Marjorie Best
Encyclopedia
Marjorie Best was an American
Hollywood
costume designer
best known for her period designs.
Best was born in Jacksonville, Illinois
and studied at the Chouinard Art Institute
. She taught school briefly before going to work for the Western Costume Company in 1926. She later moved to United Costumers. When that company was purchased by Warner Bros.
in 1936, she was given a position in the studio's wardrobe department.
Her first film as a costume designer was Silver River
(1948). She earned an Academy Award for costume design in 1949 for her collaboration on the Errol Flynn
film Adventures of Don Juan
. She was nominated in 1956 for Giant, in 1960 for Sunrise at Campobello
, and in 1965 for The Greatest Story Ever Told
, the same year she retired.
Best died on June 14, 1997 in Toluca Lake, California
of a heart ailment.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
costume designer
Costume Designer
A costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The...
best known for her period designs.
Best was born in Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....
and studied at the Chouinard Art Institute
Chouinard Art Institute
The Chouinard Art Institute was a professional art school founded in 1921 in Los Angeles, California, by Nelbert Murphy Chouinard .-Founder:...
. She taught school briefly before going to work for the Western Costume Company in 1926. She later moved to United Costumers. When that company was purchased by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in 1936, she was given a position in the studio's wardrobe department.
Her first film as a costume designer was Silver River
Silver River (film)
Silver River is a 1948 western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan. The film is based on a Stephen Longstreet novel.-Plot:...
(1948). She earned an Academy Award for costume design in 1949 for her collaboration on the Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
film Adventures of Don Juan
Adventures of Don Juan
Adventures of Don Juan, known in the United Kingdom as The New Adventures of Don Juan, is a 1948 adventure Technicolor romance film made by Warner Bros...
. She was nominated in 1956 for Giant, in 1960 for Sunrise at Campobello
Sunrise at Campobello
Sunrise at Campobello is a 1960 American biographical film made by Dore Schary Productions and Warner Bros. It tells the story of the initial struggle by future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when he was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 in August...
, and in 1965 for The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens and distributed by United Artists. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection. This film is notable for its large ensemble cast and for being the last...
, the same year she retired.
Best died on June 14, 1997 in Toluca Lake, California
Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California
Toluca Lake is a district, north of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, and a "community within two communities, North Hollywood and Burbank"....
of a heart ailment.