Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer

by David Chierichetti

Book Overview

Edith Head is widely considered the most important figure in the history of Hollywood costume design. Her career spanned nearly half a century and included such classic films as Rear Window and Sunset Boulevard . Her private life and professional achievements have been the subject of speculation since she rose to the top in the late 1940s. Ruthlessly competitive and intensely secretive, Head had few close friends and many detractors. Her longtime...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060567406
• ISBN13: 9780060567408
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Head Over Heals

This is a rich, fulfilling introduction to the life of Edith Head. One needn't be interested in fashion to find the author's description of the studio system in which Head flourished fascinating. Although part of the Paramount studio, Head worked everywhere at one time or another, on loan or in demand. She was quite a character. Although intimidating, she was in fact a desperately insecure woman whose fears the author places squarely in the studio system's insecure power structure. Chierichetti persuasively makes the case that the weird nepotism and vicious back-biting made one relax at one's own peril. Head stayed on her toes for decades and survived while other's were forced out or replaced by the girlfriends or relatives of thoughtless executives. The author blends personal anecdote with careful research, thus creating a very satisfying biography of this remarkable figure as well as a fine summation of the system that produced her. I was especially intrigued by the idea of the role costume design played in the overall "look" of the films. This is probably rather obvious to those in the know, but for me this was a new way of looking at favorite pictures. Head seems to have had a hand, literally, in the making of hundreds of classic pictures, yet the author seems rather restrained in his praise of Head, whose limitations he points out. This seems a good approach, for while we must all recognize her remarkable career, Chierichetti wants the reader to bear in mind the numerous talents who populated the Hollywood design world.

A fun, fast read.

This is a breezy, readable, can't-put-it-down bio on the infamous, iconic Edith Head. The real advantage this author has, is one of proximity, having worked with her. This is not a filling meal... it made me want to find her own book - even though she dismisses it later in her life. It digs few probing holes, perhaps because she herself covered all the holes so well. But there is so much DISH here, we don't miss the meal. I'm giving this as a gift to someone who worked in the textile industry. The real quibble of this book is that there are so FEW pictures of her finished work. With so many juicy anecdotes about different stars, and backstage stories about films, it would have been really nice to have wardrobe shots. Publishers... it isn't too late to add these! I'm currently reading a bio of Coco Chanel, and it is interesting to see many paralells between the two women, including the trademark streamlined, simplicity they both shared. Edith Head didn't just look inscrutible. She was. This is a fun, fast read.

Fascinating portrait

Edith Head's rise as one of Hollywood's most famous costume designers was a result of her hard work as well as some controversial career decisions. The author, who became a close friend and confidante of Head in her later years, manages to penetrate her secretive core and paint a fascinating yet objective biography of her. Edith Head rose through the ranks at Paramount before becoming head of the costume department in the late 30s and held the position for over 30 years. But she was basically an insecure woman who craved publicity and acceptance and managed to achieve it by hard work, tenacity and sometimes deceptive manipulation. It is true that she sometimes took credit for other designer's work (most notably Givenchey for the 1954 film "Sabrina") and she was often ridiculed by her colleages. But, she was adept and hard-working in her craft, and she had a knack for communicating and pleasing the actresses and directors that she worked with. The book combines just the right amount of biographical detail with juicy Hollywood gossip (especially about Claudette Colbert!) to keep you turning the pages. The book also depicts a touching portrait of Head's longtime marriage to Bill Ihnen and debunks the longtime rumor that Head was a lesbian. The book's one major fault is the lack of photos - only a small color section and a few b & w are scattered throughout - not enough to illustrate her work at all. But aside from this one quibble, I recommend it.

FINALLY, THE REAL EDITH HEAD IS GOING TO MY HEAD

Edith Head has got to one of the most celebrated fashion designers that ever came out of Hollywood. She also is one of the most ambiguous. Her general secrecy as well has her revisionist personal autobiography has had a lot of people wondering who this lady actually was.The author has managed to get a fairly clear picture of his subject. He also has managed to uncover a lot of truths and facts regarding her own personal history and has come up with a very interesting story here. It doesn't hurt that David Chierichetti happened to know Edith Head fairly well at the end of her life.If you are into celebrity biographies, you will find this book not only interesting for its own merits but well-written and crafted by the author who proves to be a very good researcher and writer.I have long enjoyed David Chierichetti's articles in the periodicals Classic Images and Films of the Golden Age. I am glad to see that his talents have translated well when tackling a book format.Bravo, David! Keep up the good work. I am waiting for the next book! This is definitely one of the best books published in 2003.