Adrian Adolph Greenburg (March 3, 1903 – September 13, 1959), widely known as Adrian, was an American

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...

whose most famous costumes were for '' The Wizard of Oz'' and hundreds of

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

films between 1928 and 1941. He was usually credited onscreen with the phrase "Gowns by Adrian". Early in his career he chose the professional name Gilbert Adrian, a combination of his father's forename and his own.

Early life

Adrian was born on March 3, 1903, in

Naugatuck, Connecticut Naugatuck is a consolidated borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town spans both sides of the Naugatuck River just south of Waterbury and includes the communities of Union City on the east side of the river, whi ...

, to Gilbert and Helena (née Pollak) Greenburg. Adrian's father Gilbert was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and his mother Helena in

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

. Both sides of the family were

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. Joseph Greenburg and his wife Frances were from Russia, while Adolph Pollak and Bertha (née Mendelsohn) Pollak were from Bohemia and Germany, respectively. In 1920 Adrian entered the New York School for Fine and Applied Arts (now

Parsons School of Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...

). In 1922 he transferred to the NYSFAA Paris campus, and while there, he was contracted by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

to design settings and costumes for Berlin's ''Music Box Revue of 1922–23'' in New York.

Career in Hollywood

The Wizard of Oz Lahr Garland Bolger Haley 1939

Adrian was brought to Hollywood in November 1924 by

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...

's wife

Natacha Rambova Natacha Rambova (born Winifred Kimball Shaughnessy; January 19, 1897 – June 5, 1966) was an American film costume designer, set designer, and occasional actress who was active in Hollywood in the 1920s. In her later life, she abandoned design ...

to design costumes for ''The Hooded Falcon''. The Valentino company dissolved, and Adrian's first screen credit was for the Constance Talmadge comedy ''Her Sister from Paris''. In 1925 Adrian was hired as a costume designer by Cecil B. DeMille's independent film studio. In 1928 DeMille moved to

, and Adrian was provisionally hired as a costume designer for M-G-M. After a few months, he signed a contract as head designer, ultimately remaining for thirteen years and 200 films. Adrian worked with the biggest female stars of the day:

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O' ...

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', '' Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow'' and '' On ...

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

and

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

. He designed twenty-eight Crawford films, eighteen Shearer films, and nine Harlow films. He worked with Garbo from 1928, when he arrived, until 1941, when both departed the company. The

Eugénie hat A Eugénie hat (sometimes also eugenie hat, Empress Eugenie hat or empress hat) is a small women's hat that is usually worn tilted forwards over the face, or it may be angled low over one eye. Typically, it is made of velvet or felt, although a ...

he created for her film ''

Romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

'' became a sensation and influenced millinery styles. When Adrian emphasized Crawford's shoulders by designing outfits with

shoulder pads Shoulder pads may refer to: * Shoulder pads (fashion) * Shoulder pads (sport), particularly gridiron football {{disambiguation ...

, these created a trend. Adrian was famous for

evening gown An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), tea (above the ankles), to full-length. Such gowns are typically worn with evening ...

designs, a talent displayed in '' The Women''. Though filmed in black and white, ''The Women'' includes a

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

fashion show of Adrian designs. Adrian was acclaimed for the period costumes of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

''; the extravagant costumes of ''

The Great Ziegfeld ''The Great Ziegfeld'' is a 1936 American musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Luise Rainer as Anna Held, and ...

''; and the opulent gowns of '' Camille'' and ''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

''. Adrian insisted on the finest materials and workmanship for the execution of his designs, cultivating fabric manufacturers in Europe and New York. Adrian's best known film is '' The Wizard of Oz'', for which he designed the red-sequined

ruby slippers The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items ...

worn by

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

. Adrian left MGM on September 5, 1941, to open his own fashion firm. Adrian had contemplated leaving MGM for a year or two, upset with budgetary retrenchments caused by the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and changes in public taste. He had a serious disagreement with director

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head ...

