Pierre Cardin: A Career in Movies

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 7, 2011

Categories | French Cinema, Costume Design, Fashion & Film, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Today Pierre Cardin is celebrating his 89th birthday. The French designer has had a surprisingly rich and varied career that’s included creating costumes for many films and television programs such as Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast (1946), Anthony Asquith‘s The V.I.P.s (1963) and The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), Louis Malle’s Viva Maria! (1965), Roger Vadim‘s The Game Is Over (1966), Orson Welles’ The Immortal Story (1968), Vittorio De Sica‘s Woman Times Seven (1967), Anthony Mann’s A Dandy In Aspic (1968) and The Avengers (1961-1969). Many beautiful and talented actresses including Jeanne Moreau, Elizabeth Taylor, Joanne Woodward, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda and Mia Farrow have modeled his designs.

I decided to shine a light on his impressive filmography over at the Movie Morlocks this week so if you appreciate ’60s fashion and want to see more stunning photos of Cardin’s creations please follow the link below:
- Pierre Cardin: A Career in Movies @ @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

I’ve also created a Pierre Cardin Gallery at Flickr especially for Cinebeats’ readers that you can find here. It’s filled with lots of colorful and eye-catching images featuring some of Cardin’s best designs from the 1950s - 1979. Here’s a small sampling of what you’ll find in the gallery…

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In Search of Sascha Brastoff

by Kimberly Lindbergs | May 12, 2011

Categories | Costume Design, Gay Interest, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Sascha Brastoff as Carmen Miranda in Winged Victory (1944)

From my latest post at the Movie Morlocks…

“I love to explore local antique shops and visit flea markets when I’m not watching movies. As a new homeowner I’m always on the lookout for good deals on vintage furniture and as a collector I enjoy hunting for unusual things that happen to catch my eye. I have a tendency to gravitate towards mid-century design and one of the more unusual artists I’ve become interested in lately is Sascha Brastoff (1918-1993). Brastoff is probably best remembered as an accomplished ceramic artist who designed beautiful house wares. But I recently discovered that Brastoff also worked in Hollywood as a designer and many Hollywood stars collected his creations. The story of Brastoff’s life is fascinating and I thought it might interest other classic film fans so I decided to share what I’ve learned during my search for Sascha Brastoff.”

Brastoff was an amazing artist who went from being a Carmen Miranda impersonator to designing costumes for 20th Century Fox. If you’d like to know more about Sascha Brastoff please stop by the Movie Morlocks and check out my latest post there.
- In Search of Sascha Brastoff @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

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Vincente Minnelli’s Metaphysical Musical

by Kimberly Lindbergs | February 24, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, American Cinema, Musicals, Costume Design, Romance, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Barbra Streisand in On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)

Last week I had planned on writing about some romantic films in honor of Valentine’s Day but I never got around to it. I’m still fighting off that cold bug but this week I decided to share some thoughts about one of my favorite romantic movies, Vincente Minnelli’s metaphysical musical On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970). This lush production has gotten a lot of negative press over the years and I’ve never understood why. I think it’s one of Minnelli’s best films and it features Barbra Streisand at her loveliest. It also contains some of the most beautiful costume designs ever created. Few films can boast the talents of Cecil Beaton and even fewer films feature the work of acclaimed fashion designer Arnold Scaasi but On A Clear Day You Can See Forever provided both men with an incredible canvas to showcase their artistry.

Unfortunately audiences have never had the opportunity to see Minnelli’s original film. An entire 60 minutes of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ended up on the cutting room floor before it was released. My thoughts on the film as well as my plea to see it restored can be found at The Movie Morlocks.
- Vincente Minnelli’s Metaphysical Musical @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

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A Dandy in Aspic

by Kimberly Lindbergs | April 29, 2010

Categories | Movie Reviews, Spies & Secret Agents, Costume Design, Laurence Harvey, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Laurence Harvey & Mia Farrow in A Dandy in Aspic (1967)

One of my many weaknesses is a good spy film and Anthony Mann’s 1967 film A Dandy in Aspic is one of my favorites. Mainly because I adore Laurence Harvey and I think it’s one the actors best films but the movie also features some fabulous mod fashions designed by the legendary Pierre Cardin that are worn by a very young Mia Farrow. The film boasts a great score by Quincy Brown and British actors Tom Courtenay and Peter Cook even show up in a small but extremely memorable roles. Calvin Lockhart is in the movie too but his performance is awful so I tend to forget about it. But with a cast that good, how could anyone not get some kind of enjoyment from A Dandy in Aspic?

