GlamAmor-ous Holidays - Janet Leigh Glows in Understated Howard Greer in 1949's HOLIDAY AFFAIR

It's fascinating how many of the films we now consider Christmas classics came from the 1940s. The decade began with the romances Remember the Night (1940) and The Shop Around the Corner (1940) as well as the witty The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942). But as the decade went on, World War II started to weave into the storylines in some way. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) may have been set at the turn of the century, but the lyrics of Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" touched audiences torn apart by war. Frank Capra tapped into some of the angst of the post-war years with It's a Wonderful Life (1946). It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) showed soldiers trying to find shelter and work after the war. And the Civil War-era Little Women, remade in 1949 starring Janet Leigh, connected with families still struggling from World War II. 

Holiday Affair premiered on Christmas Eve that same year and also explored some of the emotional aftermath of the war. Set in New York during the holidays, Leigh plays Connie Ennis, a war widow who's working as a comparative shopper to make ends meet. She runs into Robert Mitchum as Steve Mason, a veteran who dreams of building sailboats in Southern California, but temporarily works as a clerk at Crowley's department store. It's there that Steve catches Connie making an obvious purchase to take back to a rival store. But things really go awry when her son Timmy confuses her work purchase - an expensive train set - with a gift he expects under their Christmas tree. Because of that train, Steve eases into their life and finds himself falling for Connie. However, she already has a boyfriend (Wendell Corey) who has been working very hard (unsuccessfully) to get Connie to let go of the memory of her late husband and marry him.

Holiday Affair's backstory is as interesting as the film itself. In between the films noir Out of the Past (1947) and The Big Steal (1949) - both co-starring Jane Greer - Robert Mitchum was arrested for possession of marijuana. In September 1948, he and Lila Leeds were victims of a sting operation designed to capture Hollywood's hard partiers (you may know Lila as the shapely blonde secretary in the 1947 Christmas noir Lady in the Lake). By January of 1949, he was found guilty and spent 43 days in a Castaic prison farm. He was released at the end of March convinced his acting career was over. However, RKO head Howard Hughes had other ideas and cast Robert in Holiday Affair as a way to restore his bad boy image.

Robert Mitchum conversing with his attorney (above)

and standing before the judge with actress Lila Leeds

In contrast, Janet Leigh's image needed no revamping. Holiday Affair was part of her ascendance as a star. The origins of her film career are now a part of Hollywood legend. In 1946, Norma Shearer was vacationing at a ski resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Because Janet's parents worked there, a picture of the 19-year-old (then known as Jeannette Morrison) was among several taken by the ski club photographer. The smile of the girl in the photo - taken at Christmas time, no less - piqued the interest of the former Queen of MGM. Shearer immediately took Leigh under her wing and worked with agent Lew Wasserman to get the teenager a contract at her old home studio. Janet started working almost instantly, appearing in her first film The Romance of Rosy Ridge in 1947. Her performance in the 1948 noir Act of Violence was particularly well received and led into a pivotal year for the starlet. In 1949 she really started to shine, appearing in 5 films including Little Women and Holiday Affair.

The 1945 photo that captured Norma Shearer's attention (above)

and Norma with Janet at the premiere of The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947)

Leigh was loaned to RKO for Holiday Affair rather than shooting it at MGM, and this allowed her to be in the hands of costume designer Howard Greer. Greer is one of the greats of Old Hollywood, best known for being the Chief Designer at Paramount during the 1920s. Like so many from this time who are celebrated for costume design, Howard started his career in the world of couture. In 1916, before America entered World War I, he worked at the international couturier Lucile in both Chicago and New York. He was drafted in 1917, and after the war designed for a time at Molyneux and Paul Poiret in Paris. Greer returned to America in 1919 and worked once again with Lucile's head Lady Duff-Gordon. 

In 1922, Howard succeeded Clare West as head of costume design at Famous Players-Lasky, which would soon become Paramount. Travis Banton, his former colleague at Lucile, joined him in 1925 and their sophisticated designs would contribute to what was known as "Paramount Polish." By 1927, Greer decided to depart the studio to open his own boutique where he created couture for clients ranging from Ruby Keeler to Greta Garbo. However, he never really quit costume design and continued to freelance into the early 1950s. Some of his best work during this time includes Hell's Angels (1930) for Jean Harlow, Bringing Up Baby (1938) for Katharine Hepburn, Carefree (1938) for Ginger Rogers, and My Favorite Wife (1940) for Irene Dunne. His costumes can also be seen in the Deanna Durbin holiday film Lady on a Train (1945). 

