Costume+Design+in+American+Films

From the debut of the first feature film in 1906 to the current box office hits, American society has been strongly influenced by not only the plot and actors in the films, but by the costumes that they wear. Costumes play a role in bringing the stories and plot-lines to life. From their debut in 1914, costume designers and their designs have evolved a great deal; yet the one thing that the passage of time has not altered is the incredible effect that the designs have on the world of film, the fashion industry, and most importantly, on the audience.

__Origin and Development of Costume Design in Film __ Costumes were first used in theatrical performances dating as far back as Ancient Greece. To this day costumes are still used as a “storytelling tool, communicating subtle details of each character’s personality and history quickly and economically to the audience” (Nusim).

====The first motion pictures were silent films. Costumers were not yet in use as the budgets of the first films were small. It was the actors themselves who “played a large part in deciding what their characters would ultimately look like onscreen” (true classics) by pulling together various articles of clothing from their personal wardrobes. It was during the silent movie era that communal dressing rooms came about, where actors were able to choose what they wished to wear for their scenes. A very well known silent-movie star, Charlie Chaplin, was interviewed on his clothing choice for his very well known role as the Tramp and stated, ====



// On the way to the wardrobe I thought I would dress in baggy pants, big shoes, a cane and a derby hat. I wanted everything to be // // a contradiction: the pants baggy, the coat tight, the hat small and the shoes large. I was undecided whether to look old or young, // // but remembering Sennett had expected me to be a much older man, I added a small moustache, which I reasoned, would add age // // without hiding my expression. I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the makeup made me // // feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked on stage he was fully born (Frayling). //

The importance of costuming was not as appreciated in the early days of film as it is at present. Costumes were viewed as minor accessories, not as factors which added depth to the characters and storyline. Sue Harper states,

// ...the whole field of costume discourse has, until recently, had rather a low status. Nips and tucks in an ensemble, or the genital symbolism // // in certain costume items, have often been downgraded as of lesser significance in a whole film than (say) the script or the cinematography (Harper). //

For some time costuming was overlooked by both the filmmakers and audiences, and was not seen as playing a role in the success of a film. In 1914 D.W. Griffith was the first filmmaker to stray from this pattern by having “the costumes for the leading characters specifically designed and created by an outside source” (True Classics). This outside source was Clare West, who later became known as the first studio designer. Clare West moved on to become the “chief costume designer for De Mille in the 1920's,” and the “first to be signed by Paramount” (Dirks).

The 1930’s and 1940’s, which have been “nostalgically labeled ‘The Golden Age of Hollywood’” (Dirks), were a time of great technological changes and advancements which led to the end of the silent movie period. With developments such as these, as well as the introduction of color, the audiences were able to better appreciate the costumes that the actors were wearing. Costume design “is one of the primary keys to a film's success” (Benesh). It is through the use of costumes that audiences are transported to a different world—a different time, a different place, a new reality. Scenery also contributes to the overall effect that a film has on its audiences, however, it is the costumes that illustrate the real story behind the characters, letting audiences in on some of the details of their lives.

__First Academy Awards for Best Costume Design __

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brought to light the importance of costume design during the 21st Academy Awards in 1948 where “Costume Design was added to the ballots” (Academy). It was through this change that an even greater appreciation for costume design was developed. Roger K. Furse won the Academy Award for Best Costume for the black and white film Hamlet. Dorothy Jeakins and Madame Karinska won the award for Best Costume for the color film Joan of Arc. The award for Best Costume has been included in all 85 subsequent Academy Award ceremonies. The award for black and white films went away in 1966.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Academy Awards for Best Costume Design:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1948(21st): Hamlet -- Roger K. Furse (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Joan of Ark -- Dorothy Jeakins, Karinska (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1949: The Heiress -- Edith Head, Gile Steele (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> The Adventures of Don Juan-- Leah Rhodes, Travilla, Marjorie Best (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1950: All About Eve -- Edith Head, Charles LeMarie (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Samson and Delilah -- Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, Elois Jenssen, Gile Steele, Gwen Wakeling (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1951: A Place in the Sun -- Edith Head (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> An American in Paris -- Orry-Kelly, Walter Plunkett, Irene Sharaff (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1952: The Bad and the Beautiful -- Helen Rose (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Moulin Rouge -- Marcel Vertes (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1953: Roman Holiday -- Edith Head (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> The Robe -- Charles LeMaire, Emile Santiago (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1954: Sabrina -- Edith Head (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Gate of Hell -- Sanzo Wada (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1955: I'll Cry Tomorrow -- Helen Rose (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing -- Charles LeMaire (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1956: The Solid Gold Cadillac -- Jean Louis (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> The King and I -- Irene Sharaff (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1957: Les Girls -- Orry-Kelly

