Clothes Make the Character: The Role of Wardrobe in Early Motion Pictures

by Lora Ann Sigler

Overview

"Clothes make the man" (or woman). This is especially true in early Hollywood silent films where a character's appearance could show an immense number of different things about them. For example, Theda Bara's role in A Fool There Was (1915) was known for her revealing clothing, seductive appearance, and being the first "Vamp." Wardrobe and costume design played a larger role in silent films than in modern movies. The character's clothes told the audience who they were and what their role was in the movie. In this in-depth analysis, the author provides examples and explanations about noteworthy characters who used their appearance to further their fame.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476681856
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	02/12/2021
Pages:	212
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.42(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lora Ann Sigler is a professor emerita of art history at California State University. She is a portrait/landscape artist and designer living in San Pedro, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Preface 1

Introduction 5

1 We Flutter to the Flickers 9

2 The Look of Life 23

3 The Look of (Foreign) Life 37

4 Warner's, We Have a Problem 52

5 Strangers in a Strange Land 85

6 We're Funny That Way 96

7 Past Imperfect 109

8 That Sounds About Right! 117

9 Where Did You Get That Frock? 142

Epilogue: (Ad)dressing the Present 163

Appendices

A Busby Berkeley 167

B The Thomas Mooney Case 170

C The 1919 Entertainment Strike 172

D On the Flip Side 174

E Photoplay (August 1925) 177

Glossary 179

Chapter Notes 181

Bibliography 191

Index 197

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating, in-depth analysis of the wardrobes designed and created for early motion pictures and their stars, and the influences of those wardrobes. …highly recommended”—Choice

From the Publisher