Part Seven - Why Now?

Why now, nearly 20 years later?

The truth has no expiration date.

Additionally, I spent too much time and effort on it to let it go to waste. I'd given up hope on locating a file box containing much of my research, including an entire hard drive and pounds of printouts on several projects. Fate intervened, and it was located in the garage of friends I'd temporarily used for storage during my move east. I'm rewriting chapters from the 250,000-word manuscript for my never-to-be-realized two-volume biography of Travilla and posting them online. "The Lost Collection" was an entire chapter that needed to be disseminated.

So, who exactly knew what when?

According to published reports, beginning in mid-2007, Dimakis, Hansford, and Silva collaborated to formulate the Lost Collection, taking its name directly from the 2004 Profiles in History auction, so they must have known the dresses weren't as represented. Dimakis worked with Profiles in 2004 (possibly earlier) when the dresses were correctly listed as copies. If not earlier, Greg and Andrew became aware after Bellinghaus posted concrete evidence in 2007. Due to his progressing dementia, I doubt Bill Sarris could have been the mastermind behind the scam. Even the letters of support he supposedly wrote seem suspect from the man I got to know during my years with the Estate.

Totally unprepared for the scrutiny from the Marilyn Monroe Community or the hurricane that was Mark Bellinghaus, and gobsmacked by the venture's overwhelming success, they were forced into a corner to keep up the charade until it was eventually forgotten by most, but not all.

In hindsight, the casualness with which "authentic" gowns worth a collective mid-six figures were displayed and handled should've been a giant red flag to everyone, myself included. However, I missed them because I was so engrossed in other aspects of the Estate.

My last visit with Sarris was a couple of months before his passing on March 1, 2014. I remember sitting on the back patio of their apartment, talking about his childhood in Utah, the only memories he talked about. The great mind that helped steer Travilla Inc. into the success it attained was no more. I returned a few months later to check on Giorgio and begin relocating from Florida to California. According to Dimakis, after Bill died, he heard nothing from Silva, Hansford or anyone else involved in the tour and again brought up the subject of not seeing a "damn dime" from anyone. Going through Julien's rejected sketches, I took a stack back to Florida, selling some on eBay and profiting $ 4,000. The day after my move to Palm Springs in February 2015, I promptly handed the funds to Giorgio, which didn't have the desired effect, namely gratitude.

Being the last person standing after the auction, it was finally my time to suffer Giorgio's wrath. 

I was soon accused of the same thing Greg, Andrew, and numerous others had previously done: cheating him out of money. Considering my loyalty to him, Bill, and the Estate, and especially helping with the auction debacle, I was deeply insulted but unsurprised. It ended badly. We'd cross paths at the thrift store, where I volunteered religiously. I'd catch him silently glaring at me while I restocked the book department. There's no recovering the trust of a Greek once they think you've screwed them, and that's sad because even though he was a total asshole by the end, I understand and get Giorgio more than he'll know. I saw firsthand what he was going through, especially in the last years of Sarris's life, and will always admire him for ensuring Bill was as comfortable as possible. 

In 2013, long-time Travilla friend, singer, writer, and artist Chris Clark wrote a wonderful tribute to Dimakis.

But it wasn't my room, Uncle Bill was barging into at 2:00 am, raging about something that had happened years ago, or convinced that a dream he'd just had was real. Giorgos was the one to hold him and try and calm him down and rock him back to sleep. And all this during a constant scrambling around trying to handle the finances.

Giorgos was also thrown to the sharks more than once, trying to learn the rocky road to handling all the business dealings that had fallen to Uncle Bill for so many years. Giorgos gave up his incredible oil paintings, no longer able to find the time and peace in his soul to continue.

And that is all Giorgos Dimakis. He alone is responsible for the safe place Uncle Bill is now in his head - and home. There is no bigger gift in life than could be provided for Uncle Bill. And it has come at a huge cost to Giorgos. At a huge cost to his health, his energy, and most of all, his generous heart, that dies a little each day watching Uncle Bill recede further into himself. Yes, I was there for a year as a caretaker - but 100 Chris Clarks could not come up to even one of Giorgos Dimakis's small fingers. This is the man who deserves all the honor. Uncle Bill wouldn't be alive if not for Giorgos".

