@Monique: Thank you. There was a hairstyle called a "French pleat" or "French roll" which women who did not have hair long or luxuriant enough used to fold and tuck in upon a longish "base" of padding. I wonder if the "curling pin"/"roller" for the hair could be this object? It would be less ridiculous than a curler itself... The twelve dancing princesses only wore their shoes out; being worn out by dancing and dancing shoes is a reversal that is most interesting.

What a thing it is that Clooney's French is so indistinct! :-) Ah well, someone, somewhere will fathom it sometime...

Sanjay Sircar