, producer Bernard Hyman, and MGM head

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

over the style of costumes

should wear in the upcoming ''

Two-Faced Woman ''Two-Faced Woman'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by George Cukor and starring Greta Garbo in her final film role, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett, and Roland Young. The movie was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Garbo ...

'', which began preproduction about April 1941. Adrian apparently resolved to leave the studio after this disagreement. He notified MGM of his decision on July 16, 1941. Adrian's departure from the studio came as a shock to Louis B. Mayer. Adrian's last day was to have been August 15, but he offered to stay on to wrap up various projects. Mayer kept him on the payroll until September 5. Adrian was not terminated by MGM, nor did he resign; his three-year contract merely expired.

Robert Kalloch Robert Mero Kalloch III (January 13, 1893 — October 19, 1947), often known by his professional mononym Kalloch, was an American fashion designer and, later, a costume designer for Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He worked on 105 film ...

, Columbia Pictures' chief costume and fashion designer, was named Adrian's replacement largely because his designs strongly resembled Adrian's. Adrian continued to design fashions for the occasional film project through the 1940s, most notably for '' Humoresque'' in 1946.

Sexuality and marriage

Adrian married

Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress. Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (late ...

on August 14, 1939. Gaynor had been unmarried for six years since her previous marriage had ended. This relationship has been called a

lavender marriage A lavender marriage is a male–female mixed-orientation marriage, undertaken as a marriage of convenience to conceal the socially stigmatised sexual orientation of one or both partners. The term dates from the early 20th century and is used al ...

, since Adrian was openly gay within the film community while Gaynor was rumored to be gay or bisexual. Both Adrian and Gaynor went on record to say they were happily married, and they remained so until his death in 1959. Gaynor and Adrian had one son, Robin (born July 6, 1940).

Designer of American fashion

In 1942 Adrian established Adrian, Ltd., at 233 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, in the building formerly occupied by the Victor Hugo restaurant. (He had been courted by retailers to design for public sale but rebuffed those offers. In 1932 Macy's Cinema Shop had copied his work with the studio's tacit approval, much in the same way that department stores produced so-called "Paris fashions," which were unapproved copies of French couturiers' works.) Adrian's fashion line filled the gap left by Paris, which could not export during the German occupation. American women responded to Adrian's clean-lined designs, and he exerted a strong influence on American fashion until the late 1940s. Adrian returned to M-G-M in 1952 for one film, ''

Lovely to Look At ''Lovely to Look At'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, based on the 1933 Broadway musical '' Roberta''. Plot Broadway producers Al Marsh, Tony Naylor, and Jerry Ralby are desperately searching for invest ...

''. He was never nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

as the costume category was not introduced during the time of his major work for the studios.

Illness, retirement, and death

Adrian was stricken with a heart attack in 1952. Because he never assigned work to assistants, preferring to do all drafts and designs himself, the business could not be continued under his name. Consequently, he was forced to close Adrian, Ltd. Adrian and his wife Janet bought a ''fazenda'' (ranch) in Anápolis, in the state of Goiás, in the interior of Brazil. They spent a few years developing it, frequently in the company of their friends Richard Halliday and

Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in ''South Pacific'' (194 ...

. In 1958 Adrian came out of retirement to design costumes for ''At the Grand'', a musical version of the 1932 film '' Grand Hotel'' that starred

Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...

and

Viveca Lindfors Elsa Viveca Torstensdotter Lindfors (December 29, 1920 – October 25, 1995) was a Swedish stage, film, and television actress. She won an Emmy Award and a Silver Bear for Best Actress. Biography Lindfors was born in Uppsala, Sweden, the d ...

and played only in Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 1959 Adrian was hired to design costumes for the upcoming

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...

