Books like Edith Head by David Chierichetti

A brave, self-exploring memoir of an autistic woman's journey towards understanding and embracing her unique condition.

An insider’s account of one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, telling her story from the very beginning through the glamour and excess of the Golden Age of Movies

Costume-designer Head died before finishing this memoir--so the book at hand consists of fragmentary tape-recorded recollections connected by Calistro's fill-ins of Head's career-history. Also, lots of this same--or similar--material appeared in Head's The Dress Doctor (1959). Still, with passing time, Head was able to be somewhat more candid, and there are choice opinions and anecdotes among her memories of a 60-year Hollywood-costume career. She chats about Clara Bow's waist, Mae West's bosom, and Dorothy Lamour's unlovely feet (as well as her sarongs). There's a detailed discussion of dear friend Barbara Stanwyck's problem with ""a comparatively low rear end""--remedied by widened waistbands on her long waist ""to create an optical illusion that her derriÉre was just as pertly placed as any other stars'."" Similarly, Head reveals how she made tiny Veronica Lake look bigger, how she frumpified Olivia de H. for The Heiress, how Bette Davis' party-dress in All About Eve was accidentally created. And though Head speaks of most of her stars (including Redford and Newman) with genuine affection, she takes neat slaps at Hedy Lamarr, show-offy Paulette Goddard, and (above all) Cecil B. DeMille--""a conceited old goat"" who ""never did an authentic costume picture in his entire career."" With undressed/ half-dressed glimpses, too, of Lana Turner, Gloria Swanson, Judy Garland, and many others: pleasant, sometimes-tart browsing for clothes-oriented film fans

A comprehensive look at costume designer Gilbert Adrian’s groundbreaking work at MGM from 1928 to 1941, featuring unpublished photos, an in‑depth filmography, and insights into his collaborations with stars like Garbo, Shearer, and Crawford.

x, 300 p. : 28 cm

Autobiography of Katharine Hepburn, the headstrong Hollywood icon whose career spanned six decades, recounting the people and places that shaped her life.

Marilyn Monroe made history by standing over a subway grating in a white pleated halter dress designed by William Travilla. Hubert de Givenchy immortalized the Little Black Dress with a single opening scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's. A red nylon jacket signaled to audiences that James Dean was a Rebel Without a Cause. For more than a century, costume designers have left indelible impressions on moviegoers' minds, yet until now, so little has been known about the designers themselves and their work to compliment and enrich stories through fashion. Hollywood Costume Design presents the history of fashion on film, showcasing not only classic moments from film favorites, but a host of untold stories about the creative talent working behind the scenes to dress the stars from the silent era to the present day.

A concise biography of Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn, detailing her life as a celebrated motion picture actress from 1929 to 1993, noted in New York Times reviews.