Edith Head

by Hal Erickson film biography

Along with composer Max Steiner and cinematographer James Wong Howe, American costume designer Edith Head was one of the few behind-the-scenes movie technicians that the general public knew by name. Holding a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MA from Stanford, Ms. Head spent her early professional years as a language and art teacher. Reportedly, she also tried her luck as a movie starlet in 1923. While attracted to films, Ms. Head was more at home designing for them than appearing in them. She joined the costume department of Paramount in 1932, graduating to head designer in the late '30s. Her name was attached to virtually every prestige production turned out by the studio over the next thirty years, including the autonomously-produced films of Cecil B. DeMille; Ms. Head gained DeMille's lifelong respect by being one of the few Hollywoodites who refused to kowtow to him. Many of Ms. Head's movie designs gained popularity in the public sector, notably Dorothy Lamour's formfitting sarong, Veronica Lake's peekaboo haircut, and Bette Davis' off-the-shoulder evening gown for All About Eve (1950). Nominated for 40 Academy Awards (all after 1947, the first year of the Best Costume Design category) Ms. Head won the prize for All About Eve, The Heiress (1949), Samson and Delilah (1949), A Place in the Sun (1951), Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Facts of Life (1960) and The Sting (1973). She also designed many of the gowns worn by the other Oscar recipients. After 35 years at Paramount, Ms. Head was signed by Universal in 1967, where she remained until her death. Because of her first-hand experience with four decades' worth of changing fashions, Ms. Head was indispensible to such period films of the '70s as The Sting, Gable and Lombard (1976) and W.C. Fields and Me (1977). In 1980, she deliberately copied many of the creations of her Hollywood rivals for the Steve Martin comedy Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, in which Martin interacted with clips from classic films of the '40s. Ms. Head died shortly after finishing this assignment; when Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid was released in 1982, it carried a dedication to Edith Head.

