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Today, the start of a new feature in which I share one eye-catching classic film dress per day, in GIF form so you can see these stunning creations in motion. #CinemaGladRags
We open with Walter Plunkett's lush design for Jennifer Jones in Vincente Minnelli's MADAME BOVARY (1949). A froth of white with a shot of black across the heart—the gown which will come to represent her downfall. A great, funny lecture by Plunkett here: https://archive.org/details/cbpf_000063/cbpf_000063_a_access.mp3
Bebe Daniels in Orry-Kelly for 42nd STREET (1933). Orry-Kelly had been designing for a year at Warner Bros. and had previously dressed Daniels for SILVER DOLLAR (1932). By 1934, he would be designing gowns for dozens of films every year. #CinemaGladRags
Lena Horne in Helen Rose for TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (1946). Horne and Rose were frequent collaborators and confidants (Rose had stepped in to do Horne's hair on the set of STORMY WEATHER, when a studio hairdresser refused). The white chiffon is a Helen Rose signature.
Doris Day in MY DREAM IS YOURS (1949), costume design by Milo Anderson. Though Anderson's early career at Warner Bros. was overshadowed by Orry-Kelly, he produced costumes for some of the studio's most enduring classics, including THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD and MILDRED PIERCE.
Marilyn Monroe in Dorothy Jeakins for NIAGARA (1953). Jeakins began her career as an artist and cel painter for Disney, and won three Oscars for costume design. "Clothes always mirror the times. Dress and costume are a superb minor art and a research document of social history.”
Gloria Swanson in ZAZA (1923), costumes for Swanson by Norman Norell. Norell designed for only a handful of films and became well-known among the Hollywood set of the '40s and '50s for his design house. Norell once said, "Arty talk about haute couture gives me a swift pain."
Eleanor Powell in BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940, gowns by Adrian. This costume was gifted to the Nevada State Museum after being purchased at auction from the Debbie Reynolds collection in 2011. https://www.ktnv.com/positivelylv/hollywood-costumes-from-debbie-reynolds-collection-donated-to-nevada-state-museum-las-vegas
Edna May Oliver and Greer Garson in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940), gowns by Adrian. While many P&P fans take issue with the film's non-Regency costuming, Adrian's luxurious designs, all puffed sleeves and bows, would surely have satisfied an audience entranced by GONE WITH THE WIND.
Jean Harlow wearing a Dolly Tree design for LIBELED LADY (1936). Dolly Tree made costumes for the stage (she was the first woman to design for the Folies Bergère), and upon arriving in Hollywood, she took out a full-page ad in Variety to tout her skills: http://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/variety84-1926-10_0076
An incredible embroidered gown from GIGI (1958). While most of the costumes in the film were by Cecil Beaton, this particular gown was likely designed by Adrian. It was first seen (in black & white) on Agnes Moorehead in MRS. PARKINGTON (1944). https://recycledmoviecostumes.tumblr.com/post/107042056875/this-stunning-gown-was-almost-certainly-designed
Audrey Hepburn in Edith Head for ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953). You can watch Edith Head talk about the costumes for the film, and see the other ballgown which was considered for this scene, here:
Katharine Hepburn, glittering in Walter Plunkett in MORNING GLORY (1933). "I always think of Kate as being my lucky charm. Right from the beginning we seemed to click, and it was because of my association with her that other wonderful things have happened."
Carmen Miranda in A DATE WITH JUDY (1948), costume design by Helen Rose. Anyone out there have either of Rose's two books ("Just Make Them Beautiful" and "The Glamorous World of Helen Rose")? I'd love to see some snippets.
Norma Shearer in A FREE SOUL (1931). Gowns by Adrian. Adrian designed Shearer's gowns for 18 films, including the decidedly non-slinky creations for the MGM spectacular MARIE ANTOINETTE (1938). I'll share those gowns as this thread progresses.
Marjorie Reynolds wearing an Edith Head gown in HOLIDAY INN (1942). Head had already been working at Paramount for 17 years, and would work there for 25 more before leaving for Universal in 1967. This gown lives on in Larry McQueen's collection: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/98/40/c6/9840c66dc2c4f176834fed0a01ba1b6c.jpg
Virginia Mayo in THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE (1944), costumes by Mary Grant. Grant worked on a small number of films and is perhaps best known for the suits and overcoats she designed for THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957).
Ginger Rogers in Walter Plunkett for FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933). You can see a photo of Rogers and Plunkett attending the GONE WITH THE WIND premiere (he also designed those indelible costumes) at the addictive Lantern Media History website: http://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/photoplayvolume554chicx_0326
Lucille Bremer in a glittering Irene creation in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1945). Irene Lentz (not to be confused with Irene Sharaff, though they sometimes worked on the same films, including this one) also operated a popular ready-to-wear brand. https://www.1stdibs.com/search/fashion/?q=irene
Margaret Sullavan in Vera West in NEXT TIME WE LOVE (1936). West was Universal's chief costume designer from 1928 until 1947. Her best-known designs were worn by the ladies of Universal horror—the wedding gown in FRANKENSTEIN, and Elsa Lanchester's iconic costume from its sequel.
