Travis Banton

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Travis Banton (born August 18, 1894 in Waco , Texas , † February 2, 1958 in Los Angeles ) was an American costume designer for films, best known for his costumes for Marlene Dietrich .

Life

Travis Banton was born in Waco , Texas , in 1894 to Maggie (née Jones) and Rennie B. Banton . When he was two years old, he moved with his family to New York , where he later attended Columbia University and the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts and was a member of the Art Students League of New York . After being used on a submarine during World War I , he found employment as a designer at the renowned fashion houses of Madame Frances and Lady Duff Gordon's Lucile. He quickly made a name for himself with his designs. In 1920 the actress Mary Pickford became aware of him and had him sew the dress for her wedding to Douglas Fairbanks . He then opened his own fashion salon in New York. In 1923 and 1924 he also made costumes for three Broadway productions of the Ziegfeld Follies .

In 1924, the film producer Walter Wanger brought him to Hollywood , where he was signed by Paramount Pictures as assistant to designer Howard Greer . The first film in which he was involved as a costume designer was typically called The Dressmaker from Paris (Eng: The Tailor from Paris , 1925). This was followed by further orders for films with Pola Negri and Clara Bow . From 1929 to 1938 as chief designer for Paramount, he often designed costumes for the studio's top female stars in the 1930s, including Jeanette MacDonald , Claudette Colbert , Miriam Hopkins and Carole Lombard . He is best known for his multiple collaborations with screen legend Marlene Dietrich , whose glamorous image he significantly shaped with extravagant costumes in films such as Blonde Venus (1932) and The Scarlet Empress ( The Scarlet Empress , 1934), just as Adrian did for Greta Garbo at MGM had done. Dietrich's famous appearance in a tuxedo in Morocco ( Morocco , 1930) was also Banton's idea. For the most part, he preferred simple and asymmetrical cuts, but worked with expensive materials such as satin or lamé , and also often relied on pearls and fur. For the Dietrich film Engel ( Angel , 1937), he created a chiffon dress with pearls embroidered and equipped with Russian sable fur , valued at 8,000 dollars.

In 1939 Banton moved to 20th Century Fox , where he worked again for Howard Greer, but was unable to build on his previous success as a designer. From 1945 to 1948 he also worked for Universal Studios . In the 1950s he went into business again. In 1956 he worked for show business one last time when he designed the costumes for Rosalind Russell for her title role in the Broadway musical Auntie Mame .

Other well-known costume designers such as Norman Norell saw Banton as a role model and praised his designs primarily for their subtle elegance, originality and timelessness. Edith Head , his temporary assistant at Paramount and multiple Oscar winner, described Banton as a "wonderful designer". “My potential talent would have gone undiscovered if he hadn't paved the way for me. In my opinion he was the greatest, ”said Head.

Travis Banton died of throat cancer in Los Angeles in 1958 at the age of 63 and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park .

Filmography (selection)

Costumes:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Raye Virginia Allen: Banton, Travis at tshaonline.org (Texas State Historical Association)
  2. ↑ “Travis was a marvelous designer. Any talent I might have would have lain undiscovered if he hadn't lighted the way for me. In my opinion, he was the greatest. " Raye Virginia Allen: Banton, Travis at tshaonline.org (Texas State Historical Association)
personal data
SURNAME Banton, Travis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American costume designer for a film
DATE OF BIRTH August 18, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH Waco , Texas
DATE OF DEATH February 2, 1958
Place of death los Angeles