Elizabeth Leese

Costume Design in the Movies

Elizabeth Leese

"An attractive and informed guide. It includes an extensively cross-referenced list of films on which leading couturiers worked, a superb collection of stills, and a brief history of costume on the screen." — George L. George, MillimeterThis handsome book, the first comprehensive reference work on costume design in films, is a remarkable tribute to the men and women who «dress» a film. Substantially revised and updated, it not only presents a splendid record of costume designers' contributions to cinema but also those of some of the world's great couturiers.The heart of the book is an illustrated listing, arranged alphabetically by designer, providing biographical and career data (screen credits, major awards and nominations) for every major American, British, and French designer who worked on American and British films between 1909 and 1987. Among the designers are such luminaries as Adrian, Travis Banton, Edith Head, Christian Dior, Orry-Kelly, Givenchy, Jean Louis, Howard Greer, Helen Rose, Norman Hartnell, Irene Sharaff, Walter Plunkett, Charles LeMaire, Tony Walton, and Ann Roth. Their creations are featured in over 170 photographs and design renderings reproduced on high-quality coated stock. Also included is an invaluable index containing titles of 6,000 films, cross-indexed by designer, along with over 400 new film credits covering the period 1976 – 1987. In addition, an Appendix lists Academy Award nominations from 1948 (when the design award was first established), as well as the names of those honored by the British Academy for Film and Television Arts.Essential reading for fashion and costume industry professionals, historians, and students, this superb sourcebook will be valued by countless moviegoers and the legions of film aficionados studying and working in motion pictures."The author's stills are excellent, clearly identified, and often very enlightening." — Polly Platt, American Film