He's still an asshole.

As The as I know, he's still living in the desert, creating art and caring for his cats. I wish him well. My only hope is that Travilla's Academy Award will end up in a place where the public can view it rather than in the hands of a private collector.

As for the other cast of characters (thanks Google...)

Hansford made a nice bank for himself. The UK/Europe tour was a great success. If the 10p admission charge was the same for all exhibits, minus the 1.5p donations to Alzheimer's charities, that left 8.5p per head. With venue rental being the highest expense, it is likely that tens of thousands of pounds were generated, given that thousands attended (the 2008 average was 1p = $ 1.50 US). The final tally is unknown as Hansford never produced the final receipts for admissions, tour expenses, and Alzheimer's donations. Dressing Marilyn was a moderate success with a $20,000 advance and royalties. Aside from his co-author credit, Hansford will always be associated with Travilla, being listed as the "Estate Curator" in several books on fashion and Hollywood. Andrew eventually returned to his former life in the skincare industry.

Suzie Kennedy has spent over two decades portraying Monroe in film, television, and stage, partnering with Julien's for their 2016 Mega-Marilyn Auction. Julien's has grown into one of the two top dealers in Hollywood memorabilia. Greg Silva works as an office manager for a Palm Springs Veterinarian clinic. Joshua Greene still licenses and sells his father's photography. Mark Bellinghaus lives in Germany, where he fights for children's rights and against child abuse.

Travilla's legacy is best remembered and honored in books such as Marilyn in Fashion by Christopher Nickens and George Zeno, or Hollywood Sketchbook by Deborah Noodlman Landis.

Maureen Reilly's California Couture features an extensive chapter devoted to the designer, and her stand-alone book, Hollywood Costume Designs by Travilla. Like Dressing Marilyn and the Julien's catalog was a beautiful tribute with stunning images of Travilla's sketches and costumes. However, both are marred by inaccuracies and errors resulting from inadequate research.

While Travilla will always be remembered for his partnership with Marilyn Monroe, his other successes and creations in the film and fashion realms deserve preservation for future generations of costumers, designers, artists, and lovers of old Hollywood.

At this point, I'll continue to post my blogs about Travilla's film and fashion careers and keep my unbroken promise.

Eric Woodard

Part Six - Scattering the Bones

With the hopes of a proper touring exhibition now dashed, the only option seemed to sell the collection and provide Bill and Giorgio with much-needed funds. All the major auction houses (Christie's, Bonham's, and Sotheby's) were contacted but Profiles in History and Julien's were the top for entertainment memorabilia. Profiles had just finished two highly successful Debbie Reynolds auctions, where many of Travilla's Monroe costumes went for high dollars. However, Julien's held more Marilyn-themed that brought higher prices on average. I never pressed Dimakis about why he preferred not to work with Profiles again. Perhaps he had the same problematic relationship that he had with Silva and Hansford. To help things go smoothly in October 2012, I began communicating with Darren Julien.

My first letter to him introduced myself and my years of involvement with the Estate. I outlined the ratio was 25-30% entertainment and the rest fashion. There were a few bright spots with the Valley of the Dolls cache and the hundreds of wardrobe test photos. A few costume pieces and nicer gowns were the standouts among the clothes, and roughly 250 film of the roughly 2000 sketches.

10-29-12 Regarding Travilla "not wanting the items sold", I agree with you in that he would want Bill and Giorgio taken care of. Also, they will someday be sold, and Giorgio might as well make sure it's done in a way to honor Travilla rather than down the road when he has no control...We are very happy to work something out with you as we don't ever want to take advantage of anyone plus we think you will be a valuable asset to make sure everything goes smoothly… In the end we want to make sure this is a good experience for Giorgio and it honors the legacy of Travilla. Thanks so much for your time, Eric, and I will talk with you this week.

It's about time that Andrew and I had what would turn out to be our last Skype conversation after I told him that plans were moving forward with the auction but without his involvement because Giorgio didn't want anything to do with him. He didn't take it well at all and ghosted me. Disappointed but not surprised, I went ahead with the project. Darren and his partner Martin came from Los Angeles to pick up everything from Giorgio on Thanksgiving Weekend. 