''. While at work on this project in his studio, Adrian suffered a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. He was posthumously awarded the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical. He is buried in

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More than 14000 Famous Persons, Scott Wilson

Selected filmography

* ''Cobra'' (1925) * ''Her Sister from Paris'' (1925) * '' The Eagle'' (1925) * ''The Volga Boatman'' (1926) * ''Fig Leaves'' (1926) * ''

For Alimony Only ''For Alimony Only'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by William C. deMille and starring Leatrice Joy, Clive Brook, and Lilyan Tashman. The film's sets were by the art director Max Parker while the costumes were designed by Adrian ...

'' (1926) * ''Young April'' (1926) * ''Gigolo'' (1926) * '' The Little Adventuress'' (1927) * ''Vanity'' (1927) * ''His Dog'' (1927) * ''The Country Doctor'' (1927) * ''The Fighting Eagle'' (1927) * ''The Angel of Broadway'' (1927) * ''The Wise Wife'' (1927) * ''Dress Parade'' (1927) * ''The Forbidden Woman'' (1927) * ''The Wreck of the Hesperus'' (1927) * ''The Main Event'' (1927) * ''My Friend from India'' (1927) * ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' (1927) * ''Almost Human'' (1927) * ''

A Ship Comes In ''A Ship Comes In'' (also known as ''His Country'') is a 1928 silent film which tells the story of immigrants coming to the United States. It stars Rudolph Schildkraut, Louise Dresser, Milton Holmes, Linda Landi, and Fritz Feld. The movie ...

'' (1928) * ''Let 'Er Go, Gallegher'' (1928) * ''What Price Beauty?'' (1928) * ''Stand and Deliver'' (1928) * ''The Blue Danube'' (1928) * ''Midnight Madness'' (1928) * ''Skyscraper'' (1928) * ''

Walking Back ''Walking Back'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Rupert Julian and an uncredited Cecil B. DeMille. Prints of the film exist. Plot A young jazz hound, "Smoke" Thatcher (Richard Walling), is failing his academic studies due to h ...

'' (1928) * ''The Masks of the Devil'' (1928) * '' Dream of Love'' (1928) * ''

A Lady of Chance ''A Lady of Chance'' is a 1928 silent film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The film is based upon the story "Little Angel" by Leroy Scott and is Norma Shearer's last silent film. Although the film was released with added dialogue scenes, Sheare ...

'' (1928) * ''

A Woman of Affairs A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1928) * ''A Single Man'' (1929) * '' Wild Orchids'' (1929) * '' The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' (1929) * ''

The Godless Girl ''The Godless Girl'' (1928) is an American dramatic silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, shown for years as his last completely silent film. The cast features Lina Basquette, Marie Prevost, Tom Keene and Noah Beery. Plot This drama feat ...

'' (1929) * '' The Trial of Mary Dugan'' (1929) * '' The Last of Mrs. Cheyney'' (1929) * ''

The Single Standard ''The Single Standard'' is a 1929 American romantic drama film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer directed by veteran John S. Robertson and starring Greta Garbo, Nils Asther, and Johnny Mack Brown. This was Greta Garbo's fifteenth film and her second co ...

'' (1929) * '' Our Modern Maidens'' (1929) * ''

The Unholy Night ''The Unholy Night'' is a 1929 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Lionel Barrymore and starring Ernest Torrence. Plot The well-to-do Lord Montague is assaulted on a fog enshrouded London street on his way to his club, but manages to es ...

'' (1929) * '' The Thirteenth Chair'' (1929) * '' The Kiss'' (1929) * '' Untamed'' (1929) * ''

Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and patented in 1867. It rapidl ...

'' (1929) * ''

Their Own Desire ''Their Own Desire'' is a 1929 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by E. Mason Hopper and starring Norma Shearer, Belle Bennett, Lewis Stone, Robert Montgomery, and Helene Millard. The film was adapted by James Forbes and Frances ...

'' (1929) * ''

Devil-May-Care Devil May Care may refer to: Music * ''Devil May Care'', an album by Bob Dorough, 1956 ** "Devil May Care", the title song, covered by Jamie Cullum on '' Pointless Nostalgic'', 2002 * ''Devil May Care'' (album), by Teri Thornton, 1961 * ''Devil M ...

