Do you love classic movies?
For many of us, part of our fascination with the films of yesteryear lies in the glitz and the glamour—in the heartthrobs of filmdom who are known now, as they were then, as much for their style and presence as for their acting acumen.
Picture your favorite classic movie scene: maybe it’s Grace Kelly in Hitchcock’s Rear Window or Barbara Stanwyck in The Lady Eve, or one from hundreds of films, from romantic comedies to biblical epics, you’re likely to find one name behind it: Edith Head.
Many of the memorable costumes worn by America’s most famous movie stars from the 1930s to 1960s and designed by the eight-time Oscar-winning costume designer are featured in an exhibition continuing through Sept. 29 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer, organized by OKCMOA and presented by The Ann Lacy Foundation, explores the incomparable career of Head (1897-1981) through sketches, screening areas and 70 original costumes that capture the height of this remarkable individual’s career.
The exhibit, comprising the museum’s entire third-floor galleries, highlights Head’s rule over Paramount and Universal Studios’ costume departments.
Various sections spotlight a variety of costume styles, including formal gowns, musical performance costumes, tropical wear, daywear, period pieces and historical costumes. Visitors also have the opportunity to learn more about Head’s working relationship with Hitchcock, her life outside of her career and her processes.
“Only at OKCMOA will you be able to see one of Grace Kelly’s Rear Window dresses alongside Cornel Wilde’s costume from The Greatest Show on Earth, Barbara Stanwyck’s dress from All About Eve, and beachwear from Elvis Presley films,” observed Catherine Shotick, curator of the exhibition.
“Together these costumes help tell the story of Edith Head’s legacy as one of the greatest and most influential costume designers in film history.”
Each costume is labeled with details providing insight into the costumes as well as the film-making industry at that time and the actors’ careers. QR codes are provided throughout the exhibition that, when scanned, lead to both English and Spanish audio of label and panel text, as well as visual descriptions of select costumes.
Other award-winning actresses who sported Edith Head creations over the years include Veronica Lake, Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Haviland, Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Kim Novak. Actors include Cary Grant, Paul Newman, John Wayne and Steve McQueen.
With over 400 films to her credit, Head ruled the costume design departments at Paramount and Universal Studios from the early 1920s to the early 1980s. Head helped define the style of classic Hollywood with her striking designs, which earned her 35 Oscar nominations and eight Oscar wins—more than any other woman to date.
Noted for the range of her costume designs, from elegant simplicity to intricate flamboyance, Head is credited with putting Dorothy Lamour in her first sarong for The Jungle Princess (1936). The project she was most proud of was her design of a woman's uniform in the late 1970s for the United States Coast Guard, in response to the growing number of women in the service. She received the Meritorious Public Service Award for her efforts.
Head was nominated for 34 Academy Awards, winning a record eight of them for her work in The Heiress (1949), Samson and Delilah (1949), All About Eve (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Facts of Life (1960), and The Sting (1973). She was the author of an autobiography, The Dress Doctor (1959), and a self-help book, How to Dress for Success (1967). She appeared as herself on-screen in The Oscar (1966).
Head continues to receive recognition in the 21st century. For example, she was the inspiration for the Edna Mode character in Pixar’s The Incredibles,” noted OKCMOA President and CEO Michael Anderson, Ph.D.
Tickets to the exhibition are available online at okcmoa.com, in person, or by calling 405.236.3100.
“Together these costumes help tell the story of Edith Head’s legacy as one of the greatest and most influential costume designers in film history.”
Head helped define the style of classic Hollywood with her striking designs...