The
costumes were designed by Anthony Mendleson, who matched Louis's rise through
the social ranks with his changing costumes. When employed as a shop assistant,
Louis's suit was ill-fitting and drab; he is later seen in tailored suits with
satin lapels, wearing a brocade dressing gown and waiting for his execution in
a quilted-collar velvet jacket. Mendleson later recounted that to dress
Guinness in his many roles, the costumes were of less importance than make-up
and the actor's nuances.
(…) “This
is a splendid film in its own right, shot in a sumptuous black and white.
However, what interests us today is the extraordinary care taken in recreating
Edwardian dress. As Mazzini slowly murders his way up the social ladder, his
manner of dress, starting as a humble store clerk in a lounge coat, becomes
increasingly extravagant and dandified, in keeping with the growing hubris of
the character.
With that
let us move onto to seeing pictures of how Dennis Price is dressed in the film.
It will be patently obvious to all here that every single garment is a bespoke
item. One look at the fit of the garments says all. Costume design,
incidentally, is by Anthony Mendleson (The Blue Lamp, Bill Budd).
The range
of different coats cut for Price are designed to showcase Edwardian dress
recreated with remarkable historical accuracy and recreates beautifully the
spirit of the age as describe by Byrde. Unlike with modern period films, I can
detect almost no obvious violations of Edwardian dress codes – with one
exception, when Mazzini wears a frock coat with silk faced lapels to the
funeral of one his victims. For funerals, frock coats should be self faced. But
that is the only transgression, and a subtle one at that.” (…)
https://clothesonfilm.com/kind-hearts-and-coronets-decadent-dennis-price/
Kind Hearts
and Coronets: on the set of the brilliant Ealing comedy – in pictures
Released in
1949, Kind Hearts and Coronets remains one of the all time classics of British
cinema. As a 4k restoration is released for its 70th anniversary, we see actors
Dennis Price, Alec Guinness and Joan Greenwood and director Robert Hamer at
work
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"I shot an arrow in the air/She fell to earth in Berkeley Square."
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