Cinema Wedding Gowns: They Died With Their Boots On (1942)

I certainly never meant to take a three month break from my Cinema Wedding Gown feature! The reason is, in a nutshell, is that the movie I was going to do had a lot of screenshots and I couldn't decide which ones to use! It is still sitting in my drafts. However, this time of year is when weddings are abundant so I had to start this up again.

This month's first wedding gown is from one of my favorite films, They Died with Their Boots On (1942) starring one of my favorite on-screen couples: Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.
You can read about the film here.

The film is based on the life of General George Custer and his wife Libbie. While not always historically accurate, the casting of Errol and Olivia could not have been more perfect. After watching the film last year, I read a collection of their letters that they wrote to one another throughout their life and it was very easy to imagine the words being read by these two actors. They truly captured the essence of Custer and Libbie.

 

De Havilland's gown in the wedding scene, which shows the couple exiting the church after the ceremony, is in keeping with the style of the post-Civil War era. Designed by Milo Anderson, it features a full skirt with an unusual design going down the front, long tapered sleeves, and an off-the shoulder neckline.

 

This photo shows the design on the skirt much better (I couldn't find it without words all over it). It almost looks like corn to me.

The veil is train length with a shorter piece that most likely went over the face at the beginning of the ceremony. It is a little hard to tell just what exactly the veil is attached to. Notice the glittering earrings.

 

Don't they make a handsome couple?