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1958: Gigi -- Cecil Beaton

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1959: Some Like It Hot -- Orry-Kelly (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Ben-Hur -- Elizabeth Haffenden (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1960: The Facts of Life -- Edith Head, Edward Stevenson (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Spartacus -- Valles, Bill Thomas (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1961: La Dolce Vita -- Piero Gherardi (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> West Side Story -- Irene Sharaff (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1962: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? -- Norma Koch (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm -- Mary Wills (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1963: Federico Fellini's 8-1/2 -- Piero Gherardi (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Cleopatra -- Irene Sharaff, Vittorio Nino Novarese, Renie (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1964: The Night of the Iguana -- Dorothy Jeakins (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> My Fair Lady -- Cecil Beaton (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1965: Darling -- Julie Harris (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Doctor Zhivago -- Phyllis Dalton (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1966: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? -- Irene Sharaff (Black-and-White) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> A Man for All Seasons -- Elizabeth Haffenden, Joan Bridge (Color)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1967: Camelot -- John Truscott

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1968: Romeo and Juliet -- Danilo Donati

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1969: Anne of the Thousand Days -- Margaret Furse

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1970: Cromwell -- Nino Novarese

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1971: Nicholas and Alexandra -- Yvonne Blake, Antonio Castillo

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1972: Travels with My Aunt -- Anthony Powell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1973: The Sting -- Edith Head

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1974: The Great Gatsby -- Theoni V. Aldredge

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1975: Barry Lyndon -- Ulla-Britt Soderlund, Milena Canonero

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1976: Fellini's Casanova -- Danilo Donati

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1977: Star Wars -- John Mollo

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1978: Death on the Nile -- Anthony Powell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1979: All That Jazz -- Albert Wolsky

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1980: Tess -- Anthony Powell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1981: Chariots of Fire -- Milena Canonero

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1982: Gandhi -- John Mollo, Bhanu Athaiya

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1983: Fanny & Alexander -- Marik Vos

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1984: Amadeus -- Theodor Pistek

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1985: Ran -- Emi Wada

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1986: A Room with a View -- Jenny Beavan, John Bright

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1987: The Last Emperor -- James Acheson

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1988: Dangerous Liaisons -- James Acheson

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1989: Henry V -- Phyllis Dalton

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1990: Cyrano de Bergerac -- Franca Squarciapino

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1991: Bugsy -- Albert Wolsky

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1992: Bram Stoker's Dracula -- Eiko Ishioka

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1993: The Age of Innocence -- Gabriella Pescucci

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1994: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert -- Lizzy Gardiner, Tim Chappel

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1995: Restoration -- James Acheson

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1996: The English Patient -- Ann Roth

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1997: Titanic -- Deborah L. Scott

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1998: Shakespeare in Love -- Sandy Powell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 1999: Topsy-Turvy -- Lindy Hemming

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2000: Gladiator -- Janty Yates

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2001: Moulin Rouge -- Catherine Martin, Angus Strathie

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2002: Chicago -- Colleen Atwood

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2004: The Aviator -- Sandy Powell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2005: Memoirs of a Geisha -- Colleen Atwood

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2006: Marie Antoinette -- Milena Canonero

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2007: Elizabeth: The Golden Age -- Alexandra Byrne

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2008: The Duchess -- Michael O'Connor

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2009: The Young Victoria -- Sandy Powell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2010: Alice in Wonderland -- Colleen Atwood

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2011: The Artist -- Mark Bridges

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> 2012 (85th): Anna Karenina -- Jacqueline Durran

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Costume Design in Epic Films __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">As costume design gained more recognition over the years, the designers were given more freedom in their creations. Epic films specifically gave the designers an outlet to show their imagination and creative skills. Epics “often take a historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle and a sweeping musical score” (Dirks). Epics are also referred to as “costume dramas, since they emphasize the trappings of a period setting: historical pageantry, costuming and wardrobes, locale, spectacle, decor and a sweeping visual style. They often transport viewers to other worlds or eras: ancient times, biblical times, the Middle Ages, the Victorian era, or turn-of-the-century America” (Dirks). Epic film categories may combine with other genres. An example of an epic in the historical/western genre would be Dances With Wolves (1990). The very popular Star Wars films are an example of science-fiction epics. Cleopatra (1934) and The Ten Commandments (1956) are epics that fall under the Biblical/Roman Empire genre. Other very well known epics include Gone With the Wind (1939), Patton (1970), Schindler's List (1993), and Ben-Hur (1959). These are not your run of the mill films, they tell the stories of fallen nations, important historical figures, wars, etc. While these films feature a gripping plot line, it is the costumes which allow for the audiences to be transported to a different time, whether it be the past or the future. The costumes bring the events and stories in the films to life right before the audience’s eyes, making the films memorable, colorful, and for lack of a better word, epic.













