© ATOM 2015 A STUDY GUIDE BY MARGUERITE O’HARA http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN: 978-1-74295-566-7 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au Orry-Kelly with Kay Francis (photo courtesy of Scotty Bowers). A celebration of the colourful life of Australia’s great Oscar winner, costume designer Orry-Kelly, played out during the Golden Years of Hollywood » INTRODUCTION motion pictures. He designed for stars period of American film history between like Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, 1932 and 1944, the establishment of Women He’s Undressed is a 95 minute Humphrey Bogart, Rosalind Russell, the ‘dream factory’ and a key influence documentary that explores the life Errol Flynn and many more of the on mass culture through his costume of Australia’s most prolific costume immortals. His films included Some patents and radio shows. designer, Orry-Kelly. Until now, he has Like It Hot (1959), Casablanca (1942), been unacknowledged in his country An American in Paris (1951) and Now, He was outrageous, witty, outspoken, of birth, a footnote in the world of Voyager (1942). a drinker, and uncompromising in his fashion design and pretty well for- sexuality at a time when Hollywood 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION gotten in the adopted country of his Orry-Kelly (Jack to his friends) won was deeply conservative. He survived greatest successes. three Academy Awards and was nomi- partially due to the protection provided nated for a fourth. by his friendship with Jack and Ann But during the boom years of Warner and gossip columnist Hedda Hollywood, Orry-Kelly was Costume He was head of Warner Brothers Hopper - but ultimately due to his Designer on an astonishing 282 Costume Department during the richest extraordinary talent. 2 under-appreciated elements of cinema, though the au- » CURRICULUM GUIDELINES thentic look and period feel a costume designer gives to a film are crucial elements in its success and appeal. This film covers the life of an artist over the first 65 years of the 20th century when cinema (the movies, the motion Today, another Australian designer, Catherine Martin, is picture industry) was rapidly developing into the most pre-eminent in the world of costume design, having won popular form of mass entertainment, offering opportuni- two Oscars in 2002 for her design work on Moulin Rouge! ties for creative artists to contribute their skills to this new (Luhrmann, 2001) and two in 2014 for The Great Gatsby and glamorous industry. (Luhrmann, 2014). Both Martin and Michael Wilkinson, 2014 Academy Award Nominee for American Hustle, are Women He’s Undressed would be enjoyed by secondary NIDA graduates. But before NIDA, there was Orry-Kelly. and tertiary students of Theatre and Costume Design, Film Studies, Media Studies, Australian Biography, Biographical films can really bring a character to life, and SOSE/HSIE and Gender Studies. It offers fascinating this is something director Gillian Armstrong does very insights into the world of cinema and costume design. well. Her 2006 documentary drama Unfolding Florence There are a number of courses offered in Australia in – The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst did just that, design studies with a specific focus on costume design, unfolded Florence Broadhurst through exploring her life including one at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. and work as a designer and entrepreneur, showing how Watch a video presentation at https://www.nida.edu.au/ life experiences influenced the development of her style courses/undergraduate/costume where NIDA’s Head of and work. Women He’s Undressed (this title is a play Costume, Fiona Reilly, explains the process for applying on Orry-Kelly’s soon to be published autobiography, for a place on this course. Women I’ve Undressed) tells of Orry-Kelly’s extraordinary life with wit and style, candour and sympathy. It offers NIDA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume) is an intense insights into the ways in which many homosexuals felt practice-based course offering education and training in constrained by prevailing social mores to conceal their costume construction, management and related period sexual preferences to retain their positions and in some and social research. cases to ‘live a lie’. Students are introduced to the techniques required to While access to Orry-Kelly’s recently discovered auto- produce creative works integral to becoming a costume biography provided the filmmakers with an important professional, including costume construction, tailor- resource, biographers, whether of a filmed story or a ing, pattern making, period cutting, draping, costume written work, are always only able to offer ‘a version’ of management, millinery and leatherwork and specialist a life that illuminates important aspects of that person’s costumes. As they progress to making fully tailored and life and times, but can never be a definitive account. more advanced garments for full-scale productions, Autobiography is always