99-year-old Phyllis Dalton, the beloved British costume designer who designed Peter O’Toole’s famous white desert robe for David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” and received two Oscars 24 years apart for her work on David Lean’s “Doctor Zhivago” and Kenneth Branagh’s “Henry V”, has passed away.
Dalton died Thursday, The Telegraph reported. No other details were immediately available.
Throughout her illustrious career spanning over half a century, Dalton garnered an Oscar and BAFTA nomination for her role in Carol Reed’s 1968 best picture winner Oliver!, set during the Victorian era. She also won a BAFTA for her performance in The Hireling (1973), a film depicting the post-World War I era, and received an Emmy for her portrayal in Clive Donner’s 1982 telefilm The Scarlet Pimpernel, which is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
She initially worked as an assistant in the wardrobe department for Laurence Olivier’s 1944 production of “Henry V” and later earned her first costume designer credit by dressing Richard Todd and Glynis Johns in the 1953 film “Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue.” Additionally, she lent her talents to the esteemed Edith Head during Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 production of “The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Dalton garnered accolades for designing the dashing costumes in Rob Reiner’s 1987 film, “The Princess Bride”. She collaborated with director Kenneth Branagh on three projects: “Henry V” (1989), the noir-style mystery “Dead Again” (1991), and the romantic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” (1993). This latter film marked her final work in front of the camera.
2012 saw a humorous remark made during a BAFTA tribute to her, highlighting that she had dressed numerous on-screen forces humorously referred to as “the Red Army, the British Army, the U.S. Army, the Cossacks, the Nazis, the Afghans, the Knights of the Round Table (twice!), the Jacobites, and the Jacobins” in various films.
Dalton didn’t receive a nomination for her most well-known creation – the meticulously detailed military uniforms and traditional Arab attire she designed for the 1962 film, “Lawrence of Arabia.
The movie garnered a total of 10 Oscar nominations and went on to win several awards. It was recognized for its outstanding performance as the best picture, the director’s exceptional work, the cinematography by Freddie Young, the art direction team consisting of John Box, John Stoll, and Dario Simoni, the sound design by John Cox, the skillful editing by Anne V. Coates, and the impressive score composed by Maurice Jarre.
In a letter, Lean conveyed his displeasure about the oversight in recognition: “I believe Columbia and Sam Spiegel should have managed to nominate you for your exceptional work. Your costumes were so exquisite that I suspect they didn’t fully appreciate each one was an original creation of yours.”
In a letter, Lean expressed his disappointment about the lack of recognition for your outstanding job: “I feel Columbia and Sam Spiegel should have put forth efforts to nominate you. Your costumes were so beautifully crafted that it seems they overlooked the fact that each one was an original design by you.
To get ready for the grand event, Dalton delved into T.E. Lawrence’s photographs at the Imperial War Museum in London and scrutinized Eric Kennington’s pastel drawings found in his book “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”, initially published in 1926.
The fastidious individual traced the original tailor of General Edmund Allenby’s uniform, who was employed at a London clothing shop at that time.
In the process of creating Officer O’Toole’s uniform, Dalton intentionally designed it oversized, then put it through a washer to reduce its size, added wrinkles, and tailored the trousers to be shorter than appropriate.
In the behind-the-scenes documentary, she mentioned, “It was crucial, as it instantly revealed his lack of fit.
The design of O’Toole’s complete desert robe ensemble featured gold brocade edging, a long silken shirt crafted in London and adorned with a white silk pattern embroidered in Damascus, along with a high-quality cream wool keffiyeh and an ivory wool agal embellished with gold.
Throughout the film, she skillfully depicted Lawrence’s worsening psychological and ethical decay by gradually making his clothes appear more tattered and filthy.
Always finding a solution, Dalton would request twenty-four silk shirts to make sure at least six were satisfactory, since the tailors in Damascus tended to modify the design without her consent, according to her.
In the movie, the only costume that didn’t exist in reality was Anthony Quinn’s (Auda Abu Tayi) black and blue abaya, which Dalton thought was stunning against the desert scenery. “That was my one instance of personal preference, I suppose,” she admitted.
She also ensured that the hundreds of Arabs portrayed on screen were all dressed uniformly, contrary to what many believe who think they wore their own clothes. In a 2000 interview, she explained that it was another instance where identical outfits were provided for everyone playing Arab characters in Lawrence’s group.
Phyllis Margaret Dalton hails from Chiswick, England, born on October 16, 1925. Her father held a position at the Great Western Railway, while her mother was employed in a bank. As a youngster, she developed a keen interest in sketching clothing designs and unraveling the fashion trends and textiles from bygone eras.
At Ealing Art College, she honed her skills in costume design. Subsequently, she found employment as an assistant to fashion designer Matilda Etches in her Soho studio, where she crafted attire for dancers like Margot Fonteyn and Pamela May, actresses such as Ivy St. Helier and Renée Asherson, and the actors involved in Olivier’s production of Henry V.
In World War II, she chose to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service and worked at the decoding center located in Bletchley Park.
A significant opportunity presented itself when her aunt enrolled her in a Vogue talent competition, which eventually led her work to be noticed by editor Audrey Withers. This encounter then paved the way for an introduction to designer Yvonne Caffin at Gainsborough Studios through Audrey.
Initially, she worked as an assistant, purchasing pre-made outfits for the movie series ‘The Huggetts’. Later, she shifted to Twickenham Studios where she earned her first film credit as a wardrobe supervisor in the 1950 courtroom drama ‘Eye Witness’, directed by Robert Montgomery.
Three years after appearing in “Rob Roy”, she discovered her artistic stride, skillfully employing color to set atmosphere and define characters through the vibrant tartans adorned with natural dyes. She shared this insight in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph in 1990.
