RISE STEVENS OPERATIC EXCELLENCE ADRIAN GLAMOUR

This is a ridiculously beautiful fully beaded gown worn by operatic mezzo-soprano Rise Stevens in the 1941 MGM musical “The Chocolate Soldier”. The gown was designed by the legendary Adrian.

Extraordinary workmanship went into creating this completely beaded gown.  The gown is made up of thousands of turquoise bugle beads cascading into shades of Caribbean blue.  

Beaded paisley design along neckline and cuffs outlined in silver bullion with lavender, green, pink, royal blue and faceted silver metallic beads in varying shapes and sizes.  Hook and eye front closure.  Zip wrist closures.  Internal bias label typed “2270

Worn by Rise Stevens as “Maria Lanyi” when she goes to dinner with Nelson Eddy and he impersonates a Russian in The Chocolate Soldier. 

MGM considered a great gown shouldn’t be wasted and it was also worn a few years later by Kay Aldridge as “Mrs. McGowan” when Zero Mostel tells her fortune in Du Barry Was a Lady (MGM, 1943).

You can see the intricacy of the bead work here even on the sleeve. Each bugle bead would have been hand placed and sewn onto the gown, line after line. It would literally have taken a number of MGM seamstresses hours upon hours to complete and all for the few minutes it appeared on screen.

This dress is a true masterpiece by Adrian.  The craft, workmanship and skill that went into creating it is just amazing.   Each bead was hand sewn and strategically placed.  Endless hours must have been spent by the skilled seamstresses at the studio. 

Today, it would cost a small fortune to purchase the vintage beads and silver bullion not to mention the labor to recreate it.  The weight alone is remarkable also, 12lb or 6 Kg. Imagine wearing that and having to walk around all night looking glamorous. The gown would certainly help!

Here also is a copy of the original Adrian sketch for the gown. Adrian's directions 'sparkling jewelled'. Well he certainly succeeded.

And how was a gown constructed to be able to retain such weight, here is the secret.

Worn by Rise Stevens during the song sung by Nelson Eddy ‘Song of the Flea’. You can see the gown as it appears on screen in the following clip

A number of major operatic performers tried their hand in films during the 40s. Rise Stevens was one of them and Hollywood produced several films for her, other than The Chocolate Soldier including Going My Way in 1944 with Bing Crosby.

Stevens sadly only recently died in her Manhattan home on March 20, 2013 at the age of 99.

ANN RUTHERFORD THE MGM GIRL NEXT DOOR

This beautiful Green wool period gown was worn by Ann Rutherford in what is possibly the most loved adaption of “Pride and Prejudice” and made at MGM in 1940.

Ann Rutherford played "Lydia Bennet" in the film.

The costume is designed in a green wool crepe period style with velvet leaf decorations. The costume was designed by famed MGM designer Adrian. Adrian was responsible for costuming many great stars as part of his career at MGM including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer and Judy Garland. He is best remembered for his costume designs in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) as well as many other Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films of the 1930s and 1940s. My personal favourite is the gowns he designed for “The Women” also in 1939. He designed costumes for over 250 films.

Ann Rutherford as "Lydia Bennet" wears the costume when she arrives home a married woman. The costume carries a handwritten label "7498" and stamped MGM.  The skirt has handwritten label "Ann Rutherford 7498."  The costume is accentuated by a large velvet collar and lace.

Here is a detailed photo of the velvet leaf design.

This version of the film was very well received by the public and has remained as a much loved adaption of this popular novel and largely due to the two leads, Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier.

Here is the original trailer to the film:

Greer Garson as Elizabeth has been referred to as literally stepping right out of the book and that she was made to play the role.

I recently found that the hat, which accompanies this gown, still exists and is housed in the FIDM Museum and Gallery permanent collection in Los Angeles. You can see the same design velvetleaf used by Adrian to accentuate the hat. Good to know that the hat still exists.

Photo copyright FIDM Museum Library Inc.

Ann Rutherford was a much loved MGM star who is best remembered for playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the Andy Hardy series. She was also Scarlett O'Hara's sister in “Gone With the Wind”(1939).

The gown was popular and striking enough as well to be used in a paper doll book on film costume.

Rutherford passed away only recently on June 11, 2012.

GRETA GARBO THE ULTIMATE STAR

She was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson. To the screen loving public however she was simply known as GARBO.

A major star of the silent era and the MGM period of the 1930's and early 40's, Garbo gained her popularity not only for her screen perona but also for her private life and elusivenss. In later years Garbo wanted to be left alone. The public refused to do so.

This beautiful piece is a scarf worn by Greta Garbo in the 1937 MGM costume drama "Conquest". The film was also known by another title of Marie Walenska, the character played by Garbo.

The scarf measures a huge 40x90" and is a three line gold trim vintage silk with fleur de lis design and satin fringe pattern throughout.

Conquest tells the story of a polish countess played by Garbo who becomes Napoleon Bonaparte's mistress and who feels that she may influence him to make Poland an independent State.

The costumes were designed by the legendary Adrian who designed for many of the MGM great stars in the 1930's and 40's including Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Jeanette MacDonald, Jean Harlow and Katharine Hepburn.

Adrian worked with Garbo throughout the course of her career. As with Garbo, Adrian Adolph Greenberg was simply addressed on screen and in any publications with the phrase "Gowns by Adrian".

Garbo made the transition from silent film to sound well. The studio waited for the best vehicle for her to do this which came along in the form of Anna Christie in 1930. The phrase "Garbo Talks" was one well known to the movie audiences of 1930 who could not wait to hear what she would sound like. They approved.

Garbo has appeared in many memorable film classics including Anna Karenina (1935), and as the courtesan Marguerite Gautier in Camille (1936). Garbo turned to comedy in the 1939 classic, Ninotchka (1939) and Two-Faced Woman (1941) her final film. Garbo retired to her New York appartment. She was a prolific traveller however and to her circle of trusted friends continued her social life.

Up until the end of her life, Garbo sighting in New York was considered a great thrill to the fans who remembered her and her works. To the media, she was another chance at an exclusive photo of the ageing star.

Various attempts to return to film took place over the years but it was never meant to be.

Garbo was reported to have attended a film festival of her films in the 80's in disguise to see her performance on the screen. In the seventies when the Metropolitan Museum of Art conducted a retrospective of film costume under the eye of Diane Vreeland, Garbo costumes were on display.

A private viewing before the public opening was requested by Garbo who attended one morning to view the costumes including some she wore in films like Camille and Anna Karenina. Garbo is reported to have touched the pieces like she was saying hello to an old friend and remembering the magic of what was. Garbo did for a time enjoy what she did, being an actress and being the best she could be on film. The camera loved her face, the audience loved what they saw. It was a match made in the movies!

Garbo died in 1990 at the age of 84.