11-24-12 I made it to Palm Springs late last night and I am waiting to meet with our fine art movers in about an hour. I am planning on it all going well. That's fine that you told Andrew I just don't want to let Giorgio down. I will always be loyal to Andrew as well because if it were not for him, we would have not known about this collection. I will let you know how today goes J.

And then later that same day...

11-24-12 Today went very well. Giorgio was very good and gave us everything. Lets talk tomorrow on the phone.

Darren's mention of Andrew seemed strange as his name never came up during our previous communications, and Julien knew of Giorgio not wanting Hansford involved. It's also about this time that communication between Darren and I began to break down once I presented my conditions to assist. (A week's stay in L.A., including accommodations, a rental car, and per diem. In addition, the Travilla pieces I'd collected for the (now canceled) exhibition were to be incorporated into the sale.) Negotiations came to a head shortly after the New Year.

1-7-13  We were just having you help with identifying the sketches and some of the clothing. This can all be done off of photographs. We were doing this more to include you. It's all getting too complicated for us.

I severed my working with Darren in one final scathing email, immediately trashing his reply, so I'll never know his response. I continued to support Giorgio and Bill the best I could from Florida. Mostly, it was trying to pull Giorgio off the ledge, as communication ceased with Darren after he and Martin returned to Los Angeles with the items and completed their final inventory. It was far less impressive than he'd been led to believe. What I think was the final straw for Darren was that Travilla's Academy Award for Don Juan could not be offered due to the AMPAS buy-back rule that began in 1950, the year he received it. That alone could've brought in $50,000-$100,000, possibly more. All Darren was left with were some dressy clothes, drawings, photographs and bits and bobs of a fifty-year career. 

Promised exhibitions in New York City and Tokyo never materialized; just a few pieces were displayed at the Newbridge Museum of Style in Ireland for a couple of weeks. Also, the original date of October 11, 2013, was pushed back to November 13 without notification to the Estate.

While he and I were still talking, Darren was emphatic about the quality of the catalog, stating on January 14. 2013, "Our goal is to make this as detailed and accurate as possible because the catalog is going to be a historic reference guide for many years to come."

They failed.

Like Maureen Riley's books and Hansford's Dressing Marilyn, Julien's catalog was filled with lush, colorful images of Travilla's work, but also with errors. It almost seemed a "fuck you" response to things not being as presented.

The cover featured the Seven Year Itch sketch ten years after it appeared on the cover of  Profiles in Hisotry's "Lost Collection" Sale #20.  Inside, the promise of an exclusive Travilla-only sale was broken with the inclusion of the first fifty lots split between Marla Maples (Trump's 2nd wife) and Mr. Blackwell (a Travilla peer. Mildly successful label but more famous for his best/worst dressed lists.) Their presence makes no sense, especially with Julien's holding a poorly promoted online-only sale of sixty lots (1509 – 1569) held back till the following Monday, restricting buyers from bidding on Friday.

Marla Maples and Mr. Blackwell's gowns on display at Julien's showroom for the Travilla auction.

When it came to the Travilla portion, my lack of involvement was evident with unidentified film and television costumes/sketches mixed in with the fashion. The phrase "attributed to" was used frequently when describing signed sketches, and "Marilyn Monroe-inspired" was used to describe the vintage traveling copies made from vintage patterns by Travilla seamstresses. The lackluster attention to detail was why prices were so disappointing. Fashion sketches sold in lots of ten to fifteen bringing as little as $10-20 each, . Gowns sold initially for four figures went for as little as $50. Many pieces were stained or had broken zippers, clasps or missing buttons.

A total of 440 lots were sold, bringing $269,565.00. I a grouping of items that totaled $10,000.  Julien deducted $53,913 in commissions and $920 to repair one of the Emmys (incorrectly listed as a Grammy on the invoice.) Giorgio and Bill received $214,732.00.

Except for the items kept by Giorgio and those deemed unsaleable by Julien's, Travilla's legacy was now scattered to the four corners of the earth. 