About Hitchcock’s remake of “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” she commented that his delivery was so dry it was challenging to discern if he was joking or being serious when recounting unsavory details about the characters in the script, leaving one in doubt as to the truthfulness of his statements.
She found it simpler to create her Oscar-worthy contributions for the musical “Oliver!” due to Charles Dickens’ rich character and setting depictions in his 1838 novel, “Oliver Twist,” as she explained.
Over a span of more than fifty films and television productions, Dalton had the privilege of dressing an array of distinguished actors – James Mason (in 1965’s Lord Jim), Anthony Hopkins (for 1982’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Noël Coward and Maureen O’Hara (in 1959’s Our Man in Havana), Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (in 1986’s Strong Medicine), Joan Fontaine and Dorothy Dandridge (in 1957’s Island in the Sun), Charlton Heston (in 1980’s The Awakening) and even the legendary Andre the Giant (in The Princess Bride)).
In a different rendition, the movie titled The Princess Bride saw Cary Elwes portraying the role of farmhand Westley. This character saves his beloved, the Princess Buttercup (played by Robin Wright), from Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). Initially, upon reading the script, Dalton found it to be rather unimpressive or not worth much consideration.
In his 2014 memoir As You Wish, Elwes noted that the costume designs perfectly captured the essence of William Goldman’s book. The hues, fabrics, and overall aesthetic of the materials surpassed his own expectations.
OR
Elwes mentioned in his 2014 memoir As You Wish, the costume sketches he saw instantly reflected the tone and feel of William Goldman’s book more vividly than he had ever imagined, with colors, textures, and materials that were beyond his expectations.
OR
In his 2014 memoir As You Wish, Elwes stated that the costume sketches he saw nailed the vibe of William Goldman’s book, offering a visual representation that surpassed his own mental image with their vibrant colors, tactile textures, and unique materials.
After outfitting Elwes in his famous all-black ensemble consisting of suede trousers, leather boots, a belt, a laced, frilled shirt, gloves, and a mask, she still believed that something was missing from the attire.
Later on, she summoned her aid and instructed her to retrieve some black satin. Once the assistant brought the fabric, Phyllis wrapped one part around my head and another around my waist as a belt. She then declared, ‘There, that looks much improved!’
In my gaming world, I wouldn’t let a simple broken toe stop a friend like Elwes from having fun, especially not when it wasn’t even sustained on set! So, when he got hurt while cruising around in Andre the Giant’s all-terrain vehicle during some downtime, I took matters into my own hands. I customized a shoe to shield his injured toe and ensure he could keep on gaming with us, no matter what!
To this very day, viewers continue to rave about the stunning pale pink suit and soft pink marabou creation that she designed for Geraldine Chaplin during her debut scene at the Moscow train station in “Doctor Zhivago” (1965).
Originally, I’d envisioned a more elaborate design for our character – a sleek black fluffy hat paired with a snug fitting pearl grey suit. However, Lean vetoed my idea, preferring a different direction.
Two days prior to the filming, Charlie Chaplin’s ball gown, stored alongside Rod Steiger’s trousers in a box, went missing at what is now London’s Heathrow Airport. This incident was described by Dalton as one of the most disheartening events, as such mishaps are seldom anticipated. A replacement dress was expediently made and shipped from Madrid during the night.
For approximately fifteen months, she designed over 5,000 unique costumes for the production of “Doctor Zhivago”. This included a series of twelve fundamental soldier outfits, which she subsequently personalized by adding details like tears and fraying.
She stated to the San Francisco Examiner prior to the movie’s premiere that it isn’t all that surprising for a woman to design men’s clothing. In fact, it requires a woman with a feminine touch to understand the masculine aesthetic.
It turned out that among all her professional accomplishments, the costume of a Russian soldier was the one that delighted Dalton the most. In the program for her BAFTA tribute, she remarked casually, “Anyone can create an elegant dress.
I found it challenging to make historical figures dressed in everyday attire appear authentic. Still, my sense of accomplishment was particularly high when it came to the soldier I created.
In 1993, she decided to retire from her career, following which she received an MBE honoring her contributions to the movie business in 2002. Her surviving spouse is Christopher, whom she married as her second husband.
Dalton demonstrated the finesse of her work using the analogy of “ensuring the mud is in the correct spot,” to highlight the subtleties inherent in her craft.
It’s important to imagine the actual color of the mud based on its location, just like matching soldiers with their environment or Arabs with the desert, as depicted in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. Not all deserts are yellow, a fact I only learned when I visited Jordan.
Fate or luck played a role in Dalton securing the prestigious costume design position for the film, “Lawrence of Arabia.
During Albert Finney’s failed screen test as the main character, neither the wardrobe supervisor nor the production designer (known as Box) were present. Production manager John Palmer recalled Dalton from their past collaboration on Island in the Sun, and suggested her to Lean as a replacement.
Dalton walked into a multi-day performance, as she referred to it, and was later invited to take up the role of costume designer during the two-year filming period, which was proposed by Spiegel.
In Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni’s 2003 biography of Spiegel, Dalton described him as “a true beast, yet incredibly charismatic. … He occasionally hosted parties on his yacht, but once he grew tired, he would stand on the dock with a watch in hand.
When Lawrence’s running time was restored back to its original 228 minutes for the 1988 director’s cut, Dalton was spellbound watching the scene they had jointly crafted unfold before her eyes.
She expressed amazement, saying, ‘I find it hard to accept that we accomplished it,’ given how difficult it was in the process,” she explained, “as it’s an extraordinary piece of work, and I must admit a sense of pride about it. But I can’t help but wonder, given my humble beginnings, where this achievement sprang from?
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2025-01-12 23:55