Richard Blackwell (August 29, 1922 – October 19, 2008) was an American fashion critic, journalist, television and radio personality, artist, former child actor and former
fashion designer, sometimes known just as Mr. Blackwell. He was the creator of the "Ten Worst Dressed Women List", an annual awards presentation he unveiled in January of each year. He published the "Fabulous Fashion Independents" list and an annual
Academy Awards
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 ...
fashion review, both of which receive somewhat less media attention. His partner of sixty years,
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
hairdresser
Robert L. Spencer, was also his manager. He wrote two books, ''Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos'' and an autobiography, ''From Rags to Bitches''.
Early life
Blackwell was born Richard Sylvan Selzer in the
Bensonhurst
Bensonhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bordered on the northwest by 14th Avenue, on the northeast by 60th Street, on the southeast by Avenue P and 22n ...
section of Brooklyn
[''From Rags to Bitches: An Autobiography''; Stoddart] to Henry Selzer, a working-class printer, and Eva Selzer, who were the American-born children of Jewish immigrants from the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. He had one older brother.
[ He claimed he was severely beaten by a stepfather, often sleeping in the alley beneath a fire escape with a broken bottle for protection rather than face further abuse. He told Howard Stern that as a 7-year-old boy, he had once had to beg for a quarter on the street so he could buy something to eat. His father was frequently absent or drunk, and men would take him to a nearby alley and abuse him. He was scared, hungry, and did whatever he could to stay alive. He only went as far as the third grade in school.
When he was 11, he was raped by an adult at a boys' camp.][
]
Career
Acting
Blackwell began acting in theaters in his teens, appearing in the original 1935 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 ...
production of Sidney Kingsley
Sidney Kingsley (22 October 1906 – 20 March 1995) was an American dramatist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play '' Men in White'' in 1934.
Life and career
Kingsley was born Sidney Kirschner in New York. He studied at ...
's ''Dead End''. Relocating to the West Coast (where he studied with 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 ...
and Mickey Rooney) he adopted the professional name "Dick Ellis" and played small parts in the movies. Between acting parts, he worked as a messenger at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
Studio in Burbank, California. Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
then signed him to RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
and changed his name to Richard Blackwell. He returned to Broadway in 1944 for ''Catherine Was Great'', which starred Mae West
Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...
, but left acting to become a Hollywood agent. He discovered his talent for fashion design while making stage costumes for his clients.[Peter Anthony Holder Interview]
Fashion designer
The name "Mr. Blackwell" came in the late-1950s when he launched his clothing line. As with Valentino, Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as ...
and later Richard Tyler, he and his line became synonymous. He was an important designer and during the 1960s he became the first in history to present his line on a television broadcast, and was the first to make his line available for plus-size women. His designer dresses sold for between $800 to $1,000 and were very successful. During the nearly two decade existence of the "House of Blackwell", he was designer to Yvonne De Carlo, Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...
, Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the '' Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing ...
, Jane Russell
Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films.
Russell moved from th ...
and California first lady Nancy Reagan. At the height of his prominence, he openly declared his disdain for ''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides inf ...
'' and its publisher, John Fairchild
John Russell Fairchild (born April 28, 1943) is a retired American basketball player.
Born in Encinitas, California, Fairchild played high school basketball at San Dieguito High School (class of 1961) and college basketball at Brigham Young Univ ...
. During the 1980s, the emerging drift toward casual wear brought an end to The House of Blackwell.
Fashion critic
In his beginning years as a designer he was asked to do a one-time article for ''The American Weekly
''The American Weekly'' was a Sunday newspaper supplement published by the Hearst Corporation from November 1, 1896, until 1966.
History
During the 1890s, publications were inserted into Joseph Pulitzer's ''New York World'' and William Randolp ...
'' magazine of the "10 Best and Worst Dressed" people and developed the franchise from it.
Although best known for his "Worst Dressed" list, he maintained a successful career as a fashion journalist. He was syndicated in '' The Globe'' tabloid and wrote features in newspapers and lifestyle magazines. His "Fabulous Fashion Independents" often featured celebrities whom in prior years have been listed in his Ten Worst-Dressed.
