#edward stevenson

Jane Greer's wardrobe as Kathie Moffatt is sophisticated and stylish, with a strong emphasis on elegant dresses. Her clothing choices and Joseff of Hollywood jewels are designed to highlight her beauty and allure, captivating the men she encounters. Her attire shifts subtly throughout the film, reflecting her evolving role as a manipulative femme fatale. For example, her wardrobe transitions to more black clothing as the film progresses, culminating in a final confrontation.

Costume Designer: Edward Stevenson

Noirvember ‘22: 

Costume Appreciation: Born to Kill (1947)

Costumes by Edward Stevenson

While there are plenty of striking elements that make up Born to Kill, as soon as I finished watching it, I knew I had to go back and get screencaps of all the great outfits Claire Trevor wore in it.

Edward Stevenson is credited under “Gowns by” but the name didn’t immediately ring any bells for me. When I looked up his other credits however, wow! There are so many movies he worked on (particularly in the 1940s) that feature costumes I’ve found enviable in the past. Working at RKO, Stevenson did the costumes for Dance, Girl, Dance (1940), Out of the Past (1947), The Woman on the Beach (1947), The Curse of the Cat People (1944), Murder, My Sweet (1944),  Suspicion (1941), and Journey into Fear (1942) just to name a few. If only I could copy paste all those women’s wardrobes into mine!

Stevenson began at RKO in 1935 working under Bernard Newman and the two shared a common mindset that the styles they created for women on screen should not just be desirable for audience members but also sensible for real life, positioning Hollywood as a primary influence in women’s fashion. (Both Newman & Stevenson worked in ready-to-wear fashion as well as costuming, so this philosophy makes a lot of sense.) That said, it’s kind of funny to me that I’m living in 2022 and I’m still attracted to his designs from 70+ years ago precisely because they look so chic but totally wearable.

May 13, 1906

Edward Manson Stevenson was an Academy Award-winning costume designer. His film and television credits include Citizen Kane (1941) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). He did costumes for 16 films featuring Lucille Ball from 1936 to 1960. He worked for Lucille Ball as costume designer for: 

“I Love Lucy” (1955-57) Season 5 & Season 6

“The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" (1957-60) 

“The Desilu Revue” (1959)

“The Lucy Show” (1962-68) Seasons 1-6 

“Mr. & Mrs.” (1964) co-designer with Edith Head

“Lucy in London” (1966)

“Here’s Lucy" (1968-1969) Season 1

Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) designed by Edward Stevenson, just one of the 16 films where Lucille Ball wore Stevenson’s designs. 

Stevenson joined “I Love Lucy” in 1955, after the departure of Elois Jenssen. 

Stevenson had the enormous task of designing the various Jacques Marcel dresses seen in "Lucy Gets a Paris Gown” (ILL S5;E20) in 1956.

In 1957, he also designed this form-fitting green fish-tail dress for “The Country Club Dance” (ILL S6;E25).  

Stevenson was responsible for Lucille Ball’s wardrobe for “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours”. 

In 1961 Stevenson shared his only Oscar (Best Costume Design Black and White) with the legendary Edith Head for the Lucille Ball / Bob Hope film The Facts of Life.

Stevenson again collaborated with Head, Lucy, and Hope for TV’s  “Mr. & Mrs.” in 1964. 

On “The Lucy Show” Stevenson got to design a wide array of historical periods and styles. Lucy as Cleopatra was the very first episode of “The Lucy Show” filmed in color.

“What happens in Vegas...” - including this emerald green sequined outfit... - “should stay in Vegas”  

But it didn’t - the green feathered hat was also seen when “Lucy Goes To A Hollywood Premiere” (S4;E20) in 1966.

Taking a cue from Cecil Beaton’s award-winning costumes from My Fair Lady, Stevenson transformed a lowly Liza Lumpwaller (Lucy Carmichael) into a majestic Eliza Doolittle-type head-turner in “My Fair Lucy” (TLS S3;E20) in 1965.

In “Lucy in London” (1966), Stevenson dressed Lucille Ball in everything from Tudor finery...

... to mod, Carnaby Street fashions. 

In 1968, Stevenson (center) designed the multi-function black and white dress that Lucy models to help her working daughter with her new job at a fashion boutique.

Having worked at RKO in the 1930s and ‘40s, Stevenson was well equipped to design these costumes for the Gone With the Wind sketch in “Lucy and Flip Go Legit” (HL S4;E1). “The Lucy Show” scripts often required a variety of movie-referenced costumes. 

He also tackled the exotic with “Lucy’s Impossible Mission” (HL S1;E6) in 1968. 

This elegant gold gown with a shear gold overlay was Stevenson’s last seen work for Lucille Ball. He died of a coronary on December 2, 1968, fittingly while shopping for fabric on La Cienega Boulevard. The episode (with guest star Cesar Romero) was aired posthumously in February 1969.

Idaho State University Library maintains a collection of Stevenson’s sketches.