'' (1929) * ''Marianne'' (1929) * ''

Not So Dumb ''Not So Dumb'' is a 1930 pre-Code comedy motion picture starring Marion Davies, directed by King Vidor, and produced for Cosmopolitan Productions for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the stage play ''Dulcy'' by George S. Kaufman and Ma ...

'' (1930) * ''

Anna Christie ''Anna Christie'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this work. According to historian Paul Avrich, the ...

'' (1930) * ''A Lady to Love'' (1930) * ''

A Lady's Morals ''A Lady's Morals'' is a 1930 American pre-Code film offering a highly fictionalized account of opera singer Jenny Lind. The movie features Grace Moore as Lind, Reginald Denny as a lover, and Wallace Beery as P. T. Barnum. The film contains some ...

'' (1930) * ''

Montana Moon ''Montana Moon'' is a 1930 Pre-Code Western musical film which introduced the concept of the singing cowboy to the screen. Starring Joan Crawford, Johnny Mack Brown, Dorothy Sebastian, and Ricardo Cortez, the film focuses on the budding relatio ...

'' (1930) * ''

This Mad World ''This Mad World'' is a 1930 American pre-Code film directed by William C. deMille and starring Basil Rathbone, Kay Johnson and Louise Dresser. A drama, it sees a French spy return home to German-occupied France during World War I to find a Germ ...

'' (1930) * ''

The Divorcee ''The Divorcee'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film written by Nick Grindé, John Meehan, and Zelda Sears, based on the 1929 novel ''Ex-Wife'' by Ursula Parrott. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who was nominated for the Academy ...

'' (1930) * ''Redemption'' (1930) * ''

The Rogue Song ''The Rogue Song'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic and musical film that tells the story of a Russian bandit who falls in love with a princess, but takes his revenge on her when her brother rapes and kills his sister. The Metro-Goldwyn-Ma ...

'' (1930) * '' In Gay Madrid'' (1930) * ''

The Lady of Scandal ''The Lady of Scandal'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romance, comedy film, melodrama directed by Sidney Franklin based on the 1927 play '' The High Road'' by Frederick Lonsdale and starring Ruth Chatterton, Basil Rathbone and Ralph Forbes. Its ...

'' (1930) * ''The Florodora Girl'' (1930) * '' Our Blushing Brides'' (1930) * ''Let Us Be Gay'' (1930) * ''

'' (1930) * ''

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetu ...

'' (1931) * '' Possessed'' (1931) * ''

A Free Soul ''A Free Soul'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film that tells the story of an alcoholic San Francisco defense attorney who must defend his daughter's ex-boyfriend on a charge of murdering the mobster she had started a relationship with, who ...

'' (1931) * ''

Laughing Sinners ''Laughing Sinners'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in a story about a cafe entertainer who experiences spiritual redemption. The dialogue by Martin Flavin was based upon the p ...

'' (1931) * '' Grand Hotel'' (1932) * '' Red Dust'' (1932) * ''

Letty Lynton ''Letty Lynton'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and Nils Asther. The film was directed by Clarence Brown and based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes; the novel ...

'' (1932) * '' Smilin' Through'' (1932) * ''

Huddle In sport, a huddle is the action of a team gathering together, usually in a tight circle, to strategize, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulation ...

'' (1932) * ''

Strange Interlude ''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...

'' (1932) * ''

Today We Live ''Today We Live'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romance drama film produced and directed by Howard Hawks and starring Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Robert Young and Franchot Tone.

'' (1933) * '' Beauty for Sale'' (1933) * '' Stage Mother'' (1933) * '' Dinner at Eight'' (1933) * '' Queen Christina'' (1933) * '' The Cat and the Fiddle'' (1934) *''

Forsaking All Others ''Forsaking All Others'' is a 1934 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke, and starring Robert Montgomery, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. The screenplay was written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, which was based upon a 1933 ...