Worst-dressed lists
The first "Ten Worst-Dressed Women" list premiered in 1960, to moderate media success, but as the House of Blackwell became more successful, the list took off. By its third year every television and radio network and virtually all news services worldwide began to cover it. Forty-seven years after first release, Blackwell annually spent a week after its publication on telephone interviews to fashion magazines, radio programs and news networks. The list is a conglomeration of techniques from first letter alliteration
Alliteration is the conspicuous repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device. A familiar example is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers". Alliteration is used poetically in various ...
: Martha Stewart
Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pu ...
– "dull, dowdy and devastatingly dreary" and consonant: "fabulous fashion independents", to free verse: Cher – "A million beads/And one overexposed derriere", and pun: Queen Elizabeth, "Was she the palace Christmas tree, or just a royal clown?" About Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...
– "She looks like Hulk Hogan in sequins." Often, he simply quipped: Martha Stewart
Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pu ...
– "Dresses like the centerfold for ''Farmers' Almanac
''Farmers' Almanac'' is an annual American periodical that has been in continuous publication since 1818. Published by Geiger of Lewiston, Maine, the ''Farmers' Almanac'' provides long-range weather predictions for both the U.S. and Canada. The ...
''", and other times combines forms: Dixie Chicks
The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and ...
– "They look like a trio of truck stop
A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom, and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest ( parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motor ...
fashion tragedies/ trapped in a typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
". The list's popularity has waned in some segments of contemporary culture, many feeling that it is mean-spirited. However, Blackwell has displayed personal missives from many celebrities including Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
, Mariah Carey and country singers Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American country music singer and musician. She is also credited as an actress and author. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was considered among country's most successful music artist ...
and Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature int ...
expressing their thanks for being selected. "Hollywood Beat" editor Marci Weiner, who was targeted by Blackwell who asked why she would "always dress like she's auditioning for a Fellini
Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
movie," was initially angered by her inclusion but later confessed that she considered it an honor. Still, despite its decline in universal acceptance, it was nonetheless published each year.
The list spawned a parade of imitators. Not all are lists, but virtually all include jibes and jabs similar to those that Blackwell first used to capture media attention in the early 1960s. Harry Shearer's Le Show radio program has featured "Blackwell on Blackwell". Political gadfly Roger Stone
Roger Jason Stone (born Roger Joseph Stone Jr.; August 27, 1952) is an American conservative political consultant and lobbyist.
Since the 1970s, Stone has worked on the campaigns of Republican politicians, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Rea ...
, himself known for his distinct fashion sense, has taken up Blackwell's tradition of best and worst dressed lists (albeit with a greater emphasis on the best dressed) since Blackwell's death.
Television and radio
Mr. Blackwell was a pioneer in television fashion and had been a fixture in the medium throughout his career as a designer and critic. Most recently, he appeared as himself on an episode of the ABC daytime soap, ''Port Charles
''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...
''.
He hosted a daily program on Los Angeles' talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...
powerhouse KABC from 1972 to 1974, moving to KIEV 1975–1981.
In 1968 he starred in his own KCOP
KCOP-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of MyNetworkTV. It is owned and operated by Fox Television Stations alongside Fox outlet KTTV (channel 11). Both station ...
two-hour color television special, ''Mr. Blackwell Presents'', with Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti (; born May 15, 1936) is an Italian-American actress and soprano.
Biography
Born May 15, 1936, in Pesaro, Marche, in central Italy, she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 as Best Actress (Musical) for ''Ca ...
, Nick Adams and 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 ...
. It was the first telecast in history in which a designer presented his line on television. He continued to be recognized as preeminent during his years in the field. Also in 1968, Mr. Blackwell released an LP album of a show titled "The Mr. Blackwell Show" on the Rob Rich Records label that was presented on stage at The Desert Inn in Las Vegas in 1967, as well as The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in early 1967 as well. The album only saw limited distribution probably due to poor sales and as such is now a sought after collectors item today. The album features Mr. Blackwell reciting fashion commentary over a musical background.
He often participated in audience critique segments on daytime talk and variety shows. He appeared on ''The Mike Douglas Show
''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into natio ...
'' on numerous occasions, and on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'', as a guest on the first broadcast after Carson moved the show from New York to Burbank. The May 2, 1972 edition also featured Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performan ...