Howard Greer designed costumes for many films even after he left Paramount,

including this highly influential dress in the 1938 Ginger Rogers-Fred Astaire picture Carefree

Holiday Affair shows a distinctly different side of Howard Greer. It reveals nothing of the overtly glamorous, often over-the-top, wardrobes he was known for in Hollywood. Instead, it is a stunning character study. Though the movie premiered in December of 1949, nearly three years into the New Look, there is very little in the film to reflect the hyper feminine, frequent fit-and-flare, silhouette that would dominate the 1950s. Instead the costumes in Holiday Affair hold onto the austerity of the war years. You can still see signature 1940s style in the sharp shoulders of Janet's costumes as well as the relative lack of ornamentation and embellishment. Precious little in her clothes even show the softened details of the New Look, such as rounded jacket lapels.

There is little doubt that Greer found a reason for his design choices in the character of Connie Ennis. After all, she is a war widow who is hanging onto the memory of her beloved late husband. It only makes sense from a psychological standpoint that she would also hang onto the clothes she wore during their happy marriage. Further, it's clear that finances are an issue for the single mother. All her love goes to her son, and all of her spending likely follows. She doesn't appear to shop for herself; there are only a couple pieces of clothing that suggest post-war fashion. One is her longer pencil skirt. During the war, knee-length pencil skirts emerged as a style to conserve fabric. So Connie's longer skirt is likely an inexpensive way she could update her wardrobe. Another example of post-war style is the jacket we see Connie wear when working. Its peplum hints at the late 1940s, so it's likely she bought it to appear more professional while shopping at rival department stores. These are the kinds of decisions and details that are often overlooked by audiences, but great costume designers like Greer knew were important when working in film.

Though Holiday Affair does not really showcase what I would consider true Greer style - and I encourage you to seek out his other movies - I love the opportunity to shine a light on his career. This film also happens to represent some of the last of his work in Hollywood. And despite the understated wardrobe, Janet Leigh is still stunningly beautiful and her natural talent is on full display. 

I hope you enjoy both Janet Leigh and Howard Greer in this holiday classic. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Janet Leigh plays Connie Ennis, a war widow who works as a commercial spy

who gets caught by Crowley's clerk Steve Mason (Robert Mitchum)

Though not completely embracing the exacting fit of the New Look,

the peplum in Connie's jacket shows the evolution of 1940s style

Connie wears a snug short-sleeve sweater and pencil skirt under her jacket -

the longer length of the skirt definitely speaks to post-war style

This dress of Connie's does have some elements of post-war fashion - 

such as the rounded lapels and longer skirt length - but it's still decidedly 1940s style

Elizabeth Taylor joins Janet and Robert on set

Fur coats like this were extremely popular during the 1940s

and likely something that Connie has kept in her closet for a while

The style of Connie's Christmas robe is classic 1940s style,

particularly its strong shoulders and relative minimalism 

The subtle sweetheart neckline in Connie's date night dress 

also suggests more of the style of the World War II era rather than the New Look

This fitted dress with its sharp shoulders and lack of adornment seems straight out of film noir,

especially with Robert Mitchum standing by her side

For more on the history of the 1940s and the evolution of fashion during the decade,

be sure to read my book Film Noir Style: The Killer 1940s!

The Style Essentials--Ginger Rogers Steps Up in Style in 1936's SWING TIME

Ginger Rogers is quite simply one of the greatest talents that Hollywood has ever seen.  She was an actress and singer and dancer--a triple threat before people even really knew what that meant.  Not only could she do it all, she did it all so well...the result of a strong work ethic and sheer raw talent.  As an actress, she had tremendous range; she was a natural with comedy, but she could also bring a tear to your eye as she did in dramas like her Oscar-winning performance in Kitty Foyle (1940).  And as a singer, she recorded several songs that were hits at the time and continue to be standards today.  But it is for her grace as a dancer that she is perhaps best known, especially for her 10 movies with Fred Astaire.  It is important to remember she had already made a name for herself on the stage and in 20 films before their first one together, but their coupling created an image so iconic they are still known all over the world.

