Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Long, Long Trailer (1954) & Forever, Darling (1956)

Recently for the first time I watched The Long, Long Trailer (1954) & Forever, Darling (1956). Both films star real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, popular from the television sitcom I Love Lucy (1951-1957). Both are about a couple who gets married, has some difficulties, and reconcile in the end. Both use Yosemite National Park as a filming location. And both feature gorgeous 1950s lace wedding gowns (they are also in color but I was unable to take screenshots from either movie).

         

Left: The Long, Long Trailer; Right: Forever, Darling

As you can see, both dresses have a strapless bodice with a lace overlay featuring a high stand-up collar and long sleeves. They also both have a lace apron-like skirt over a full skirt of another type of fabric. Helen Rose designed the gowns for the first film and Eloise Jenssen designed those of the second. Both are ultra-glamorous and chic, as only the fashion-conscious Lucille Ball would have it. While the dresses are both featured somewhat briefly in the films, there are several lovely promo shots that show much more detail.

 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

            

The sketch by Jenssen (note how the veil is different) and the gown as seen on a model.

Lucy in the dress with a matching doll

The veils are tulle attached to a cap-like headpiece made of lace. While the one from The Long, Long Trailer sits on the back of the head and is a very typical 1950s look, the headpiece from Forever, Darling is much more over-the-top and falls well onto the face.

      

 

A coloring page to promote Forever, Darling

 

Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Parent Trap (1961)

When I started this series I mentioned that some of the gowns I would cover are only seen for a brief moment on screen. One of these gowns is the wedding dress worn by Maureen O'Hara at the end of The Parent Trap (1961). Not only is it on screen for less than a minute, it is also only seen in Hayley Mills' dream.

Here is what we see in the film:

 

Susan and Sharon's matching bridesmaids dresses:

 

 

Here are some publicity photos that show more of the dresses. As you can see it's a very pale yellow:

 

This is a great photo. Maureen O'Hara is so beautiful.

 

This shows the entire dress, minus the veil.

This photo shows the lace on the bodice.

 

 

Cinema Wedding Gowns: I Married a Witch (1942)

I Married a Witch (1942) is a delightful film preceding the extremely popular Bewitched television series of the 1960s and early 70s. Starring Veronica Lake and Fredric March, it is about a witch who returns to life in order to fulfill an ancient curse on the descendant of a witch burner. The curse is that all male descendants will marry the wrong girl. Jennifer (Lake) takes on bodily form in order to make Wallace Wooley (March) fall in love with her on the eve of his wedding to Estelle Masterson (Susan Hayward). Hayward wears an exquisite wedding gown in this movie and it is the second gown in this series.

If Estelle doesn't exactly look happy at her wedding, it is because things keep happening to make them start over. First there's a hurricane, caused when Jennifer shows up at the Masterson home. Then Wally hears a gunshot and rushes back upstairs thinking Jennifer has killed herself. Finally Estelle goes upstairs to see what in the world is going and finds Jennifer and Wally kissing, this ending any chance of nuptials that day, and probably the future.

             

The costumes for this film were designed by Edith Head. I could not find any pictures of her original sketches to include. This dress is another vision in lace with a plunging illusion neckline, gathered bust-line, and full hooped skirt with tiers. The veil features large stand-up scallops around the face as well as scallops down the sides and bottom.

         

Here are some screenshots from the movie:

Looking happy for a brief moment

Wondering why the groom is running down the aisle.

The back of the veil.

The skirt in motion.

 

 

Cinema Wedding Gowns: Light in the Piazza (1962)

Since I ran out of book sources for my Behind the Dress series (without shelling out $40), I've decided to start a new series showing some of the gorgeous wedding gowns that have been featured in films, whether is was shown for a long scene in the movie or just a fleeting glance.

Since weddings generally take place on Saturdays, this series will appear on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.

Our first wedding dress is from Light in the Piazza (1962) and is worn by Yvette Mimieux. George Hamilton is the groom (a last minute replacement for James Darren), the mother of the bride is Olivia de Havilland, and the father of the groom is Italian actor Rossano Brazzi.

This gown is the epitome of style and glamour (two of my favorite words when talking about clothes). While the dress has a 1950s cocktail dress vibe, the veil/headpiece is definitely 1960s. The lace is exquisite.

Dolly Smith was the Wardrobe Mistress for this film. Olivia's wardrobe was by Dior. I don't know who actually designed this stunning gown.

 

 

My 250th post!!!