Australian costume designer, Orry Kelly was a man who had the gift of being in the right place at the right time, and the skills to fully utilize this timing.
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His was a classic story of someone who came from obscure origins to achieve success in the Golden Era of Hollywood.
He was suave enough to be able to convince people of his talents, hence had the opportunity to work with the movie world’s most beautiful women.
Called Jack by his closest friends, he was extremely skilled. His father was a gentlemen’s tailor, he was employed as a tailor’s assistant when he first went to the USA in 1922. He also spent considerable time painting portraits. He knew fabric; he knew how people looked, moved and were unique.
As a designer, he specialized in well-cut, perfectly constructed costumes. When dressing the beauties of the film industry, this meant the clothes were molded to their bodies, hiding imperfections and celebrating beauty.
Who can forget Marilyn Monroe’s seriously scandalous black lace in ‘Some Like It Hot’ in 1959. I loved the interview with Jane Fonda and her response to this costume.
Actresses, (Bette Davis) often refused roles if they were not dressed by Kelly. I loved Ingrid Berman’s costumes in ‘Casablanca’(1949). Despite filming in a hot, sweaty, dusty frontier Moroccan town; in every frame she is deliciously groomed in impeccable clothing.
This emphasizes more than the script, that she was a European woman seriously out of her depth. The wide brimmed hats seemed to accentuate her fragility and need to be protected from the shifty characters.
He was employed by Warner Brothers, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and MGM. Viewers will enjoy revisiting these films, through his work. Director Gillian Armstrong celebrates this talented man’s achievements.
After five decades, Orry Kelly is back in fashion.
