Biografie

5. Juni 1902 · Oakland, Kalifornien, USA

8. März 1982 · Santa Monica, Kalifornien, USA (nicht bekannt gegeben)

1,75 m

Costume designer Walter Plunkett's concern for detail in his costumes designed for the 1939 feature film - "Gone With The Wind" - may never be explained. Ralph Siegel, a design-department lead instructor at the California College of Arts and Crafts Design Schoo, (located in Berkeley-Oakland) in the '50s, had worked in Walter Plunkett's Selznick Studios costume-wardrobe department during the costume preparation for this feature film; Ralph's employment was as an artist, designer, and costumer, whose sole job was to prepare every undergarment worn by the female and male performers. Each and every female costume was accurately outfitted with petticoats; each painted with watercolor dye patterns and designs in the style and vogue of the mid 1840-50s. Filming never captured the details of any of the costumes constructed for this film. Walter Plunkett researched the wardrobe fashions and minute undergarment details of the styles existing before the Civil War ante-bellum 1845-47 era - male and female garment requirements insisting every costume be complete in detail, even for the background film extras.

The budget of Du sollst mein Glücksstern sein (1952) soared to $2,540,800, of which $157,000 went to his elaborate costumes. Although the final price overshot MGM's budget by $665,000, the studio quickly realized the wisdom of its investment when the film returned a $7.7 million profit upon its initial release.

According to the book "David O. Selznick's Hollywood" by film historian Ron Haver, he worked uncredited on King Kong und die weiße Frau (1933). He designed the "Beauty and the Beast" costume that Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) wears while Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) cranks a camera and films a screen test of her onboard the ship before they land at Skull Island.

[on working at MGM]: It was a lucky and very glorious thing for me. I was lucky that I was a part of the Hollywood movie-making era when costume designers were considered important and were allowed more money.