I finally stumped everyone with this one! It is a more obscure subject that I selected this time around but when I found out about the designer and clothes in this movie, I wanted to share it all with you. Having always loved Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire films, I have always wondered who made these beautiful clothes!
The actress is of course Lucille Ball, when she was a "B" movie actress playing bit parts with RKO studios. This dress was worn in a modelling sequence in the film.
The name of the film is Roberta. It stars Irene Dunne & Randolph Scott as the main characters and also Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire are featured in supporting roles.
The costume designer was Bernard Newman. He was awarded a Hall of Fame award by the Costume Designers Guild in 2004.
Mr. Newman began his career as a window dresser at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City eventually becoming their Head Designer. In 1933 he went to work for RKO studios and remained with them for 3 years, designing costumes for 20 films. He did not enjoy the movie business so he went back to Bergdorf Goodman in 1936. He did however return to Hollywood where he designed the costumes for Ginger Rogers in Vivacious Lady in 1937. Followed that up with 1 year at Warner Brothers in 1946/47. With over 30 film credits to his name, Newman's movies include: Top Hat (1935, Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire); Sylvia Scarlett (1935, Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant); Follow the Fleet (1936, Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire); Swing Time (1936, Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire); You Can't Take It With You (1938, Jean Arthur/Jimmy Stewart).
The costumes in this particular film cost nearly $250.000.00. This was a lot of money during the depression. There is a full length silver fox wrap in the film which cost $19,000.00 and a genuine jeweled tiara which cost $6,000.00 worn by Irene Dunne.
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some info about the movie itself....
This movie was adapted from Alice Duer Miller's novel Gowns which was in turn adapted into the 1933 Broadway musical Roberta. The music was by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach. Irene Dunne's role in the film is that of a deposed White Russian princess who has now become a famous parisian couturier. She is the partner of "Roberta" this role is played by Helen Westley who wills her half of the business to an American football player - Randolph Scott. He of course knows next to nothing about the couturier business & couldn't care less about it.
There are three Astaire-Rogers dance routines, I think many of us would be familiar with the 2nd & 3rd songs.
I'll Be Hard To Handle
I Won't Dance
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
I'll end this with one more photo of an outfit worn in the film.
The photos are from Hollywood Costume Design by
David Chierichetti
