Fashions of 1934 (Warner Bros.) (1934)

bor the Women Style Secrets In Fashion Picture Carefully Guarded But Coincidence Came Along and a Hollywood Fashion Made its Appearance in Paris OINCIDENCE—it’s the bane of the style designer’s ex istence. Yet it is an actual and common occurence. Schiaparelli, Chanel, Vionnet. They’re magic names in Paris. In Hollywood, which of late years has forged to the front as a fashion center, the name of Orry-Kelly is as well known. Yet what the French designers are creating, may at the same moment be created in Hollywood, and with no reasonable explanation for the occurrence except that both groups of designers have been working along similar lines of re search. Recently, for the First National picture, ‘‘Fashions of 1934,’’ which is now showing at the........... Agee SI ENS Theatre, with William Powell in the stellar role, OrryKelly designed a Richelieu cape, fashioned after the manner of the famous cardinal. The idea struck him as such a good one, that he even wrote it into the script of the picture. That was months ago. Recently—last month to be exact— Schiaparelli came out with a gown similarly designed. Coincidence—that’s. all. The idea of the Richelieu cape was closely guarded at the studio. It couldn’t possibly have leaked to Paris and the gown had been designed in time to reach New York for showing when the piecture was in production. Leg-O’-Mutton Sleeve Recently Orry-Kelly began to work with puffed and leg-o’-mutton sleeves in his pictures. Almost simultaneously Paris decided on this return to a fashion of yester day. Today the puffed and lego’-mutton sleeve is the style craze of the moment. Other styles of a past age used by Orry-Kelly in ‘‘ Fashions of 1934’? include a Tyrolean costume and an adaptation of a Chinese coat, which have been released to the style market. Eight or ten other novel costumes which are used in the picture he would not reveal, keeping the styles a guarded secret so that they could not be copied and released for magazine and newspaper photographs before the release of the picture. Several years ago, Orry-Kelly designed the evening dress adaptation of the Eton Jacket. It was used by Constance Bennett in one of her pictures, and has since been used by other stars. Today it is one of the standard modes in the fashion market! He designed a three-tier fur cape for Kay Francis to wear in ‘COne Way Passage.’’ That cape, or a similar model, may be seen today in every fashionable fur shop. In his designing carrer, he has designed hundreds of gowns for Hollywood stars, which have later become fashionable throughout the world of good dressers. new Warner player, who appears in “Fash ions of 1934,” coming to the Strand Theatre on Wednesday. Mat No. 29—5e Page Sixteen Bette Davis Revives Prince Albert Coat Shades of Prince Albert! The silhouette of the frock coat he made famous has been revived by Bette Davis in the First National picture, “Fashions of 1934,” which comes to the ...................5 TROAGKOLON@.caccu-sssami cers : Orry-Kelly, the designer, believed fhe garment lent itself to feminine interpretation. However, it was not in conservative black that the suit materialized, but in rustling taffeta, gaily stripped with red and white wool. The straight line skirt is topped with a tailored blouse of white silk showing a black velvet tie. The coat is a faithful reproduc tion of the Prince Albert. History Inspires Current Modes Warner Bros. musical extravaganza, ‘Fashions of 1934” at the Strand, reveals the origin of modern styles. The design taken from paintings and historical figures are modernized for gowns ,wraps and sports apparel. These were cleverly devised by Orry-Kelly, Hollywood _ stylist. (seated figure). every occasion. the split sleeves and split back. An afternoon frock for The tiny buttons accent History repeats itself in the fashions of 1934. The Cardinal Richelieu cape, (center) and laceedged collar and cuffs after Charles I1., (at right.) Mat No, 20—10e Photographs of Orry-Kelly designs are never made until after the release of the picture. There’s too much chance that they might get into circulation before their purpose had been fulfilled. The story itself, however, deals with a clever promoter who actually stole styles from famous Parisian modistes and sold them in New York under the forged names of famous Paris designers. Bette Davis plays opposite William Powell while others in the cast are -Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O’Neill, Hugh Herbert, Phillip Reed and Gordon Westcott. The picture is a lively comedy romance based on the story by Harry Collins and Warren Duff. In addition it carries several special features, one a unique style show in which many beautiful mannikins display a wealth of gorgeous gowns. William Dieterle directed the picture from the screen play by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson. Bette Davis Introduces New Trilby Hair Bob Bette Davis has set a new fashion of wearing the hair. She calls it the Trilby bob, and wears it for the first time in “Fashions of 1934,” a First National picture which comes to the ................ THOEAERGSON S52 os... cicisiee The hair is brushed back sleekly and close to the head in a neck long bob, straight on top and slightly curled up on the ends. Bette liked the way her hair was fixed for the picture so well that she began doing it that way for the street. The consequence is that many Hollywood girls, who follow the fashions of the movie stars are now doing their hair in the same way. Bette’s new coiffure is visible at The Strand where she cavorts with William Powell and many others in “Fashion of 1934.” ‘Fashions of 1934’’ Boasts Most Perfect Style Center Beautiful Mannikins Display Gorgeous Gowns In Salon Rivaling Elegance of Paris HE most elaborate style salon in the world exists, not in Paris, but in Hollywood. It is the Maison Elegance, fashion center de luxe— but known, for short, as ‘‘the style set on stage four’’ at the First National Studios, where it was being photographed for the production of the William Powell picture, ‘‘ Fashions of 1934’’ which comes to the ....... SE ei Theatre. 00 263.55... 3... The difference between a style salon in Paris and one on a set in Hollywood is that the former must be made of marble and glass and be substantially what it appears, while the one in Hollywood needs only appear to be what it ap pears. But if that sounds altogether too simple, don’t be as easily deceived. The style set on the stage where “Fashions of 1934” was being shot was complicated enough to give the technical departments a headache. It had to have, for example, several thousand square feet of special carpet. In the Paris establishment, the carpeting would be eliminated. Hardwood floors, decorated and highly polished or subdued, according to the taste of the owner, would take its place. But on the stage it had to be carpeted because a sound picture was being made there. And you can’t have the sound of heels on hardwood drowning out the dialogue in sound pictures. So the several thousand square feet of carpeting were obtained by using the ordinary thick floor composition used on ordinary stages and stencilling a design on it. Simple? A Ten Man Job Sure. It only took ten men, working in shifts, nearly four days and nights to do it. Because you can’t buy stuff like that anywhere, for money or anything else. It looks like hardwood mosaic, and costs nearly as much as the actual article would. Then the matter of lights. Lights have a way of not looking like lights unless there is power in them. So several thousand lamps on nearly as many chandeliers had to be rigged up, wired, and lit. Sets can be lit from the overhead catwalks, of course, with the ordinary movie lamps. This is a simple task when uncomplicated, but when you have to make overhead ares look like their light is being thrown from chandeliers, you have something more difficult. Mirrors are a part of every fashion salon. Now if there is one thing about a mirror, it’s this. It simply will not show a reflection unless it is a mirror. So, in order to have the required number of reflections — Director William Dieterle is rather a stickler about that sort of thing — just as many mirrors had to be bought and used as would have been necessary for a like establishment in Paris, or anywhere else. And dresses. To look like new styles in dresses, whether on ordinary people on the street, or on mannikins in a fashion parade in a place like the Maison Elegance, dresses have to be new. They have to have style. They have to be smart. If they’re not all these things, the millions of women all over the country who view the picture will have comments to make. Work For the Dressmakers So a great many dressmakers worked day and night for several weeks fashioning the new styles which Orry-Kelly, assisted by the east of the picture, designed for “Fashions of 1934.” With one dress to a mannikin, a group of twenty-five mannikins on the stage of a film have to have just as many clothes as a group of mannikins on the stage of a style salon. There’s no escaping it. And granting that in all these essentials the film rendition of a style salon has to be just about as costly and just about as difficult to construct as the actual salon in Paris, there remains only the matter of accoutrements, knick-knacks, wall decorations, new ways of showing the dresses and the mannikins off to the visiting customers from Great Neck. Of course, the style salon in Paris is the real article. It actually is what it appears. But what the makers of “Fashions of 1934” contend is that it would be cheaper for them to build the real article than it was to make a convincing copy of the real article for a film. So the most elaborate style salon in the world was constructed in Hollywood — and is not in Paris at all. Which makes us realize that the producing of a motion picture isn’t all milk and honey, as most of us think. It requires days of vigilant research and the correction of thousands of minute errors, which are bound to crop up in the course of any production. “Fashions of 1934” is William Powell’s latest picture, in which he appears as a promoter par excellence, corners the _ ostrich feather market and makes himself the ruler of women’s styles in Paris and New York. Others in the cast are Bette Davis, Frank McHugh, Verree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Henry O‘Neill, Hugh Herbert, Phillip Reed and Gordon Westcott. a There also is a show within the show, a spectacular fan dance staged by Busby Berkeley in which 200 beautiful girls participate. William Dieterle_ directed the picture from the screen play by F. Hugh Herbert and Carl Erickson. Poor William William Powell is having his ear bitten in “Fashions of 1934,” First National’s gown and gal laugh sensation. Mat No. 13—5e