Though much is made of her partnership with Astaire, the success of Ginger's career is really owed to another person entirely--her tenacious mother Lela Rogers.  Lela mostly raised young Ginger on her own and even rescued her when she was abducted--not once, but twice--by her estranged father.  Lela's strong work ethic was part of who she was, and something Ginger admired and emulated throughout her life.  Her mother would tackle any task, and became particularly astute in entertainment.  She rose in the industry in many roles--journalist, critic, story writer, manager, acting coach.  In a world of men, Lela did business with the best of them and was well respected.  Her greatest role, though, was helping craft her daughter's career.  

Ginger started her long life in entertainment in her early teens when vaudeville star Eddie Foy came to her town of Fort Worth, Texas.  With Lela's position at the time as a reviewer for the city paper, she and Ginger already knew many people in the theater, including Jack Benny, George Burns, and Foy.  An opportunity came when one of his dancers fell ill and he needed someone to step in.  Ginger knew the routine and the audience went wild for the "local girl" and her natural ability as a dancer.  After that, she only dreamt of doing more.  She and her mother then began criss-crossing the country on the theater circuit--from Texas to Chicago to New York City and the Great White Way of Broadway.  Her big break came in 1930 when she was asked to star in the stage production of Girl Crazy.  After several years of hard work, Ginger Rogers became a success 'overnight' at the age of 19.

Not only did Girl Crazy make Ginger a star, but it was there where she first met a dancer named Fred Astaire.  At that point, Fred was not as well known and only called in to help fix a few dance steps in the production.  But he was quickly making a name for himself on the stage with his sister Adele after many years dancing together.  Once Fred and Ginger were both on Broadway, they soon got to know one another much better.  According to her autobiography, they once even dated; they dined, and danced, and shared a steamy goodnight kiss.  She surmised they might have gone on dating had she not moved out to Hollywood to be in the movies.  But once she did, Ginger wouldn't see Fred again until he joined her at RKO and they made their first film together--Flying Down to Rio (1933).  Though he was now married and all about business--so much so that he resisted kissing co-stars onscreen--their chemistry was still strong and captivated audiences.  Their supporting parts in Rio would turn into leading roles for 9 more pictures together, including 1935's Top Hat. 

Though Top Hat is often the film of theirs that is most remembered, Swing Time is the one that actually seemed to be the greater success.  It broke box office records at the time, blasting past the enormously popular Top Hat two years earlier.  It is also the one that is called out time and time again by film critics for the movie's difficult dance numbers, particularly "Waltz in Swing Time" and "Never Gonna Dance."  The songs for the film, too, are some of the greatest of all time and include the Oscar-winning "The Way You Look Tonight."  Swing Time also happens to be Ginger's favorite of any film she ever did, with reasons ranging from the "incredible sensitivity" of director George Stevens (Woman of the Year, A Place in the Sun) to the glorious costumes by Bernard Newman.

I often speak of how much the areas of fashion and costume design dovetail one another, and one of the greatest examples of this is Bernard Newman.  Newman started at Bergdorf Goodman in New York as a window dresser and worked his way up to be the store's head designer.  There he built a celebrity clientele who bought and wore his clothing, such as 1930s style star Kay Francis who loved his signature slinky designs.  Newman remained in New York until 1933 when he was called to Hollywood to become RKO's head costume designer.  He would stay with RKO until 1937--working with actresses like Katharine Hepburn and Lucille Ball in addition to Ginger--and then went back to his post at Bergdorf Goodman.  Though he would still do films now and then for Columbia and Warner Brothers into the 1940s, his full-time career was once again with the fashion industry.  Thus, though a giant of film costume design, Newman both began and ended his career in fashion.

