Send in the gowns ....

Katharine Hepburn, “Christopher Strong”, 1933 (via mothgirlwings)

There have been of course no end of iconic gowns in the movies, here are just a tiny selection - that crazy art deco insect outfit worn by the young Katharine Hepburn in CHRISTOPHER STRONG, 1933; one of Travis Banton's designs for Dietrich in SHANGHAI EXPRESS, 1932; one of Adrian's opulent costumes for the Norma Shearer MARIE ANTOINETTE in 1938; the famous Travilla gold gown for Marilyn, circa GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES; one of Edith Head's Grace Kelly outfits, REAR WINDOW 1954; Helen Rose's iconic white dress for Elizabeth Taylor in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, 1957; Sophia's wet dress in BOY ON A DOLPHIN, 1957 and one of her later ritzy head-dresses; Irene Sharaff's amazing designs for Elizabeth Taylor as CLEOPATRA, 1963 - Sharaff also did Sreisand on stage and screen in FUNNY GIRL and HELLO DOLLY, where she has some great hats; Kay Kendall in Balmain in THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE, 1958 working that feather boa; Cecil Beaton's terrific gown for GIGI, 1958, and Cecil's Regency outfits for Barbra in Brighton in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, '69; Keira Knightley in that green gown in ATONEMENT - hardly a gown but we have to add Debra Paget's "costume" in that sizzling number dancing with the snake in Fritz Lang's 1959 double THE TIGER OF ESCHNAPUR and THE INDIAN TOMB, I really must look at that Masters of Cinema new edition...

1934 cigarette cards - a selection .....

Double click images to enlarge...

Showpeople (8): Troupers

Whether climbing the ladder of success or basking at the top today's selection of showpeople show how it is done:

Hedda with a starlet / Rock, Tony and RJ Wagner circa '57? / Marlene and Noel in 1959 and Judy and Mickey in '63 are the very essence of show-biz troupers / Kay and Rex in '57 / and young Barbra (with Michael Craig) getting into her stride as Fanny Brice in the London run of FUNNY GIRL in 1966 (I saw that from the front row). Omar got the movie gig though!, and speaking of troupers, here (for TJB) is Susan Hayward as MAME at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas - wish I could have seen that!:

Showpeople (6): on location - at work and play

Marilyn and Mongomery Clift on the set of THE MISFITS - is she the most photographed woman ever? We are still finding pictures of her [all from that 12 year period 1950-1962] which we had not seen before, almost 50 years later, and new MM books roll off the presses, including now fragments from her archives

Monty and Liz on RAINTREE COUNTY, 1957

Back to THE MISFITS: Monty and the boys

Another chance to run this super shot of Marilyn and Marlene in 1955

A 1966 fashion show: Barbra Streisand, Elsa Martinelli and Marlene again... don't know who the others are!

More Marlene - lighting up with Frank, everyone smokes in these old photos !

Kay Kendall and Lauren Bacall at the theatre in early 1959 (Kay died later that year). I wonder what they were seeing at the Royal Court? They don't seem to be enjoying themselves....

Neither do Kay's pals Dirk and Judy: a shot I had not seen before: Dirk Bogarde and Judy Garland in what must have been a break during their long scene (which they wrote) in I COULD GO ON SINGING, 1963. It looks like they were not speaking by this stage as it was a very troubled shoot with Judy alienating everybody including her pal Bogarde....

Two favourites together: Dirk and Lee Remick,THE VISION, 1988

Gregory Peck and Mary Badham rehearsing on set for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Belmondo and Delon with director Jacques Deray on BORSALINO, 1970

Delon and Romy Schneider, very early '60s

I don't usually go a bundle on McLaine, but Shirley looks good settling in for a transatlantic flight, lots of leg room too...[maybe this was to promote WHAT A WAY TO GO with Gene Kelly].

Marlon skipping

Ava catches up with her ironing.