"Edith Head is widely considered the most important figure in the history of Hollywood costume design. The glamour and style of her creations continue to inspire generations of designers. Her career spanned nearly half a century and included such classic films as Rear Window and Sunset Boulevard. Her private life and professional achievements, however, have been the subject of speculation since she rose to the top of her field in the late 1940s. Ruthlessly competitive and intensely secretive, Head had few close friends and many detractors. In his unprecedented biography, David Chierichetti offers a privileged glimpse into the personality and emotions behind the famously impenetrable "schoolmarm" facade, as well as a comprehensive account of her creative process."."Edith Head is richly illustrated with more than 150 images, including family snapshots, sketches, and studio portraits of the stars and roles she helped to create. With a full-color photo insert, this informative, thorough, and important biography is also engaging and entertaining, and will appeal to designers, scholars, and film buffs alike."--BOOK JACKET.… (more) |
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(3.18)
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Reading it was a mixed experience. There were parts that were fascinating - the intrigue and machinations behind the scenes were great fun to read about. At the same time, a better editor (or perhaps just a final edit?) is needed - there are 5 or 6 passages that are used almost verbatim several times, in separate places in the book. Also, the flow of the book is a little scattered. At times, it seemed to be almost more like a string of stream of consciousness vignettes than a coherent story. I frequently found myself having to go back several paragraphs or pages to figure out who a particular person was. The nature of the book is such that many of the names were unfamiliar to me - not being a Old Hollywood geek, I don't know the names of all of the designers/assistants/minor starlets right off hand. That being said, I completely understand that it's not a book guaranteed to appeal to everyone - so the intended audience might be much more familiar with these people than I am.
There was a nice set of color picture inserts, along with some sketches of particular outfits interspersed throughout the book. It would have been nice to have a lot more of these - but there well might have been copyright/legal issues with that.
Overall, pretty solid. I'm considering getting Edith's own book, The Dress Doctor, as it was referenced in this book. Apparently you're to read it with a grain of salt, as a bunch of stuff was made up. (