CARY GRANT CLASSIC STYLE

Born Archibald Alexander Leach, Cary Grant has always been known for his distinctive voice and good looks. He will always be remembered as the debonair leading man with not only charm but great style.

Cary Grant has appeared in many film classics including To Catch A Thief in 1955 with Grace Kelly and An Affair to Remember in 1957 with Deborah Kerr, a personal favourite of mine. Other classics include The Awful Truth in 1937 and Bringing Up Baby in 1938.

He is fondly remembered playing opposite Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story at MGM in 1940 and in Hitchcock's Suspicion in 1941.

He worked well in comedies with his great comedic timing and facial expressions none more so than in Arsenic and Old Lace in 1944 when discovering his two lovelable Aunts to be cold blooded killers.

This two piece blue velvet period costume was designed by Irene Saltern and worn by Cary Grant in the 1940 Columbia Pictures feature film "The Howards of Virginia". The film tells the story of the American revolutionary war as seen through the eyes of Cary Grant. Grant portrays Matt Howard with Martha Scott starring as his wife Jane Peyton Howard.

The colour of a costume even in the black and white film was considered important. It not only sought to provide authenticity to the actors in performing their roles, it was also important that a costume photograph well.

The dark blue velvet of this piece can clearly be seen in its black and white setting altough we don't know what colour it is, we know it is velvet and that it is not black. It is interesting to watch films that have been through a coloursitaion process and to see what colour cosutmes were considred as correct. Most times they are wrong. The magnificent blue of this costume would have been lost to the paying audiences of 1940. Perhaps ten years later the film would have been made in colour. It is nice now to be able to see what the cosutme looked like in all its beauty!

Cary Grant remained as one of the top box-office attractions for 30 years. When you watch his films, you can see why. Even Mr Grant put it best himself when he said "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant-even I want to be Cary Grant".

JEANETTE MACDONALD SINGING SWEETHEART

Jeanette MacDonald will always be remembered as the American operatic singer and actress and more so for her appearances in MGM musical films of the 1930s and 1940’s with MGM co-star, Nelson Eddy.

Some of her much loved films include “The Merry Widow” in 1934 with Maurice Chevalier, “Naughty Marietta” in 1935 and “Rose-Marie” in 1936.

MacDonald gave a exceptional performance opposite Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy in the 1936 MGM film “San Francisco” which told the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

My personal favourite is the 1937 film “Maytime” which co-starred Nelson Eddy.



This incredible concert gown was worn by Jeanette MaDonald in the 1949 MGM film “The Sun Comes Up”. Costumes for the film were designed by Irene. This was also to be MacDonald’s last film appearance. The film teamed MacDonald with Lassie, in an adaptation of a short story by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. MacDonald played a widow who has also lost her son, but warms to orphan Claude Jarman Jr.



The gown is made of beige chiffon with heavily jewelled bodice and waist of silver bugle beads and pearls. The waist ornamentation is held in place with two finely crafted clasps of the same design.









MacDonald also performed live in concerts from 1931 through to 1950s.

This gown was worn also worn by her at a Hollywood Bowl concert in the late 40’s. Here is a photo of MacDonald in the gown in concert.



And here you will see MacDonald wearing the gown in the film, The Sun Comes Up and in which she sang, “UN BEL DI" from Puccini's Madame Butterfly.





The costume also features in advertising for the film. MacDonald thought so highly of the costume as a piece of her MGM history that she cherished and indeed enjoyed wearing the gown in concerts well after her film career had come to an end.



A wonderful costume piece worn by an Operatic singing legend in the last of her film performances.

CYD CHARISSE DANCING LEGEND

Cyd Charisse will always be remembered as the female icon of the American film dance musical.

She will be remembered most for her appearances in films opposite Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly including “Singin' in the Rain” in 1952 and “The Band Wagon’ in 1953. Other classic appearances were in the 1953 musical “Silk Stockings’.



This beautiful gown was worn by Cyd Charisse in the 1948 MGM musical “On an Island With You”. This elegant cream-colored full-length gown, gathered at the hips with fitted short sleeve top in green and gold sequin geometric pattern.





Below is copy of the original Irene Costume sketch.



On an Island with You is a 1948 musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Kathryn Beaumont. Williams stars as a swimming movie star who goes to Hawaii to make a film, bringing her fiancé, Ricardo Montez, played by Montalbán, with her. Lawford stars as Lawrence Kingsley, a military technical advisor for Reynolds's film, who eventually falls in love with her. Charrise plays Reynolds's best friend and fellow movie star, Yvonne Torro, who secretly wants Ricardo for herself.

Charisse was meant to perform dance numbers in the film however injured herself prior to filming and was forced to do most scenes sitting. This gown appears in a nightclub scene.

Costumes were designed by Irene.

JUDY GARLAND FOREVER A STAR

Here is a wonderful ensemble worn by Judy Garland in the MGM musical "Easter Parade" in 1948.

Easter Parade is considered one of the best of the MGM musicals of the 40's with a great cast and memorable songs from Irving Berlin.

Judy Garland wears this desgin in the "Fella with An Umbrella" sequence and leading into the "I Love a Piano" medley.

The costume consists of a red panelled skirt with dart ends and a black form fitting jacket.

Costuems were dsigned by Irene.

In an intervew with Judy Garland, she provided her recollections of filming the "Fella with an Umbrella", sequence which was filmed on the backlot during a rain sequence. Judy recalls "I was wearing a red skirt, a black jacket and a little black Scottish hat with a red plume. At the

very end of the number, all I had to do was turn and do a sort of lovely look at Peter. Suddenly, everyone yelled 'Cut!'; I thought 'What have I done?' Well, it turned out the dye off the red feather ran all over my face and the back of my jacket; it looked like there was just blood

everywhere. So then they had to reset and get more rain. And they couldn't figure out what to do with this bloody feather - so they put Vaseline on it! Which I thought was kind of unattractive!"

A wonderful piece of both Garland and MGM history.

Garland can be seen wearing the cosutme in various production shots from the film including clowning around with Peter Lawford on the set.

The costume was also used in a Garland exhibition in New York City some years ago. Featured also were costumes worn in "Summer Stock" and "In The Good Old Summertime".



These boots form part of the few remaining pieces of costume made for Judy Garland to be worn in her role as Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun" for MGM in 1950. Judy Garland was replaced in the production by Betty Hutton as a result of ongoing health problems.



Whilst Judy Garland sadly never completed the production, there remains a complete recording of the musical numbers from the film as well as the filming of two production numbers including "Im an Indian". Production photos including costume tests have also survived.


The boots are worn by Judy Garland in this costume test from the film. Costumes were desgined by Helen Rose and Walter Plunkett. A great association piece from a true legend.