__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Changes in Costume Design and its Effect on Audiences __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">The world of fashion is always changing and modernizing; these developments are then mirrored in the costumes worn by actors. Through the years, it has become clear that the public will do almost anything to emulate an actor. These actors sport a variety of looks onscreen, all designed by the costume designers. The changing trends in the fashion world imitate the changing trends that occur onscreen. From the beginning of costume design, there has always been a link between costumes in films and the fashion world. A great many costume designers and even actors have extended their talent for design into the fashion world, thus making their incredibly coveted and popular styles available to the public, for a high price, of course.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Most Celebrated Costume Designers—Adrian Adolph Greenberg and Edith Head __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Over the years, a great many costume designers have graced the world of film with their talents. Two costume designers in particular, Adrian Adolph Greenberg and Edith Head, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> have left behind a legacy unlike any other. Adrian’s designs “epitomized the silver screen's larger-than-life glamour” (White).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Adrian’s Hollywood designs were also "hugely influential on mainstream fashion” (White). The clothing that the actors of Hollywood wore become a topic of great interest to the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> American public. An example of this would be how the "broad-shouldered suits and coats for Joan Crawford became very popular and widely copied" (History Wired). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Furthermore, "the huge puffed sleeves for the dress Joan Crawford wore in the 1933 movie "Letty Lyndon" caused American women from coast to coast to buy puffed-sleeve <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> dresses" (History Wired).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Adrian was the creative director for “MGM's Wizard of Oz (1939), one of his most acclaimed productions” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Greta Garbo wore a gown designed by Adrian in the 1930 film Inspiration. Pictured below is the design sketch for this dress as well as the gown itself. These two items are located in The Drexel Digital Museum.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Edith Head, another American costume designer, began working for the “motion pictures in the early 1930s, working at Paramount for most of her <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">career and moving to Universal in 1967” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Head won a total of eight Academy Awards for films such as The Heiress (1949), <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">All About Eve (1950), Samson and Delilah (1951), etc. Head “was responsible for such classic bits of costumery as Mae West's ostrich feathers, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Dorothy Lamour's sarongs, and Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina necklines” (Encyclopedia). Head made sure that “the costumes showcased the star’s <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> personality as well as the character of the particular film” (Schemering).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Pictured below is the sketch of a costume worn by Jeanmarie in the 1956 film Anything Goes



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">__References:__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Benesh, Carolyn L.E. “Hollywood and History: Costume Design in Film” Ornament; Summer 88, Vol. 11 Issue 4, p36. Web. 2013 <http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/entertainment-reviews/32624981/hollywood-history-costume-design-film>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Dirks, Tim, ed. “Filmsite Movie Review” Filmsite.org. AMC: American Movie Classics, LLC, 2010. Web. 2013. < http://www.filmsite.org/30sintro.html>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">"Edith Head." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2013

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Frayling, Christopher. “Charlie Chaplin: how he turned into the Tramp.” 2013. Web. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9609487/Charlie-Chaplin-how-he-turned-into-the Tramp.html

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">"Gilbert Adrian." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Grier, Katherine C. "Men And Women: A History Of Costume, Gender, And Power." Journal Of American History 78.3 (1991): 988-993. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Harper, Sue. "Hollywood Catwalk: Exploring Costume And Transformation In American Film." Historical Journal Of Film, Radio & Television 31.2 (2011): 286-288. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Nusim, Roberta. “Character by Design.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2013. Web. 2013 <http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/teachersguide/costumesmakeup/pdf/costumes&makeup.pdf>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Schemering, Christopher. "Edith Head's Hollywood (Book)." Library Journal 108.16 (1983): 1806. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2013

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2013. Web. 2013. <http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/BasicSearchInput.jsp>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">White, Renee Minus. "Costume Institute spotlights American glamour in Hollywood." New York Amsterdam News 23 May 2002: 17. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Images are from: www.google.com