Ava Gardner in spectacular pink silk, design by the Fontana sisters for THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA (1954). The gown is part of the @brooklynmuseum costume collection at @metmuseum. I hope to see it in person someday. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/155884
Marlene Dietrich wearing Travis Banton in THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934). "Miss Dietrich's costumes in that picture represented perhaps the finest and most beautiful collections of clothes I've ever had the pleasure of designing."
Vivan Blaine in GREENWICH VILLAGE (1944), costume design by Yvonne Wood. Wood's first solo design credit was for the costume bonanza THE GANG'S ALL HERE the previous year.
Irene Dunne wearing a Robert Kalloch stunner in THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937). As Columbia's chief designer through the 1930s, Kalloch also created memorable costumes for the screwball goddesses of TWENTIETH CENTURY, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, and HIS GIRL FRIDAY.
Lana Turner in ZIEGFELD GIRL (1941). Gowns by Adrian. “Screen presentation is not a fashion magazine, nor a smart shop window. It lives and breathes.”
Bette Davis in OF HUMAN BONDAGE (1934), costumes by Walter Plunkett. Plunkett and Davis would not work together again until the 1951 film PAYMENT ON DEMAND, on which Plunkett did uncredited work.
Judy Garland wearing a Jeanne Beakhurst gown in LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938). There are only four film credits for Beakhurst (including another Hardy film released the same year, JUDGE HARDY'S CHILDREN), and the internet yields little information about her. Can anyone enlighten?
Josephine Baker in ZOUZOU (1934). Design by Pascaud and Zanel. Freddy Wittop worked for Maison Pascaud, though I'm not clear if he worked on this particular film. He created many of Baker's music hall stage costumes, as well as the Tony-winning costumes for Hello, Dolly! in 1964.
Lauren Bacall in a Milo Anderson design for TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944).
Cyd Charisse in THE BAND WAGON (1953), costume design by Mary Ann Nyberg. There is scant information on Nyberg's life and career available online, though she was Oscar-nominated for this film and for her work with Jean Louis and Irene Sharaff on A STAR IS BORN (1954).
Mitzi Gaynor in a breezy Edith Head design in ANYTHING GOES (1956). A lovely photo of the two of them here, with Mitzi in a gown for THE BIRDS AND THE BEES (1956): https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/a5/07/65a5074bc359b9874f875a347a8a7895.jpg
Rita Hayworth looking ultra-glam in one of the Oscar-nominated costumes by Jean Louis for AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD (1952). He also designed Hayworth's most famous film gown—the strapless black satin in GILDA (1946). https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/american-actress-rita-hayworth-greets-french-costume-news-photo/607438208?adppopup=true
Dolores del Río in INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT (1938). Costume design by Herschel.
Joan Crawford in THE BEST OF EVERYTHING (1959). Costume design by Adele Palmer, who was nominated for the Oscar. A remarkable costume film (there's a story in all those steely grays), and essential viewing for anyone currently doing their Mad Men re-watch.
Barbra Streisand in FUNNY GIRL (1968), costume design by Irene Sharaff. Though uncredited, Oscar-winning designer Mary Wills created many of the glittering, barely-there Ziegfeld Girl pieces for this sequence.
Irene Dunne in ROBERTA (1935). Gowns by Bernard Newman. This 1935 profile in Photoplay describes Newman's fondness for luxury fabrics and expensive jewels, stating he "refuses to pass off dyed skunk for sable." https://archive.org/stream/photoplayvolume44748chic#page/n425/mode/2up
Reiko Sato in FLOWER DRUM SONG (1961). Costumes by Irene Sharaff. Sharaff had designed the costumes for the original Broadway production: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/7b69a4a3-4e8c-e442-e040-e00a18062633
Jane Powell in ROYAL WEDDING (1951). Costume design by Helen Rose (as if you hadn't already guessed by the number of layers in that skirt). Jane turned 91 at the beginning of April.
Charlotte Greenwood in THE GANG'S ALL HERE (1943). Costume design by Yvonne Wood. This film was Wood's first screen credit. https://rmyauctions.com/images_items/item_32017_1.jpg
Carole Lombard and Gail Patrick in MY MAN GODFREY (1936). Lombard's gowns were designed by Travis Banton, and his assistant Edith Head created many of the other gowns seen in the film. "I was probably more influenced by Travis Banton than any designer in the world," said Head.
Barbara Stanwyck in BABY FACE (1933). Costume design by Orry-Kelly. https://collections.lacma.org/node/155829
Claudette Colbert in THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942). Gowns by Irene, who also designed for Colbert's personal wardrobe. https://archive.org/stream/photoplay120phot#page/n613/mode/2up
Deanna Durbin in THE AMAZING MRS. HOLLIDAY (1943). Gowns by Vera West. West designed for most of Durbin's films at Universal, and also created Durbin's personal wardrobe, including the wedding gown for her marriage to Vaughn Paul. https://archive.org/stream/photopla15chic#page/n81/mode/2up