Mia Farrow modeling Pierre Cardin fashions
in A Dandy in Aspic (1967)

I’m in the minority but I think it’s one of Anthony Mann’s best films and easily his most interesting film of the ’60s. Mann spent most of the decade making big bloated spectacles like El Cid (1961) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). I like both films thanks to Sophia Loren’s performances but I’d rather watch A Dandy in Aspic. You can read more about why I like Anthony Mann’s last film over at the Movie Morlocks.

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Fashion & Passion in The Thomas Crown Affair

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 30, 2008

Categories | American Cinema, Actresses, Crime, Costume Design, Steve McQueen, 1968, Norman Jewison, Fashion & Film

Fay Dunaway & Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

A lot has been written about Norman Jewison’s 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair. If the reviews available at IMDb.com are any indication critics and audiences are split over it. I love this stylish ’60s crime film. It’s one of my favorite movies from 1968 and one of the best things about it is Fay Dunaway & Steve McQueen’s incredible wardrobes.

The basic plot of the film is rather simple. Steve McQueen plays Thomas Crown, a wealthy conman who masterminds a complicated bank heist. Hot on his trail is an ambitious insurance agent named Vicki Anderson (Fay Dunaway) and when the two meet sparks begin to fly. Will the lovely and flirtatious Vicki Anderson bring the world-weary Thomas Crown to his knees? Or will their steamy affair lead Vicki into lawlessness?

The Thomas Crown Affair is a film full of sensual pleasures. The actual bank heist that takes place makes for some thrilling entertainment but the romantic affair that blossoms between Vicki Anderson and Thomas Crown is really the heart and soul of the movie. The film simply drips sex and decadence. Morals be damned! Neither Vicki or Thomas is particularly likable, but watching these two self-serving individuals succumb to their passions and exploit one another’s desires is what makes The Thomas Crown Affair so damn compelling. It’s also a great looking movie with a terrific score by composer Michel Legrand. Dunaway and McQueen have rarely looked as beautiful and desirable as they do in this film. That’s partially due to Haskell Wexler’s stellar cinematography as well as costume designer Theadora Van Runkle.

Fay Dunaway & Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Trend-setting fashionista Theadora Van Runkle created many of the awe-inspiring fashions seen in The Thomas Crown Affair. Van Runkle first began working in Hollywood as a sketch artist for renowned costume designer Dorothy Jeakins. She got her big break in 1967 after Dorothy Jeakins was forced to turn down an opportunity to work on Bonnie and Clyde. Jeakins suggested the 38-year-old Theadora Van Runkle as a replacement and history was made. Bonnie and Clyde was a huge success and garnered Van Runkle an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design. Young people around the world began dressing like Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Hemlines dropped and women started sporting berets, while men began wearing double-breasted suits with wide lapels. Theadora Van Runkle’s impact might be hard to measure now, but the costume designer can be credited for bringing a vintage ’30s era look to modern fashion in the late sixties. Suddenly everything old was new again.

Theadora Van Runkle and Fay Dunaway developed a great working relationship on the set of Bonnie and Clyde. After filming ended Dunaway asked Theadora Van Runkle to design a personal wardrobe for her that included the Oscar gown that Dunaway wore in 1968 when she was nominated for her role as Bonnie Parker. When it came time for the actress to star in The Thomas Crown Affair alongside Steve McQueen, Dunaway suggested that Van Runkle should be hired to work on the film.

Theadora Van Runkle ended up creating all of Dunaway’s fabulous fashions for The Thomas Crown Affair and she also worked alongside Ron Postal and Alan Levine to help design Steve McQueen’s wardrobe for the film as well. Although The Thomas Crown Affair didn’t exactly have the same impact on the fashion world that Bonnie and Clyde did, it was a popular hit in 1968 and audiences were mesmerized with the film’s dazzling look.

Fay Dunaway modeling some of Theadora Van Runkle’s costume designs
for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Like Dunaway before him, Steve McQueen was also extremely impressed with Theadora Van Runkle and decided he wanted to work with her more after completion of The Thomas Crown Affair. Van Runkle would continue working as a costume designer for both actors for the rest of the decade. Her impressive fashion designs can also be seen on Dunaway in Amanti (1968) and The Arrangement (1969) and on Steve McQueen in Bullitt (1968) and The Reivers (1969).

Even though The Thomas Crown Affair didn’t win Theadora Van Runkle any awards, the movie’s impact on the world of fashion is undeniable. Van Runkle can be credited for giving the film’s two stars a distinct look that would help make both of them Hollywood style icons in the sixties. Many women wanted to look like Fay Dunaway and many men wanted to be Steve McQueen, but everyone wanted to be dressed by Theadora Van Runkle.