Bernard Newman and his signature slinky bias cut on actress Lily Pons (above)

and Newman (below, second from left) with some of the greatest costume designers of all time--

(l-r-) Orry-Kelly, Travis Banton, Edith Head, Adrian, and Irene

Newman and Ginger had a great working relationship...one that was completely collaborative.  He always began a film asking her what she wanted and together they fleshed out the design.  He valued her opinion and knew she was the expert for what would work on the dance floor.  He also knew that making Ginger feel her most beautiful would translate in her performance.  It wasn't hard to do.  She had a phenomenal figure--just under 5'5" with measurements of 34-24-35--that many miss since she didn't really capitalize on it like others such as Lana Turner who had nearly the same measurements.  All dresses were fit to her tiny figure by Newman's trusted cutter Marie Ree (who happens to be my friend Christian Esquevin's great aunt) and built for serious movement.  As a result, the costumes look just as lovely while completely still as they are in motion.

The team's most famous collaboration was the "Cheek to Cheek" feathered gown for Top Hat, but Newman also helped Ginger realize another "dream dress" for this film's "Waltz in Swing Time."  It was made of pink organza with one-inch ruffles on the sleeves and hem that looked like petals forming a rosette.  Another dress from Swing Time--the "Never Gonna Dance" bias cut gown--is perhaps the sexiest dress Ginger ever wore.  She looks so luscious that you would never guess how much strain she was under while wearing it.  "Never Gonna Dance" was the pair's most ambitious number together and one that was plagued with problems; everything seemed to go wrong while shooting, which took more than 48 takes and made Ginger's feet bleed in her shoes.  Yet, without complaint, she powered through and the dress became the film's most influential, inspiring countless copies at the time and many an homage continue to exist in fashion today. "I can never emphasize enough how important clothing was to me," Ginger said, relating to these costumes in her autobiography.  For her, they made the difference between a performance that was good and one that was great.

And so, as today is Ginger's birthday, I wanted to celebrate by highlighting her talent in her favorite film--Swing Time.  In it you can see that she was a natural comedienne and an actress with a gift for effortlessly weaving emotions into her dance numbers.  You could feel what she was thinking, whether it was frustration, amusement, or love of her dance partner.  Because of this, Astaire once remarked that the success of their partnership was due mostly to Ginger.  There was also a little lust, of course, which is shown to great effect in Swing Time.  Her emotions are also captured and communicated by her costumes, which are designed by the equally gifted Bernard Newman.  They, too, worked in concert together to create designs that helped define 1930s style and have continued to be influential in fashion--everyone from Halston in the 1970s to Gucci and Oscar de la Renta today.  This is why Swing Time is one of The Style Essentials on GlamAmor.  See just some of the Cinema Connections below.

"Never Gonna Dance"

This bias cut gown is perhaps the sexiest that Ginger ever wore

and really shows off her fantastic figure

Deceptively simple, this gown was an immediate hit in 1930s fashion

and continues to be copied by designers today

 One of the most beautiful of the Great White Sets from Van Nest Polglase and Carroll Clark,

who did art direction on other Astaire/Rogers films as well

Even the back of this gorgeous gown is inspirational in design

Of course the movement of any of Ginger's gowns is of the greatest importance

and this one is truly remarkable in all that it can do

Charlize Theron's celebrated Gucci at the 2004 Oscars

is just one of many modern gowns that owe some inspiration to Swing Time

"Pick Yourself Up"

This number is celebrated as one of Ginger's most exuberant

and the pleated skirt perfectly accentuates her every movement in their polka

Ginger, as always, looking luminous

and wearing a dress that captures many of the elements of her signature style

Brands like ASOS (above) and Lavish Alice (below)

borrow inspiration from Ginger's swing dress

"The Way You Look Tonight"

Fred, influential in his own signature style,

sings the song that would go on to win the Oscar

After trying everything from shaving cream to eggs to simulate shampoo, 

Ginger suggested whipped cream and it would go on to inspire ads and commercials to come

Prell is just one brand that took advantage of what Ginger learned from the Swing Time shoot

"Waltz in Swing Time"

The costume first starts covered by a cape,

which is removed to reveal the pink organza gown with 30 self-covered buttons in its bodice

 Ginger's gowns are always stunning coming or going

as shown by another beautiful back on this gown

It should be noted that Ginger's gown took some inspiration from Adrian's famous Letty Lynton (1932) dress

Designers like Oscar de la Renta (shown here in gowns from his 2011 collections)

frequently take inspiration from Swing Time

Thanks to Christian Esquevin for use of Bernard Newman photo