Something that has always bothered me and seems a little shady is how the Itch sketch that sold on November 13, 2013, for $25,000 was immediately placed in Profiles in History's Hollywood Auction #64, where it sold on December 21, 2013, for $96,000 - a $70,000 increase in five weeks. As someone who understands printing production timeframes, the Profiles catalog was completed and mailed from overseas before the Julien's sale occurred. Profiles did not mention Julien's in the provenance but listed it from their previous unsuccessful sale. Was a backdoor deal between the houses done? After my dealings with Darren, it wouldn't surprise me.

Part Five - Undressing Dressing Marilyn

As the published author of a well-respected and award-winning biography on actress Jeanne Eagels and a highly regarded researcher on several Marilyn Monroe biographies, I know the time it takes for proper research and fact-checking. Dressing Marilyn had very little of either. While many of my suggestions were taken, for whatever reason, Andrew never asked me to read the manuscript at any point in the project. He should’ve. For someone who titled themselves “Curator” of the Estate, one must wonder if he even watched Marilyn’s films in their entirety, rather than YouTube clips, and delved any deeper into Travilla’s biography other than what was erroneously found online. With access to other experts, authors, and collectors, it is inexcusable.

Over the course of four years and eight films, Travilla created more than sixty outfits for Marilyn Monroe. Dressing Marilyn could’ve been far better; if not, it seems more of a vanity piece about the author. Unfortunately, the average person won’t realize or care how inaccurate Dressing Marilyn is. Fortunately, some of us do.

With fifteen-plus years of research now under my belt, the reread of Dressing Marilyn found more than I remembered. Here's a partial list.

Like the dresses not being prototypes, the various patterns featured in the book date from the 1980s, with the pattern cards having zip codes (not around before 1963) and modern phone numbers.

Page 6 - The six-week timeline from conception to the exhibit's opening was impossible. Hansford stated it was an "early September idea" to Argus on September 28. The exhibit opened on October 3. Hansford originally stated it was “months in the making” in previous newspaper articles.

Page 14-27 - Andrews Visit to Tinsel Land – What is the purpose of so many pages wasted on the “author’s journey” that could’ve been devoted to Travilla and/or Marilyn?

Page 15-19 - While it would be nice to have this for a biography of Travilla, Ann Savage’s recollections are irrelevant when there are tons of quotes on Marilyn by Travilla.

Page 20 - Having repeatedly visited the Fox lot, I personally know that there is no Subway entrance or grate from the 1954 filming beneath the Itch mural. If he'd watched the film, Andrew would have seen that there is no subway entrance in the scene.

Page 25 - Travilla Inc. didn’t open in 1952.

Page 26 - The caption does not mention the photo of Dorothy Dandridge wearing a Travilla gown.
Page 26 - While a possibility, MM’s close friendship with Sarris is not mentioned in any of the hundred or so MM biographies—none.

Page 30 - Travilla hated publicity. False. From the 1940s until his death, Travilla did thousands of interviews for film and fashion. Publicity was how his business thrived.

Page 34 - The Travilla Brothers’ seal was named “Winks,” not “Trixie.”

Page 34 - Travilla inherited money from his grandfather but invested it in a failed design studio, not galivanting around the South Seas for a year. His only visit to Tahiti was a two-week trip with his grandmother and two aunts in 1941. (Though untrue, Travilla repeats the galavanting story more than once.)

Page 34 - His wife (as Rita Rio) was not on the road at 13, dated a mobster at 16, or discovered singing in a nightclub at 17.

Page 36 - Ann Savage’s comments on Dona & Travilla after their marriage are incorrect. Dona didn’t travel with a leopard or go on tours after marriage.

Page 37 - By the time Travilla had been assigned Don Juan, he’d already done nearly twenty films (ten films at Warner, including three successful Ann Sheridan projects.) His Oscar for Don Juan elevated him to the ranks of renowned designers.

Page 42 - The unidentified black man in the 5-4 Ballroom photograph was Hank Jones, who would cross paths with Monroe again in 1962 when Jones directed the band for her rendition of "Happy Birthday" for President Kennedy at Madison Square Gardens.

