Gene London’s Hollywood Costume Collection at Museum
The depth and breadth of this costume collection presented by “Eternally boyish” Gene London is impressive, from Clara Bow to Mira Sorvino. How amazing to be able to see these costumes in person, get a feeling for the actual human scale of cinema giants and legends like Garbo, West (who was apparently BARELY 5 feet tall in heels) and Bergman. Equally outstanding is the chance to see the amazingly well crafted garments designed by legend Elsa Schiaparelli. Lastly to watch the shape of beauty and women’sd bodies change is always both refreshing and shocking. This exhibit is a real draw for the Reading Museum.
The eternally boyish Gene London
Gene London will present his costume collection at the Reading Museum.
Dress worn by Mira Sorvino, as Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean & Marilyn (HBO, 1996), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes gown, Designer: Gene London Original Fashion exhibit at Reading Museum.
Recreation of dress worn by Audrey Hepburn, as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Warner Brothers, 1964), Designer: Academy Award-Winner Cecil Beaton. From Gene London fashion exhibit at Reading Museum.
Ingrid Bergman, original evening gown from publicity tour promoting the film Casablanca, 1942. From Gene London fashion exhibit at Reading Museum.
Outfit worn by Clara Bow, Silent Era original sequined coat with fur collar, c. 1920s. (My fave!!!)
Dress from Joan Crawford, personal wardrobe, Designer: Elsa Schiaparelli. YES, PERSONAL collection and THAT Elsa.
Dress worn by Mae West, as Peaches O'Day in Every Day's a Holiday, (Paramount Pictures, 1938), Designer: Elsa Schiaparelli
Dress worn by Greta Garbo as Russian spy in Mysterious Lady, (MGM, 1928), Designer: Adrian
Audrey Hepburn, as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (Paramount Pictures, 1961), Designer: Givenchy
What a GREAT headline!
Gene London shows off costumes, tells tales
By Kathy Lauer-Williams | September 27, 2009 | themorningcall.com
Anyone of a certain age who grew up in the greater Philadelphia area probably remembers the children’s television show, ”Cartoon Corners General Store,” and its eternally boyish star, Gene London.
Now London, who became a fashion designer after his variety show ended in 1977, brings more than 100 costumes worn by film and television stars from his personal collection to the Reading Public Museum.
”The Magic of Hollywood: The Gene London Costume Collection,” opening Saturday, features costumes worn by stars from Mae West to Sean Connery to Madonna and created by some of the film industry’s greatest designers, including Edith Head, Elsa Schiaparelli, Halston and Bob Mackie. London, who is co-curator, also will display a vintage prince outfit worn by Michael Jackson for a photo shoot in 1985.
London still conveys a child-like fascination with the Hollywood mystique.
”Hollywood has always been magic for me,” London says. ”Fantasy is my reality.”
London says as a child growing up in a poor immigrant family during the Great Depression movies offered an alternative to reality.
”It was the window to the world,” he says. ”The American dream never did better than in the Depression. Movies were the great escape and that magic has never gone.”
London’s collection includes more than 60,000 pieces, from undergarments to gowns. A resident of the Reading area, London stores them in a warehouse in the region and decided during a visit to the Reading Public Museum last year that it would be a great place to have an exhibit.
”Museums have to be contemporary,” London says. ”My vision is of the museum as the Emerald City.”
London worked with students from the fashion design department at Albright College in Reading to prepare the show. Many of the costumes are intricately beaded and embellished and feature hand sewn details such as pleats.
”I’m dazzled by the beauty of the art of Hollywood,” London says. ”Each fashion was made for one person.”
London points out a a man’s jacket with a corduroy collar. It is John Wayne’s ”good luck jacket” and can be seen in several of the Duke’s films, he says.
Another dress form displays a gold lame swimsuit with a long matching cape worn by Esther Williams in 1949′s ”Neptune’s Daughter.”
”How Hollywood can you get?” laughs London.
London says he began collecting costumes when he bought at a thrift store an outfit supposedly worn by Joan Crawford. When Crawford wrote him a letter praising his TV show, he asked her to autograph the dress. She told him it wasn’t one of her dresses.
Instead, Crawford boxed up some of her outfits and mailed them to London.
”She sent back a box of stuff to die for,” he says.
London had many Hollywood and television stars as guests on his television show during its 20-year run. He says the CBS affiliate frequently booked guests on both the nationally syndicated ”The Mike Douglas Show” and his children’s show.
”My first guest was Myrna Loy,” London recalls. ”I was thrilled. I had always loved her movies.”
After leaving television, London began designing costumes for movies, Broadway and television. In 1989, he was asked by Ted Turner to create exact replicas of the gowns in ”Gone with the Wind” for the movie’s 50th anniversary. His recreation of Scarlett O’Hara’s barbecue dress is featured in the exhibit.
London designed the costumes for Mira Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe in the 1996 TV movie ”Norma Jean and Marilyn,” one of which is in the exhibit. He also designed a Princess Diana outfit for Madonna’s first appearance on ”Saturday Night Live,” also in the show.
Most fascinating are the vintage costumes and London’s stories behind them.
The show includes a sumptuous sequined velvet gown with a huge feathered hat that was worn by Mae West. It was made by French designer Schiaparelli, not West’s usual designer Edith Head. London said West had a plaster cast of her torso made and sent it to Schiaparelli in France so her gown would fit perfectly.
There are costumes from musical couple Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, Tyrone Powers, Greta Garbo, Jane Fonda, Rita Hayworth and Bette Davis.
Other iconic outfits include the dress Audrey Hepburn wore during the song ”Show Me” in 1964′s ”My Fair Lady” and the off-the-shoulder dress worn by Deborah Carr in 1957′s ”An Affair to Remember.”
More unusual items include the studded leather bustier, Roman sandals and whip used by Raquel Welch in the 1969 British comedy ”The Magic Christian” and a very heavy leather tunic worn by Sean Connery in 1976′s ”Robin and Marion” that London says displays what a ”huge man” Connery is.
kathy.lauer@mcall.com
610-778-2235
‘THE MAGIC OF HOLLYWOOD:
THE GENE LONDON COSTUME COLLECTION’
What: Exhibit of 100 costumes worn by Hollywood stars owned by Gene London, former children’s television star
When: Saturday through May 30, 2010
Where: Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday
How much: $7; $5, seniors and students; free, under 4
Special events
Red carpet premiere/fundraiser, including meet and greet with Gene London, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, $65
”An Evening with Gene London,” including lecture and personal tour of the exhibit by London, 6 p.m. Oct. 7, $20
Tip: During the exhibition, a display area will be changed periodically to focus on a star or movie such as Grace Kelly and ” The Wizard of Oz.”