Part Five - Undressing Dressing Marilyn

The published author of a 500-page 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 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 four years and eight films, Travilla created over 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 possibly 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.

P—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 with his grandmother and two aunts for two weeks 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 is 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 into the hierarchy of known 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 for Maureen Riley in 2000’s California Couture, 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 from the Bunny Seidman interview was lifted in chunks with embellishments from another book.

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 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.

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 a publisher was interested in a series of small books, one each devoted to the Pink, Red, Gold, and White Marilyn dresses with 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 bits for the book of things I thought useful and found 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 Travilla Estate's approval and partnership. 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 the OriginalPropBlog's Jason DeBord. 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.

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 a 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.