Page 43 - Travilla was not nominated for an Academy Award for Bus Stop. Nor do any books on Monroe have Travilla visiting the set of Something’s Got to Give.

Page 45 - Travilla Inc. opened in 1956, not 1952, as stated on page 25.

Page 45 - The House of Travilla closed in 2003, not 1995. (In M. Reilly's California Couture, Sarris listed the designers after Travilla: Paul Whitney 1989-93; Lourdes Chavez 1993- and Rosana Joerg 1998-.)

Page 46 - Moviola was Travilla’s third job after Cabo Blanco (starring Charles Bronson) and the television film She’s Dressed to Kill (which he promoted on the Dinah show with former leading ladies Debbie Reynolds, Diahann Carroll, Jane Powell, Jean Peters and Jane Russell.)

Page 46 & 49 - Much of the Bunny Seidman interview was lifted in chunks from another book (with embellishments).

Page 52 - Why were photographs of the red sequined dress rather than the“prototype” used? Probably because you could see how "basic" it was in comparison.

Page 52 - This isn't Travilla’s sketch of the red dress. None of his other 2500 sketches I have photos of match this style.

Page 78 - Sketch is not original but a 1980s redraw for a series of prints gifted to a friend.

Page 82 - “Original” concept is a 1980s redraw minus dedication and signature.

 

Page 95 - Dahlia dress NOT prototype. (Original sold in 2004)

 

Page 100 - The Millionaire premiere dress is a Travilla creation, not an anonymous gown borrowed from the studio.

Page 115 - Not one MM biography places Travilla at the filming of the Itch scene in NYC.

Gypsy Rose Lee (r) is wearing one of the "Little Girl From Little Rock" costumes from Blondes.

Page 128 - Stripper sketches/chapter Wooanrd and unknown actress. They were pulled from the Bath exhibition after discovering they weren’t Monroe sketches. Yet are included here as being MM.

Page 140 - Silver Photoplay dress 1980s redraw of gold version worn by Ginger Rogers in Dreamboat.

The exact same dress was sold on Etsy.

Page 146 - Crème Dress – Sarris claimed in his 2007 letter during the Bellinghaus issue that "The crepe halter dress was never used for production, but I attest that it was worn by Marilyn Monroe to a private event and was a favored possession of William Travilla until his passing.” If it was such a valuable Marilyn dress, would they let it be worn by a background extra on DALLAS Season 8 Ep 18, "Legacy of Hate?"

Page 154 - Don’t Bother to Knock actress Lurene Tuttle is misidentified as Ann Bancroft.

Page 156 - Like the red sequined, this isn't a style of Travilla's.

Page 170 - No mention of the RNR gold dress being a modified Helen Rose from the 1943 Grable film Coney Island.

 

Page 171 - Marilyn didn’t mirror Travilla's sketch, he copied the photo in the 1980s.

Page 173 - Marilyn does appear in River of No Return wearing the publicity corset.

Page 188 - Travilla was 15, just out of Chouinard, and not sketching for Tom Mix when the cowboy serial ended in 1935.

Not one error was corrected in the 2017 reprint.

Part Four - Dressing Marilyn

In mid-2010, Hansford excitedly told me that a publisher was interested in a series of small books, one devoted to each of the Pink, Red, Gold, and White Marilyn dresses, featuring sketches, photographs, and background information on each garment. I suggested making it one book, expanding the content beyond what the Estate possessed to include pieces from other collectors. Over the following months, I sent him a detailed list and notes on the book, including things I found useful during my research.

An opportunity for publicity for both the Estate and his book presented itself when, on May 18, 2011, a press release and website premiered from InQuicity for their “Save the Dress” Campaign about a group that formed to purchase the white Seven Year Itch dress that was coming up for auction in the first Debbie Reynolds sale. If successful, "the dress will become the focal point of a multi-city nationwide tour, before being placed on permanent display in New York."