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Bits & Pieces

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 2, 2008

Categories | News, Soundtracks, Costume Design

Jean Seberg in Moment to Moment (1965) wearing a Yves Saint Laurent Design.

Just a brief round-up of some news & info that I thought I’d share . . .

- Fashion and costume designer Yves Saint Laurent died today at the age of 71. In the world of film, costume designers rarely get the acclaim that they should but Yves Saint Laurent’s wonderful work appeared in some great movies throughout the years and he helped define women’s fashion in the sixties. To read more about Laurent’s impressive contribution to the art of cinema please see my brief tribute to Yves Saint Laurent’s work called The Fine Art of Fashion: Yves Saint Laurent.

Actresses and models’ Ira von Fürstenberg and Capucine
modeling Yves Saint Laurent designs in 1965/66.

On a lighter note . . .

- Film director Paul Schrader has a terrific website now where he has published a lot of his film writing and lately I’ve been enjoying going through the archives. Schrader’s early film writing was heavily influenced by the legendary critic Pauline Kael and I don’t agree with a lot of his youthful opinions but his writing is still fascinating to read and naturally improves over time. Some highlights you can find on his site include Yakuza-Eiga: A Primer, which he wrote for Film Comment in 1974 and his 2001 essay in Film Comment on his break from Pauline Kael called Pauline Kael 1919 – 2001: My Family Drama. It’s interesting to read about how the director broke away from Kael’s influence and started thinking more for himself, which is somewhat highlighted in one of the richest pieces available on his site titled The Film Canon from a 2006 issue of Film Comment. A direct link to Paul Schrader’s writing archives can be found here.

- Peppino De Luca’s terrific score for Dorian Gray (Il Dio Chaimato Dorian, 1970) has long been one of my favorite film soundtracks and it was recently released on CD for the first time by Italy’s Digitmovies. Previously some tacks from the film were only available on a a compilation CD called Barry 7’s Connectors Volume 2 but now fans of the film can finally enjoy De Luca’s soundtrack in its entirety.

Hopefully my next post will be a little longer!

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In Praise of Doris Day

by Kimberly Lindbergs | February 7, 2008

Categories | News, American Cinema, Actresses, Costume Design, Fashion & Film, Doris Day

For most of my life I’ve disliked Doris Day. Doris was one of my mother’s favorite actresses and when I was a kid I had to sit through all the romantic comedies she made with Rock Hudson and James Garner numerous times, but they never really appealed to me when I was growing up. Doris was always just too blond, perky and cheerful for my liking and I found her carefree attitude just plain off-putting. I was a rather sullen, angry and rebellious kid, so I suppose that was one reason Doris and her colorful films didn’t do a thing for me when I was younger. In some ways I think I was a bit jealous of the way Doris managed to effortlessly smile through movie after movie, no matter how lackluster the material was.

About six or seven years ago something strange happened. It all started when I caught Doris Day playing an American heiress named Kit Preston in the entertaining thriller Midnight Lace (David Miller; 1960) opposite the great Rex Harrison when it was playing on television one afternoon. Midnight Lace might not be a brilliant film, but with its faux-London setting, fabulous Irene Lentz costume designs, creative photography by cinematographer Russell Metty and a suspenseful score by composer Frank Skinner, it’s an effective movie and easily one of Doris Day’s best efforts in my opinion. She doesn’t sing one song in Midnight Lace, but Doris really gets to show off her acting chops as she descends into madness while being pursued by a potential murderer.

Midnight Lace is not in the same league as the great films it borrows from such as Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder (1954) and George Cukor’s Gaslight (1944), but if you happen to like stylish sixties thrillers, you might enjoy the movie as much as I do. Besides Doris Day and Rex Harrison, the cast of Midnight Lace also includes the wonderful Myrna Loy, a menacing Roddy McDowall, the handsome John Gavin and the always dependable John Williams as Inspector Byrnes, who’s trying to find out who’s terrorizing Doris Day throughout the course of the film. Midnight Lace managed to make me reevaluate my opinion about Doris Day and I started to really appreciate her excellent fashion sense, carefree smile and independent spirit.

Doris Day modeling the Irene Lentz fashions designed for Midnight Lace (1960)

In recent years I began watching many of her films in a new light and now I have no problem enjoying silly romantic Doris Day comedies like Move Over, Darling (1963) and Do Not Disturb (1965) or the fun spy capers she made like The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and the underrated Caprice (1967), which I hope to review in the future. The older I get the more I’m able to completely loose myself in the charm of these often critically maligned films and I now find Doris Day’s wide smile infectious. I’ve also started listening to lots of Doris Day records recently thanks to the Swinging and Singing blog which has been sharing some rare and apparently out-of-print Doris Day recordings such as the terrific jazz soundtrack she recorded with Harry James & His Orchestra for her film A Young Man and His Horn (Michael Curtiz; 1950).

