Debbie Reynolds Auction - Claudette Colbert gold-lame and emerald royal boudoir gown from

Travis Banton (August 18, 1894 – February 2, 1958) was an American costume designer. He is perhaps best known for his long collaboration with actress

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

and director Josef von Sternberg. He is generally considered one of the most important Hollywood costume designers of the golden age. Born in Waco, Texas, Banton moved to New York City as a child. He was educated at Columbia University and at the Art Students League of New York, where he studied art and fashion design. An early apprenticeship with a high-society costume dressmaker earned him fame. When Mary Pickford selected one of his dresses for her wedding to Douglas Fairbanks, his reputation was established. He opened his dressmaking salon in New York City, and soon was asked to create costumes for the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Follies of the ...

. In 1924, Banton moved to Hollywood when Paramount contracted with him to create costumes for his first film, ''

The Dressmaker from Paris ''The Dressmaker from Paris'' is a 1925 American silent romantic comedy drama film directed by Paul Bern. The story was written by Howard Hawks and Adelaide Heilbron. Heilbron also wrote the screenplay. The film starred Leatrice Joy and was he ...

''. Beginning with Norma Talmadge in '' Poppy'', Banton designed clothing for Pola Negri and Clara Bow in the 1920s. In the 1930s and 1940s, Banton designed for Kay Francis, Lilyan Tashman, Sylvia Sidney, Gail Patrick, Helen Vinson, and Claudette Colbert. Ultimately, Banton may be best remembered for forging the style of such Hollywood icons as Carole Lombard,

, and

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 ...

. Dietrich and Banton had an especially close and successful collaboration. His work for Dietrich frequently is referenced by designers. Glamour, subtle elegance, and exquisite fabrics endeared Banton to Hollywood's celebrated beauties and made him one of the more sought-after costume designers of his era. As viewings of such films as '' The Gilded Lily'' (1935) and ''

Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", "wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of aff ...

'' (1936) reveal, his costume designs were marked by form-flattering cuts (often on the

bias Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group ...

), rich fabrics (such as

satin A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain wea ...

and lamé), and extravagant textures (beads, fur, and feathers). He collaborated closely with directors and actresses in order to fulfil their vision. When designer Howard Greer left Paramount, Banton was promoted to head designer and was responsible for dressing the studio's stars. Because of his worsening alcoholism, and according to some commentators, at the instigation of his assistant Edith Head, Banton was forced to leave Paramount. He returned to designing privately for loyal stars and occasionally designed for

Twentieth Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

from 1939 to 1941 and Universal from 1945 to 1948.

Notable design projects

* Clara Bow in '' It'' and ''

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

'', 1927 * Kay Francis in ''

Trouble in Paradise Trouble in Paradise is an idiom used to describe problems in supposedly positive situations. Trouble in Paradise may also refer to: Books * ''Trouble in Paradise'' (Parker novel), a 1998 crime novel by Robert B. Parker * ''Trouble in Paradise' ...

'', 1932 *

in '' I'm No Angel'', 1933 and '' Belle of the Nineties'', 1934 * Claudette Colbert in ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

'', 1934 * Loretta Young in ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

'', 1935 * Marlene Dietrich in ''

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...

'', 1930, '' Shanghai Express'', 1932, '' The Scarlet Empress'', 1934 and '' The Devil Is a Woman'', 1935 * Carole Lombard in '' My Man Godfrey'', 1936 '' Nothing Sacred'', 1937 and '' Made for Each Other'', 1939 * Dolores Costello in '' Yours for the Asking'', 1936 * Linda Darnell in '' The Mark of Zorro'', 1940 * Alice Faye in '' Lillian Russell'' and ''Tin Pan Alley'', 1940 * Carmen Miranda in ''

Down Argentine Way ''Down Argentine Way'' is a 1940 American musical film made in Technicolor by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio although she had already appeared in 31 films, and it introduced American ...

'', 1940, and '' That Night in Rio'', 1941 * Linda Darnell and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

in ''

Blood and Sand Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

'', 1941 * Betty Grable in '' Moon Over Miami'', 1941 *

in '' Cover Girl'', 1944 * Joan Bennett in '' Scarlet Street'', 1945 * Merle Oberon in ''

A Song to Remember ''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde. Plot Fr ...

'', 1945 *

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

in '' Lover Come Back'', 1946 * Joan Fontaine in ''

Letter from an Unknown Woman ''Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (german: Brief einer Unbekannten) is a novella by Stefan Zweig. Published in 1922, it tells the story of an author who, while reading a letter written by a woman he does not remember, gets glimpses into her lif ...

'', 1948

References

*Chierichetti, David. ''Hollywood Costume Design'', Harmony Books, 1977. .

External links

*
Travis Banton
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Banton, Travis 1894 births 1958 deaths American fashion designers American costume designers People from Waco, Texas Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)