'' (1934) * '' The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' (1934) * ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...

'' (1934) * ''Nana'' (1934) * '' Naughty Marietta'' (1935) * ''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writt ...

'' (1935) * ''

I Live My Life ''I Live My Life'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film starring Joan Crawford, Brian Aherne, and Frank Morgan, and is based on the story "Claustrophobia" by A. Carter Goodloe. Plot summary Kay Bentley (Joan Crawford), a bored socialite seeks ...

'' (1935) * ''

Rose Marie Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...

'' (1936) * ''

Wife vs. Secretary ''Wife vs. Secretary'' (or ''Wife versus Secretary'') is a 1936 comedy drama directed and co-produced by Clarence Brown and starring Clark Gable as a successful businessman, Jean Harlow as his secretary, and Myrna Loy as his wife, supported by Ja ...

'' (1936) * '' Love on the Run'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

'' (1936) * ''

The Gorgeous Hussy ''The Gorgeous Hussy'' is a 1936 American period film directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Joan Crawford and Robert Taylor. The screenplay was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery and Ainsworth Morgan, which was based on a 1934 novel by Samue ...

'' (1936) * ''

Born to Dance ''Born to Dance'' is an American musical film starring Eleanor Powell and James Stewart, directed by Roy Del Ruth and released in 1936 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The score was composed by Cole Porter. Plot summary While on leave, sailor Ted ...

'' (1936) * '' Camille'' (1937) * ''

Double Wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

'' (1937) * '' The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) * '' Maytime'' (1937) * ''

Conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

'' (1937) * ''The Firefly'' (1937) * '' The Girl of the Golden West'' (1938) * ''

The Shopworn Angel ''The Shopworn Angel'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by H. C. Potter and starring James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, and Walter Pidgeon. The MGM release featured the second screen pairing of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart followi ...

'' (1938) * '' Sweethearts'' (1938) * ''

(1938) * '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) * ''

Balalaika The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the thir ...

'' (1939) * '' The Women'' (1939) * '' Strange Cargo'' (1940) * ''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar ecl ...

'' (1940) * ''

Susan and God ''Susan and God'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer directed by George Cukor and starring Joan Crawford and Fredric March. The screenplay was written by Anita Loos and was based upon a 1937 play by Rachel Crothe ...

'' (1940) * '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940) * ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

'' (1940) * ''

Boom Town A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...

'' (1940) * '' When Ladies Meet'' (1941) * ''

'' (1941) * ''

Ziegfeld Girl Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the '' Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. Desc ...

'' (1941) * '' Woman of the Year'' (1942) * ''

Flight for Freedom ''Flight for Freedom'' (also known as ''Stand to Die'') is a 1943 American drama film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Rosalind Russell, Fred MacMurray and Herbert Marshall. Film historians and Earhart scholars consider ''Flight for Freedom ...

'' (1943) * ''

Slightly Dangerous ''Slightly Dangerous'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film starring Lana Turner and Robert Young. The screenplay concerns a bored young woman in a dead-end job who runs away to New York City and ends up impersonating the long-lost daughter of ...

'' (1943) * '' Humoresque'' (1946) * '' Possessed'' (1947) * ''

Rope A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarl ...

'' (1948) * ''

'' (1952)

References

Bibliography

Adrian: A Lifetime of Movie Glamour, Art and High Fashion, by Author Leonard Stanley, Foreword by Robin Adrian, Text by Mark A. Vieira
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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Adrian American costume designers American fashion designers California people in fashion 1903 births 1959 deaths Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Jewish American artists Jewish fashion designers People from Hollywood, Los Angeles People from Naugatuck, Connecticut American people of Czech-Jewish descent American people of German-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent Parsons School of Design alumni 20th-century American Jews

Early life

Career in Hollywood

Sexuality and marriage

Designer of American fashion

Illness, retirement, and death

Selected filmography

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links