filmography snapshot

1930

1935

1940

1945

1950

1955

1960

1965

Year	Title	Rating
1927	Wings Costume Designer
1932	Love Me Tonight Costume Designer
1933	Cradle Song Costume Designer
1933	She Done Him Wrong Costume Designer
1934	Death Takes a Holiday Costume Designer
1934	She Loves Me Not Costume Designer
1934	You Belong to Me Costume Designer
1936	Early to Bed Costume Designer
1936	Murder With Pictures Costume Designer
1936	Poppy Costume Designer
1936	Rhythm on the Range Costume Designer
1937	Double or Nothing Costume Designer
1937	Ebb Tide Costume Designer
1937	Sophie Lang Goes West Costume Designer
1937	Souls at Sea Costume Designer
1937	The Big Broadcast of 1938 Costume Designer
1937	This Way Please Costume Designer
1937	Waikiki Wedding Costume Designer
1937	Wells Fargo Costume Designer
1938	Artists and Models Abroad Costume Designer
1938	College Swing Costume Designer
1938	Her Jungle Love Costume Designer
1938	If I Were King Costume Designer
1938	Tropic Holiday Costume Designer
1939	Honeymoon in Bali Costume Designer
1939	Invitation to Happiness Costume Designer
1939	Man About Town Costume Designer
1939	Man of Conquest Costume Designer
1939	Never Say Die Costume Designer
1939	Sudden Money Costume Designer
1939	The Star Maker Costume Designer
1940	Buck Benny Rides Again Costume Designer
1940	Remember the Night Costume Designer
1940	Rhythm on the River Costume Designer
1940	The Ghost Breakers Costume Designer
1940	The Great McGinty Costume Designer
1941	Ball of Fire Costume Designer
1941	Birth of the Blues Costume Designer
1941	Caught in the Draft Costume Designer
1941	Here Comes Mr. Jordan Costume Designer
1941	Hold Back the Dawn Costume Designer
1941	New York Town Costume Designer
1941	Nothing But the Truth Costume Designer
1941	Road to Zanzibar Costume Designer
1941	Sullivan's Travels Costume Designer
1941	The Lady Eve Costume Designer
1941	You Belong to Me Costume Designer
1942	Holiday Inn Costume Designer
1942	I Married a Witch Costume Designer
1942	Lucky Jordan Costume Designer
1942	Star Spangled Rhythm Costume Designer
1942	The Fleet's In Costume Designer
1942	The Gay Sisters Costume Designer
1942	The Great Man's Lady Costume Designer
1942	The Major and the Minor Costume Designer
1942	The Remarkable Andrew Costume Designer
1942	The Road to Morocco Costume Designer
1942	Young and Willing Costume Designer
1943	Five Graves to Cairo Costume Designer
1943	Flesh and Fantasy Costume Designer
1943	Lady of Burlesque Costume Designer
1943	No Time for Love Costume Designer
1943	Tender Comrade Costume Designer
1944	And Now Tomorrow Costume Designer
1944	And the Angels Sing Costume Designer
1944	Double Indemnity Costume Designer
1944	Going My Way Costume Designer
1944	Hail the Conquering Hero Costume Designer
1944	I'll Be Seeing You Costume Designer
1944	Ministry of Fear Costume Designer
1944	Our Hearts Were Young and Gay Costume Designer
1944	Rainbow Island Costume Designer
1944	The Lady in the Dark Costume Designer
1944	The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Costume Designer
1944	The Uninvited Costume Designer
1945	Christmas in Connecticut Costume Designer
1945	Love Letters Costume Designer
1945	Masquerade in Mexico Costume Designer
1945	Out of This World Costume Designer
1945	The Bells of St. Mary's Costume Designer
1945	The Lost Weekend Costume Designer
1945	The Stork Club Costume Designer
1945	You Came Along Costume Designer
1946	Blue Skies Costume Designer
1946	California Costume Designer
1946	My Reputation Costume Designer
1946	Notorious Costume Designer
1946	Road to Utopia Costume Designer
1946	The Blue Dahlia Costume Designer
1946	The Bride Wore Boots Costume Designer
1946	The Perfect Marriage Costume Designer
1946	The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Costume Designer
1946	The Virginian Costume Designer
1946	To Each His Own Costume Designer
1947	Blaze of Noon Costume Designer
1947	Cry Wolf Costume Designer
1947	Dear Ruth Costume Designer
1947	Desert Fury Costume Designer
1947	My Favorite Brunette Costume Designer
1947	Ramrod Costume Designer
1947	Road to Rio Costume Designer
1947	The Farmer's Daughter Costume Designer
1947	The Other Love Costume Designer
1947	The Perils of Pauline Costume Designer
1947	The Trouble with Women Costume Designer
1947	The Two Mrs. Carrolls Costume Designer
1947	Variety Girl Costume Designer
1947	Welcome Stranger Costume Designer
1947	Where There's Life Costume Designer
1948	A Foreign Affair Costume Designer
1948	Dream Girl Costume Designer
1948	I Walk Alone Costume Designer
1948	June Bride Costume Designer
1948	Miss Tatlock's Millions Costume Designer
1948	My Own True Love Costume Designer
1948	Night Has a Thousand Eyes Costume Designer
1948	Rachel and the Stranger Costume Designer
1948	Saigon Costume Designer
1948	So Evil My Love Costume Designer
1948	Sorry, Wrong Number Costume Designer
1948	The Accused Costume Designer
1948	The Big Clock Costume Designer
1948	The Emperor Waltz Costume Designer
1949	A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Costume Designer
1949	Beyond the Forest Costume Designer
1949	Manhandled Costume Designer
1949	My Foolish Heart Costume Designer
1949	My Friend Irma Costume Designer