, George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercu ...
and Johnny Mathis. He appeared on a total of four additional ''Tonight Shows'' between August 1970 and January 1973 and is included in the series ''Best Of The Tonight Show'' DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
sets. In 1992 he sued Carson for $11 million after the late night host joked that he had included Mother Teresa
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was ...
on one of his worst-dressed lists. The suit was quickly dismissed.
Honors
In 1997, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.
Personal life
Blackwell lived in the Hancock Park
Hancock Park is a city park in the Miracle Mile section of the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.
The park's destinations include the La Brea Tar Pits; the adjacent George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries, which displ ...
enclave of Los Angeles with his partner of 60 years, Robert Spencer. In 1964, they rented their home to The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
for the English band's first visit to the city. It was leaked to the media, however; and the group made other arrangements. He was also an artist known for his avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
, and he published several editions of his work, including his "Mother America" series.
In 2001, Blackwell was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, which causes limited to severe paralysis of facial muscles and can affect eyesight as well. If treated in time, it is completely curable; however, if not treated it can have life lasting effects. Blackwell was unable to unveil the 2000 list at a live news conference for the first time in its 40-year history and remained out of the public eye for six months. He came back for the 2001 "Worst Dressed" and returned to a full, normal social life.
Blackwell died in Los Angeles on October 19, 2008, of complications from an intestinal infection.
In pop culture
He was played by Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, writer, musician, radio host, director and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member ...
on the May 20, 1995 episode of SCTV's, ''The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Short Show''.
Filmography
* ''Little Tough Guy
''Little Tough Guy'' is a 1938 crime film that starred several of the ''Dead End Kids''. In the follow-up films, the studio began using the group name '' The Little Tough Guys'', and later '' The Dead End Kids and Little Tough Guys''. This was ...
'' (1938) as Bud (un-credited)
* '' Juvenile Court'' (1938) as Ears (Dick Selzer)
* '' Promises! Promises!'' (1963) as Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...
's wardrobe designer
* ''The Mike Douglas Show
''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into natio ...
'' (1967-1975) as Himself
* ''Mr. Blackwell Presents'' (1968, TV Movie) (Host, designer and producer)
* '' The Virginia Graham Show'' (1970-1971, TV Series) as Himself
* ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'' (1970-1973, TV Series) as Himself
* ''Truck Turner
''Truck Turner'', also known as ''Black Bullet'', is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Leigh Chapman (under a pseudonym, Jerry Wilke ...
'' (1974) as Wino
* ''The Brady Brides
''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, afte ...
'' (1981, TV Series) as Himself
* '' Matt Houston'' (1982, TV Series) as Valentine St. Clair
* '' Matlock'' (1990, two-part episode) as the Art dealer
* '' Blossom'' (1991, TV Series) as Himself
* ''Civil Wars
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
'' (1992, TV Series) as Himself
* ''Hollywood Women'' (1993, TV Mini-Series documentary) as Talking head
* ''Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...
'' (1995, TV Series) as Himself
* ''Port Charles
''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...
'' (1997-1999, TV Series) as Himself
* ''Intimate Portrait of Marilyn Monroe'' (1998, Lifetime TV documentary) as Himself (interviewee)
* ''Elvis Is Alive! I Swear I Saw Him Eating Ding Dongs Outside the Piggly Wiggly's'' (1998) as Himself
* ''Foreign Correspondents'' (1999) as Second Landlord (final film role)
Stage
* ''Dead End'' (1935) – billed as Richard Seltzer
* ''Catherine Was Great'' (1944) – billed as Dick Ellis
* ''The Mr. Blackwell Show'' (1968)- billed as Mr.Blackwell
Discography
* ''The Mr. Blackwell Show'' (1968) Original Show Recording released on Rob Rich Records (7-11) (1968)
Bibliography
*
*
References
Sources
*
*
External links
*
Interview with Mr. Blackwell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell, Richard
1922 births
2008 deaths
American male child actors
American fashion designers
Jewish American writers
Journalists from California
American male stage actors
American fashion journalists
Infectious disease deaths in California
Jewish fashion designers
LGBT fashion designers
LGBT Jews
American LGBT journalists
LGBT people from New York (state)
Male actors from New York City
Male actors from Greater Los Angeles
Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
People from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
20th-century American journalists
American male journalists
20th-century American Jews
21st-century American Jews
20th-century LGBT people