This is why I was happy to learn that the Doris Day will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award this weekend during the 50th Annual Grammy Awards‘ celebration. The Lifetime Achievement Awards will be handed out on Saturday in a non-televised ceremony and will probably only garner a brief mention during the actual award show that’s airing on Sunday night. This will be her first Grammy, but Doris isn’t expected to attend since the 83 year old singer and actress may be suffering from some health problems and she’s become a bit of recluse over the years, while devoting herself to numerous animal rights’ causes. I wish her well and I’m glad The Recording Academy is finally acknowledging Doris Day’s contribution to popular music.

To learn more about Doris Day I highly recommend these wonderful fansites:
- Discovering Doris! The Doris Day Fansite
- The Films of Doris Day

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The Fine Art of Fashion: Yves Saint Laurent

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 29, 2007

Categories | Blogathons, Costume Design, Luis Bunuel, Fashion & Film, Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve and Yves Saint Laurent, 1966

Since Flickhead’s Buñuel Blog-a-thon is sill going strong and I’ve clearly got Belle de Jour on my brain, I couldn’t resist sharing a few more brief thoughts about my favorite Louis Buñuel film.

One of the most memorable things about Buñuel’s Belle de Jour is the fabulous fashions designed by Yves Saint Laurent and worn by the lovely Catherine Deneuve. I’ve never been able to afford Yves Saint Laurent’s fashions myself and it’s doubtful that I’d look as good as Catherine Deneuve does in them even if I could, but I enjoy watching Belle de Jour just to gaze at Catherine Deneuve’s amazing wardrobe. In this regard, I suppose I have more in common with the low-class prostitutes in the film who seem totally enamored with Deneuve’s wardrobe as well. And who can blame us? Yves Saint Laurent was an incredible designer and his sixties-era fashions featured in Belle de Jour are absolutely stunning.

Catherine Deneuve modeling a Yves Saint Laurent design, 1966

Yves Saint-Laurent first started designing costumes for films when he was only 24 years old and working with Christian Dior at the House of Dior, but his real success as a costume designer came after he had started his own design house in Paris. In 1963 Yves Saint-Laurent was hired to create wardrobes for the beautiful Claudia Cardinale and Capucine in Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963) and his designs impressed critics and audiences. He would go on to design fabulous wardrobes for Leslie Caron in A Very Special Favor (1965) and Jean Seberg in Moment to Moment (1965). His amazing costume designs were also featured in Arabesque (1966) with Sophia Loren, although the credit tends to go to Christian Dior for that film and you can see some of Yves Saint-Laurent’s work in the entertaining fashion focused comedy A New Kind of Love (1963) with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, which ended up winning Edith Head an Oscar for Best Costume Design.

In 1966 the 29 year old Yves Saint-Laurent was hired to design the wardrobe for Catherine Deneuve in Buñuel’s Belle de Jour, and Deneuve and Yves Saint Laurent developed a lifelong friendship on the set of the film. The designer has called the lovely and talented Catherine Deneuve his “muse” and he has used her as a model many times since the two made Belle de Jour together. Catherine Deneuve has also insisted on wearing Yves Saint Laurent’s amazing costume designs in many of her films and besides an off screen friendship, the two developed a very close working relationship over the years on films such as La Chamade (1968), Mississippi Mermaid (1969), Liza (1972), Un flic (1972) and The Hunger (1983) which all feature fabulous Yves Saint-Laurent’s fashion designs worn by Deneuve.

Yves Saint Laurent is responsible for some of the greatest film fashions seen on screen during the sixties and seventies, and some of his finest work as a designer can be found in Buñuel’s brilliant Belle de Jour.

If you’d like to see more of Yves Saint Laurent’s wonderful sixties-era fashions please visit my vintage Yves Saint-Laurent Flickr Gallery as well as my Belle de Jour Flickr Gallery.

Recommended Links and References:
- Official Yves Saint-Laurent site
- Yves Saint-Laurent at Fashion Encyclopedia
- Yves Saint Laurent at IMDb
- Yves Saint-Laurent at Wikipedia

My Buñuel Blog-a-thon Contributions:
- What’s in the Box?
- Ode to Marcel
- The Fine Art of Fashion: Yves Saint-Laurent

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