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Costumes worn by the stars: Hollywood shines in Australia until May 2015

Katherine Hepburn, Little Women, 1933



A fantastic exhibition of great Hollywood costumes, worn by iconic film stars, is on display from 22 November 2014 to 24 May 2015 in Brisbane’s City Hall on Adelaide Street.

Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl, 1968
“Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood” is presented by the Museum of Brisbane and Audi Centre Brisbane – with all items from the private collection of Brisbane resident Nicholas Inglis. This is the first time that the items have been exhibited, showing cinematic history from 1933 with Katherine Hepburn’s austere dress with the short red cape from Little Women and Greta Garbo’s dress from the movie Queen Christina to the 1968 rich velvet blood-red gown worn by Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl.

Not only does the collection highlight costumes worn by the stars, but it also brings to life the movies of the Golden Age, and the costume designers – such as Irene Sharaff, Edith Head, Helen Rose, and Walter Plunkett. The Golden Age is typically from 1927 (with the first talking motion pictures) to the 1960s of the studio system (such as Columbia, MGM, United Artists, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros). As part of a movie star’s contract, the studio controlled their image – on and off screen – often changing the name of budding actors. The studio system came to an end by 1970.

The clothes on display range from simple to elaborate, sleek to voluptuous, and silk to velvet, the collection has it all.

Cary Grant, The Howards of Virginia, 1940
Ann Rutherford, Pride and Prejudice, 1940
In 1940 Cary Grant’s blue velvet knicker-bockers and jacket were teamed with a lace shirt for The Howards of Virginia, and was as grand as Ann Rutherford’s green and black gown in Pride and Prejudice. 

Linda Darnell, Blackbeard the Pirate, 1952
Ester Williams, Million Dollar Mermaid, 1952
Elizabeth Taylor wore a short yellow dress with lace collar and trim in the 1951 movie, Father’s Little Dividend. For Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) Linda Darnell wore a fur-trimmed layered period dress of orange and beige with a corset, puff-sleeves and orange sashes. In the 1952 movie, Million Dollar Mermaid, Esther Williams wore a red sequined swimsuit with flesh toned stretch tulle. It was designed by Helen Rose as “athletic wear.”

Lucille Ball, The Long Long Trailer, 1953
Lucille Ball wore a striped voile dress designed by Helen Rose in The Long, Long Trailer (1953) with a broad collar and a full skirt bordered by two rows of daisies.

Richard Burton, Alexander the Great, 1956
Nina Foch, The Ten Commandments, 1956
Lana Turner, Diane, 1956

My favourite menswear is the grand yellow robe worn by Richard Burton in Alexander the Great (1956) designed by David Ffolkes. It is embroidered with lions and blue flowers and lined with silk. Nina Foch wore a lavender gown in The Ten Commandments (1956) designed by Edith Head. Also in 1956, Lana Turner wore an ornately embroidered gown designed by Walter Plunkett in Diane. 

Debbie Reynolds, Tammy and the Bachelor, 1957
Leslie Caron, Gigi, 1958
In 1957 Debbie Reynolds wore an off-the-shoulder full dress in Tammy and the Bachelor. The collection includes a navy skirt and white blouse ensemble worn by Leslie Caron in Gigi (1958) – it shows a demure and prim blouse dotted with navy grosgrain bows – another favourite of mine and the crowd.

There's many, many more fabulous costumes. The free exhibition drew a large crowd, reminiscing over their favourite movies and movie stars. It’s amazing what costumes can make people recall – from a scene to a whole movie or from the dialogue to the quotable quotes.

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au 


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