1949	Red, Hot and Blue Costume Designer
1949	Rope of Sand Costume Designer
1949	Samson and Delilah Costume Designer
1949	The File on Thelma Jordon Costume Designer
1949	The Great Gatsby Costume Designer
1949	The Great Lover Costume Designer
1949	The Heiress Costume Designer
1950	All About Eve Costume Designer
1950	Copper Canyon Costume Designer
1950	Dark City Costume Designer
1950	Let's Dance Costume Designer
1950	Mr. Music Costume Designer
1950	No Man of Her Own Costume Designer
1950	Riding High Costume Designer
1950	Sunset Boulevard Costume Designer
1950	The Furies Costume Designer
1951	A Place in the Sun Costume Designer
1951	Ace in the Hole Costume Designer
1951	Darling, How Could You! Costume Designer
1951	Detective Story Costume Designer
1951	Here Comes the Groom Costume Designer
1951	My Favorite Spy Costume Designer
1951	Payment on Demand Costume Designer
1951	Rhubarb Costume Designer
1951	Submarine Command Costume Designer
1951	That's My Boy Costume Designer
1951	The Lemon Drop Kid Costume Designer
1951	When Worlds Collide Costume Designer
1952	Carrie Costume Designer
1952	Jumping Jacks Costume Designer
1952	Just for You Costume Designer
1952	My Son, John Costume Designer
1952	Red Snow Costume Designer
1952	Something to Live For Costume Designer
1952	The Greatest Show on Earth Costume Designer
1952	The Turning Point Costume Designer
1953	Arrowhead Costume Designer
1953	Du bist die Welt für mich Costume Designer
1953	Forever Female Costume Designer
1953	Houdini Costume Designer
1953	Little Boy Lost Costume Designer
1953	Road to Bali Costume Designer
1953	Roman Holiday Costume Designer
1953	Sangaree Costume Designer
1953	Scared Stiff Costume Designer
1953	Shane Costume Designer
1953	The Pony Express Costume Designer
1953	The Savage Costume Designer
1953	The Stars are Singing Costume Designer
1953	The Vanquished Costume Designer
1953	The War of the Worlds Costume Designer
1953	Tropic Zone Costume Designer
1954	About Mrs. Leslie Costume Designer
1954	Casanova's Big Night Costume Designer
1954	Elephant Walk Costume Designer
1954	Knock on Wood Costume Designer
1954	Living It Up Costume Designer
1954	Rear Window Costume Designer
1954	Sabrina Costume Designer
1954	The Bridges at Toko-Ri Costume Designer
1954	The Country Girl Costume Designer
1954	The Naked Jungle Costume Designer
1954	Them! Costume Designer
1954	Three Ring Circus Costume Designer
1954	White Christmas Costume Designer
1955	Artists and Models Costume Designer
1955	Hell's Island Costume Designer
1955	Lucy Gallant Costume Designer, Actor
1955	Run for Cover Costume Designer
1955	Strategic Air Command Costume Designer
1955	The Desperate Hours Costume Designer
1955	The Far Horizons Costume Designer
1955	The Girl Rush Costume Designer
1955	The Rose Tattoo Costume Designer
1955	The Seven Little Foys Costume Designer
1955	The Trouble with Harry Costume Designer
1955	To Catch a Thief Costume Designer
1955	You're Never Too Young Costume Designer
1956	Anything Goes Costume Designer
1956	Hollywood or Bust Costume Designer
1956	Pardners Costume Designer
1956	That Certain Feeling Costume Designer
1956	The Birds and the Bees Costume Designer
1956	The Court Jester Costume Designer
1956	The Delicate Delinquent Costume Designer
1956	The Man Who Knew Too Much Costume Designer
1956	The Mountain Costume Designer
1956	The Proud and Profane Costume Designer
1956	The Rainmaker Costume Designer
1956	The Scarlet Hour Costume Designer
1956	The Search for Bridey Murphy Costume Designer
1956	The Ten Commandments Costume Designer
1957	Beau James Costume Designer
1957	Fear Strikes Out Costume Designer
1957	Funny Face Costume Designer
1957	Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Costume Designer
1957	Hear Me Good Costume Designer
1957	Loving You Costume Designer
1957	Short Cut to Hell Costume Designer
1957	The Devil's Hairpin Costume Designer
1957	The Joker Is Wild Costume Designer
1957	The Sad Sack Costume Designer
1957	The Tin Star Costume Designer
1957	Three Violent People Costume Designer
1957	Witness for the Prosecution Costume Designer
1958	Houseboat Costume Designer
1958	King Creole Costume Designer
1958	Maracaibo Costume Designer
1958	Rock-A-Bye Baby Costume Designer
1958	Separate Tables Costume Designer
1958	St. Louis Blues Costume Designer
1958	Teacher's Pet Costume Designer
1958	The Buccaneer Costume Designer
1958	The Geisha Boy Costume Designer
1958	The Matchmaker Costume Designer
1958	Vertigo Costume Designer
1959	A Hole in the Head Costume Designer
1959	Alias Jesse James Costume Designer
1959	Career Costume Designer
1959	Last Train From Gun Hill Costume Designer
1959	That Kind of Woman Costume Designer
1959	The Five Pennies Costume Designer
1959	The Jayhawkers Costume Designer
1960	A Touch of Larceny Costume Designer
1960	Cinderfella Costume Designer
1960	Heller in Pink Tights Costume Designer
1960	Pepe Costume Designer
1960	The Facts of Life Costume Designer
1960	The Rat Race Costume Designer
1960	Visit to a Small Planet Costume Designer
1961	Breakfast at Tiffany's Costume Designer
1961	Love in a Goldfish Bowl Costume Designer
1961	Man-Trap Costume Designer
1961	On the Double Costume Designer