an individual’s account of their students expand the depth of their collaboration with the life and times and is often best read as but one part of designer and performer, applying their skills in increas- the complex story that reveals truths about an individual. ingly complex situations including practical workshops, We see and hear several varied accounts of Orry-Kelly’s exhibitions, installations and research projects. New and life from people who knew him, met him and even non-traditional materials and techniques are explored, worked with him. A life has to be re-imagined after the and students gain experience of how to manage budgets subject has died. and how to supervise a costume department. This is entertainment of the best kind — engaging, While the course is focused primarily around costume informative and educational, offering insights into the in the context of theatre, there are classes, projects and people behind the camera and how they worked. Like industry placements which offer learning and opportuni- Armstrong’s documentary about Florence Broadhurst, ties related to the wider arts and entertainment industries, we are introduced to a character we are unlikely to have including opera, dance, film and television, exhibitions heard of and offered insights into his life and work. and events. All students spend time in an industry place- Attitudes to homosexuality and Hollywood’s ambivalent ment with professional companies or individuals. embrace of talented gay men such as Orry-Kelly is sensi- tively explored in the film. The course prepares students for careers as a costume maker, costume supervisor, assistant costume supervisor, Women He’s Undressed was shot in Los Angeles, New 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION costume cutter, theatrical tailor, buyer, finisher or milliner York and Kiama, NSW. The film runs for approximately 95 in the arts and entertainment industries. minutes. https://www.nida.edu.au/courses/undergraduate/ The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in costume Melbourne is staging an exhibition of Orry-Kelly’s cos- tumes, drawings, paintings and props from the film in The role of costume designer is one of the more 2015. 3 1: Orry-Kelly’s three oscars; 2: Orry-Kelly played by Darren Gilshenan; 3: Orry-Kelly design; 4: Gillian Armstrong with actor Jane Fonda. (All photos Anna Howard.) 1 3 2 4 » SYNOPSIS Orry-Kelly, the boy from the small New South Wales coastal fishing village of Kiama, ran from the sheltered shores of Australia to chance his luck in the anything goes world of New York, but town’s best kept secrets and bring Kennedy as his mother. he would soon find himself seduced home the story of the boy from Kiama • Interviews with Hollywood icons by the bright lights and big dreams of - friend and confidante to the screen Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury, Hollywood, where his unbounded wit greats of Hollywood’s golden age and Australian costume design- and talent would lead him to design a designer whose costumes created ers Catherine Martin, Michael gowns that lit up the golden age of some of the most magical moments in Wilkinson and Kym Barrett interna- cinema. His journey is finally brought cinema history. tional costume designers Colleen to life in Gillian Armstrong’s Women Atwood, Ann Roth and Deborah He’s Undressed. Australian actor Darren Gilshenan plays Nadoolman Landis and film histo- Orry-Kelly in the dramatised reconstruc- rians Leonard Maltin, Marc Eliot, An up close and personal look at the tions of some parts of his life. He is also David Chierichetti and William J life of one of the silver screen’s most brought vividly to life through the cos- Mann. talented costume designers, Orry was tumes he designed for many famous • The golden years of Hollywood as big a legend behind the scenes as films and most of all, through the recol- with a whiff of scandal and a cart- the on-screen legends he adoringly lections of colleagues and those who load of secrets. dressed. But who was Orry-Kelly? either knew Orry- Kelly or knew about • Beautiful elegant gowns worn by Talented, daring, brash, bold, the him and his life and admired his work. the major stars. toast of Hollywood yet the thorn in the • Intimate details of the world’s most side of many a studio head and the Women He’s Undressed includes- famous movie stars. first Australian to win three Academy • Segments from famous films • The gay underworld of the USA 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION Awards – how could he be so un- including Some Like It Hot, and Hollywood. known in his homeland? Now Gillian Casablanca, 42nd Street and Les • Academy Awards and the glamour Armstrong is taking us behind the Girls. associated with them. scenes of Hollywood, with a little help • Dramatised scenes from Orry- • Exploration of the magical world from some of Orry’s long-time friends Kelly’s life starring Darren of costume design from fabric and and colleagues, to reveal one of tinsel Gilshenan as Orry and Deborah padding to romance and illusion.