Their May 25 Facebook post announced the approval and partnership of the Travilla Estate. On June 1, 2011, Marilyn's birthday, Andrew appeared at the press event held at the actual filming site on Lexington Avenue, bringing the Estate's copy of the longer-hem dress. (The exact spot courtesy of moi.) DNAInfo noted, "Andrew Hansford, the curator of the Travilla estate who brought the replica dress, read notes from the designer about making the dress."'I had to portray Marilyn as pure and lovely, almost like talcum powder,'" Hansford said. The designer considered it a "silly little dress," Hansford acknowledged, "But Marilyn adored it. It made her an international icon.'"

The publicity worked, and donations poured in. Still, there was a "no refunds" kerfuffle with the plan to donate money received to various charities by the three-person Board of Advisors (on which Andrew sat.) The issue was resolved after an inquiry by and attention from Jason DeBord of the OriginalPropBlog. With a top unsuccessful bid of $2.2 million, the SaveTheDress campaign died a valiant effort. The status of refunds is unknown. 

Dressing Marilyn: How a Hollywood Icon Was Styled by William Travilla debuted in the Fall of 2011 in the United Kingdom. (The US version would be released in April 2012.)  The UK press party was a rousing success and I eagerly awaited my pre-ordered Amazon copy. 

Strictly Come Dancing's Kristina Rihanoff models the gold lame gown
at the Dressing Marilyn UK book release.

Promoting the book on British morning television.

When it arrived, I devoured it in one sitting. At 191 pages, it was filled with lush color photographs of the sketches, costumes, and vintage photos. I was even listed third in the Thank Yous section for my contributions, many of which made publication.

.

But overall, it was very disappointing for one big reason. (Please see the Undressing Dressing Marilyn entry for a more detailed list of issues.)

It was based on lies. Not half-truths, misinformation, or gossip. Lies.

Disregarding proof from as far back as 2007 with Bellinghaus's blogs, Hansford chose to rewrite the history of the exhibition scandal regarding the authenticity of the gowns and continue the false narrative that the dresses were prototypes created before the final film versions. 

Surprise. Mark Bellinghaus was right. They weren't Marilyn-worn or from the early 1950s. They were "traveling" copies made in the 1960s that the designer would take to various functions and fashion shows. Travilla seamstresses made them from patterns in the Travilla studio under Travilla's direction, just not as presented to the public.

Four of the gowns were worn during a September 18, 1990, appearance at the Costa Mesa Performing Arts Center during a fundraising event.

The Estate's duplicate Itch copy had been offered by Profiles in History in their December 2004 Hollywood Auction #20. The sales centerpiece was the "Lost Collection of William Travilla," with the backstory. These were the few remaining sketches in the Estate's possession, discovered under the bed of Travilla's partner, William Sarris. In addition to the dress, the catalog featured roughly two dozen sketches, including Travilla's sketch of the white dress, which, surprisingly, didn't sell. However, the dress did go to a collector in Spain.

The Pink Diamonds dress (and sketch) were offered with little fanfare in Profiles' July 2005 Auction #22. (Neither sold and were returned to the Estate.) 

The same low key sale of the Gold Lame dress in their March 2006 Auction #24. Unsold, like the pink dress, and was returned to the Estate until sent to Hansford in 2007.

Model wearing a gold lame in 1988 newspaper publicity photograph.

In fact, the Estate's gold lame may not have been a traveling copy but a retail version. A check on 1stdibs.com reveals not one, not two, but three different listings for three different copies of the gold lame that have sold.

As for the Estate having any actual Monroe dresses, film or personal was answered in November 1981, Travilla admitted to the Atlanta Constitution that he had no Marilyn Monroe costumes in his possession and had to borrow a few from John Lebold and Debbie Reynolds to bring to a lavish event in his honor.

More evidence was an interview Sarris gave in 2000 to FashionFinds.com's Gina Cooper for The Making of The Thorn Birds, in which he revealed what remained after the devestating 1991 fire ripped through Travilla, Inc.

GC: "I know you had a fire, so you don't have much left."

SARRIS:"I have five Marilyn sketches, one of them being the Seven Year Itch dress, but none of her dresses. I've got a total of forty-five drawings, actually, but I mean of his whole career. My archive dresses don't go back that far [the 1950s]. Everything early we created burned up."

While disconcerting, Sarris' misinformation about the number of sketches could've been to stave off any leeches.