1961	Pocketful of Miracles Costume Designer
1961	Summer and Smoke Costume Designer
1961	The Errand Boy Costume Designer
1961	The Ladies' Man Costume Designer
1961	The Pleasure of His Company Actor, Costume Designer
1962	A Girl Named Tamiko Costume Designer
1962	Critic's Choice Costume Designer
1962	Escape from Zahrain Costume Designer
1962	Girls! Girls! Girls! Costume Designer
1962	Hatari! Costume Designer
1962	It's Only Money Costume Designer
1962	My Geisha Costume Designer
1962	The Counterfeit Traitor Costume Designer
1962	The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Costume Designer
1962	Too Late Blues Costume Designer
1963	A New Kind of Love Costume Designer
1963	Come Blow Your Horn Costume Designer
1963	Donovan's Reef Costume Designer
1963	Fun in Acapulco Costume Designer
1963	Hud Costume Designer
1963	I Could Go on Singing Costume Designer
1963	Love with the Proper Stranger Costume Designer
1963	Man's Favorite Sport? Costume Designer
1963	My Six Loves Costume Designer
1963	Papa's Delicate Condition Costume Designer
1963	The Birds Costume Designer
1963	The Nutty Professor Costume Designer
1963	Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? Costume Designer
1963	Who's Got the Action? Costume Designer
1963	Who's Minding the Store? Costume Designer
1963	Wives and Lovers Costume Designer
1964	36 Hours Costume Designer
1964	A House Is Not a Home Costume Designer
1964	John Goldfarb, Please Come Home Costume Designer
1964	Marnie Costume Designer
1964	Roustabout Costume Designer
1964	Sex and the Single Girl Costume Designer
1964	The Carpetbaggers Costume Designer
1964	The Disorderly Orderly Costume Designer
1964	The Patsy Costume Designer
1964	The Yellow Rolls-Royce Costume Designer
1964	What a Way to Go! Costume Designer
1964	Where Love Has Gone Costume Designer
1965	Boeing Boeing Costume Designer
1965	Inside Daisy Clover Costume Designer
1965	Love Has Many Faces Costume Designer
1965	Red Line 7000 Costume Designer
1965	Sylvia Costume Designer
1965	The Family Jewels Costume Designer
1965	The Great Race Costume Designer
1965	The Hallelujah Trail Costume Designer
1965	The Slender Thread Costume Designer
1965	The Sons of Katie Elder Costume Designer
1966	Assault on a Queen Costume Designer
1966	Not with My Wife, You Don't! Costume Designer
1966	Paradise, Hawaiian Style Costume Designer
1966	Penelope Costume Designer
1966	The Last of the Secret Agents? Costume Designer
1966	The Oscar Actor, Costume Designer
1966	The Swinger Costume Designer
1966	This Property Is Condemned Costume Designer
1966	Torn Curtain Costume Designer
1966	Waco Costume Designer
1967	Barefoot in the Park Costume Designer
1967	Chuka Costume Designer
1967	Easy Come, Easy Go Costume Designer
1967	El Dorado Costume Designer
1967	Hotel Costume Designer
1967	The Caper of the Golden Bulls Costume Designer
1967	Warning Shot Costume Designer
1967	Who's Minding the Mint? Costume Designer
1968	Hellfighters Costume Designer
1968	House of Cards Costume Designer
1968	In Enemy Country Costume Designer
1968	The Pink Jungle Costume Designer
1968	The Secret War of Harry Frigg Costume Designer
1968	What's So Bad About Feeling Good? Costume Designer
1969	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Costume Designer
1969	Eye of the Cat Costume Designer
1969	Sweet Charity Costume Designer
1969	Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here Costume Designer
1969	The Lost Man Costume Designer
1969	Topaz Costume Designer
1969	Winning Costume Designer
1970	Airport Costume Designer
1970	Colossus: The Forbin Project Costume Designer
1970	Skullduggery Costume Designer
1970	Storia di una Donna Costume Designer
1971	Red Sky at Morning Costume Designer
1971	Sometimes a Great Notion Costume Designer
1972	Hammersmith Is Out Costume Designer
1972	Pete 'n' Tillie Costume Designer
1972	The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean Costume Designer
1972	The Screaming Woman Costume Designer
1973	A Doll's House Costume Designer
1973	A Doll's House Costume Designer
1973	Ash Wednesday Costume Designer
1973	Showdown Costume Designer
1973	The Don Is Dead Costume Designer
1973	The Sting Costume Designer
1974	Airport 1975 Costume Designer
1975	Rooster Cogburn Costume Designer
1975	The Great Waldo Pepper Costume Designer
1975	The Man Who Would Be King Costume Designer
1976	Amelia Earhart Costume Designer
1976	Family Plot Costume Designer
1976	Gable and Lombard Costume Designer
1976	The Disappearance of Aimee Costumes Supervisor
1976	W.C. Fields and Me Costume Designer
1977	Airport '77 Costume Designer
1977	Sex and the Married Woman Costume Designer
1977	Sunshine Christmas Costume Designer
1978	Little Women Costume Designer
1978	Olly Olly Oxen Free Costume Designer
1978	Sextette Costume Designer
1978	The Big Fix Costume Designer
1980	The Last Married Couple in America Costume Designer
1982	Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid Costume Designer

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Music Genres

Pop/Rock

Movie Genres

Active

1927 - 1981

Born

October 28, 1897 in Los Angeles, CA

Died

October 24, 1981 in Los Angeles, CA

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