Checking the website, we found that there was another exhibit, too, called Hollywood Costume, which featured costumes from many classic films. All the better. When we actually arrived, we realized that the costume exhibit was the main attraction and the photo exhibit tiny in comparison. It was even smaller compared to the Reynolda, where the photo prints were much larger and easier to see.
The costumes, however, were absolutely AMAZING! Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures. There was a giant coffee table book they were selling that was full of photos. But the real treat was seeing them up close. Madison wondered which pair of ruby slippers they had from The Wizard of Oz, since we'd seen an episode of Hollywood Treasures last year which showed the various known pairs and unsuccessfully attempted to track down the ones stolen from the Judy Garland Museum. She got her answer (coming up). She also got spoiled on Fight Club, thanks to reading the only plaque that gave away a major plot detail.
The range of costumes was amazing, from the silent era (just a couple) all the way up to more recent films like Titanic, Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight. Naturally, there were more of those, but they still had plenty of classics, like John Wayne (The Searchers) and Marilyn Monroe's famous white dress.
They had two Cleopatra costumes -- one from the 1930s with Claudette Colbert, and one from the 60s with Elizabeth Taylor -- for comparison, which was fascinating, as each looked very Egyptian, yet still reflected the decade in which the film was made. The 30s dress was very Art Deco (and green, to cast the appropriate gray tone in B/W), while the Taylor dress looked very 60s.
There was an entire collection of Elizabethan dresses (a very popular era in movies) ranging from Bette Davis in the 30s to Cate Blanchett in the 90s. Most were for Elizabeth herself and were very ornate. Unlike Cleopatra, these could have been used in the same movie.
There were some amazing displays for The Birds, Gangs of New York, and Sweeney Todd (with Madison's favorite director, Tim Burton) that featured tall video panels of the directors (with Tippi Hendren subbing for Hitchcock) and the designers that made it look like they were conversing. Madison recognized the legendary Edith Head right away, who inspired Edna Mode in The Incredibles. Below each were projected tables with constantly moving "pages" featuring photos, design drawings, and script pages. The Sweeney Todd table had bugs that would periodically crawl around. Loved the extra detail
There was a special display of Indiana Jones' full costume, with an ongoing video that broke down the various items from the hat to the shoes, explaining the design choices for each, and how many leather jackets they had to distress by hand to make them look old and worn.
A lot of the displays shared the various actors' thoughts on costuming. As expected, Robert De Niro and Daniel Day Lewis are both very involved in the process. John Wayne was only concerned with his hat and boots. Marlyn Monroe didn't care what she wore, as long as the outfit said a little something to her.
The final display was what they've been using to promote the exhibit: The Wizard of Oz. There was one of Dorothy's dresses and the Witch's hat. Both clearly showed a little wear with age. But the ruby slippers looked brand new. That's because they were some of the few reproductions in the exhibit. I found it odd that their signature piece, the one that they've been using to promote the show, was a reproduction. But you never know with Hollywood, where everything is an illusion. And it certainly didn't dampen our love of this exhibit.
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