversing with or their personal gender identification “issues”!

Answer by bigjohn B
Exactly what it means now, but different people interpret different ways.

Answer by folklore
Subtle comes to mind about the old movie romances. As a child of the 50’s, it was “over my head” then as well as some of the song lyrics. The children of today understand the blast of information with the direct bombardment of shock style media.

Answer by puppy love rules
I am not an expert on this, but I believe it also could mean a flirtation

Answer by isotope2007
In romantic movie scenes it didnt mean the same thing, it mean to express love for you, be romantic, etc. It didnt mean sexual intercourse.

The censors who wouldnt allow anything except twin beds and a foot on the floor at all times would have never allowed it if it meant more. Its hard to explain precisely but it meant more if I want to make love to you as in I want to show you I love you and express that to you through my romancing you. Sorry thats the best I can do, its late.

If they got down to business the movies generally faded to fireworks, they were all written by men, cant say they didnt have confidence in their abilities 🙂

Also I dont believe all young people just jump into bed and skip the preliminaries these days, some do, and thats their loss, but not all of them.

Answer by keeprockin
I don’t think it meant the same to most folk.
I can think of two songs offhand:
Making Love – Floyd Robinson
We Will Make Love – Russ Hamilton

If it meant anything untoward in those days,those songs would never have seen the light of day. No doubt there were loads with the phrase used in the song lyrics,but brain not awake yet to think

Answer by cowboydoc
This is from the hippies and the time frame is the 60’s and Viet Nam. Make love not war.

Answer by arlene k
It had other meanings besides sex. It also meant affection, getting close to someone. Like in the Beatles song, “In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” — as in the loving situations you create with family, friends who are not sexual partners.

Answer by NESA
making love was just smooching and hugging

Answer by Savvy/Snuggie
I grew up in the 50’s and remember that expression well. It just meant making out and expressing love. Not the actual act.

Answer by Stella
I think that, although in day-to-day conversation in the 1950’s, “making love” meant the same as it does now, movies were required to be a lot more discreet.

In books and movies, “making love” would mean speaking in a loving manner. I’ve often noticed that the couple has not even kissed, just talked intimately, and then the girl goes home and tells her mother, “Oh, John made love to me this evening” .

Sounds odd to us now, but at the time, movie characters were obliged to be a little more coy than real people.

Answer by average Joe
The same as “Making Whoopee”

Another bride Another June
Another sunny honey moon
another season, another reason
for makin’ whoopee

Alot of shoes alot of rice
the groom is nervous he answers twice
its so killin that he’s so willin’
To make whoopee

Picture a little love nest
down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring

He’s washing dishes and baby clothes
He’s so ambitious he even sows
but don’t forget folks thats what you get folks
for makein whoopee

Answer by Ret. Sgt.
I’m not sure it ever was about “making love”. That is a misnomer. You “fall in love”.

Other than that I am sure it meant making the 2 backed monster. They just couldn’t say that back then since no one knew what a 2 backed monster was. Didn’t know what”bumping uglies ” meant either.

They did indeed have much cruder statements to make but my religious upbringing keeps me from saying them.

Answer by old fart
I think it always meant having sex. They couldn’t use the old anglo saxon word in a movie.

Answer by Snuffy
In the 60’s it was part of a catch phrase for the hippies “make love not war”

meaning it was preferable to f*** than fight.

Answer by Alohanui
“Making love” has always meant the same thing it does today.