Mr. Blackwell
Encyclopedia
Richard Blackwell 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
fashion review, both of which receive somewhat less media attention. His longtime companion, former Beverly Hills hairdresser
, Robert Spencer, managed him. He wrote two books, Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos and an autobiography, From Rags to Bitches.
. When he was 11, he was the victim of rape
by an older man while attending a boys’ camp. He also worked as a prostitute in his early days.
production of Sidney Kingsley
’s Dead End. After relocating to the West Coast
in the 1930s (where he went to school with Judy Garland
and Mickey Rooney
, among others) he adopted the name “Dick Ellis” and was signed by the studios to play small parts in the motion picture industry. In-between acting assignments, he worked as a messenger at Warner Bros.
Studio in Burbank, California
. Howard Hughes
changed his name to Richard Blackwell when he signed him to RKO. He returned to Broadway in 1944 for Catherine Was Great, which starred Mae West
, but eventually left acting for a short stint as a Hollywood agent. He discovered a talent for design while making his client’s stage costumes.
, 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 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 DeCarlo, Jayne Mansfield
, Dorothy Lamour
, Jane Russell
and California first lady Nancy Reagan
. At the height of his prominence, he openly declared his disdain for Women's Wear Daily
and its publisher, John Fairchild
. During the 1980s, the emerging drift toward casual wear brought an end to The House of Blackwell.
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.
The list is a conglomeration of techniques from first letter alliteration
: Martha Stewart
– "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 Wynona Judd – "She looks like Hulk Hogan
in sequins." Often, he simply quipped: Martha Stewart
– “Dresses like the centerfold for Farmers' Almanac”, and other times combines forms: Dixie Chicks
– “They look like a trio of truck stop
fashion tragedies/ trapped in a typhoon”. 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
, Mariah Carey
and country singer Tanya Tucker
expressing their thanks for being selected. Other former list alumni like “Hollywood Beat” editor, Marci Weiner – “Why does Marci Weiner always dress like she’s auditioning for a Fellini movie?” – who was initially angered by her inclusion, now considers it an honor. Still, despite its decline in universal acceptance, it was nonetheless published each year.
The list spawned a parade of imitators from TMZ
’s In The Zone: Mr. Blackwell vs. TMZ to the UK’s The Sun newspaper’s Sun Women Online: Celebrity Style Watch and the less known such as “The Catwalk Queen”. 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." Roger Stone
, himself known for his taste in fashion, 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.
.
He hosted a daily program on Los Angeles' talk radio
powerhouse KABC
from 1972–74, moving to KIEV 1975–1981.
In 1968 he starred in his own KCOP two hour color television
special,’’Mr. Blackwell Presents’’, with Anna Maria Alberghetti
, Nick Adams and Rose Marie
. 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.
He often participated in audience critique segments on daytime talk and variety shows. He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show
on numerous occasions, and on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
, as a guest on the first broadcast after Carson moved the show from New York to Burbank. The May 2, 1972 episode also featured Rob Reiner
, George Carlin
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
sets.
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 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. Although treatable, Bell's palsy is incurable; however, it often clears up on its own. 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.
television series episode (No. 87), “The Chaperone” originally aired on September 22, 1994, the Kramer
character becomes a chaperone for a Miss Rhode Island
contestant in a national beauty pageant. In an exchange with Kramer (played by Michael Richards
), Seinfeld exclaims, “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Blackwell,” as Kramer slides into the room. Kramer responds, “Oh, come on! … You’re pooh-poohing!” to which Seinfeld responds, “Yes, I pooh-pooh.” He was played by Harry Shearer
on the May 20, 1995 episode of SCTV
’s, The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Short Show. In 2006, CBS
picked up an AP
story about US figure skater Johnny Weir
’s costume at the Olympics in Turin
under the Headline: “Figure Skating Gets Ugly: Mr. Blackwell, You’re Wanted At The Olympics”.
The Kiss
concept album Music from "The Elder", includes a song about a villain named "Mr. Blackwell". The pre choruses include the refrain, "You're cold and mean, and in between / You're rotten to the core", which seems to describe various celebrities' opinions of the real Blackwell.
The animated television show The Simpsons
had a parody version of Mr. Blackwell named "Mr. Boswell." A sample quote from "A Streetcar Named Marge
": "Memo to Goldie Hawn: Cheerleading tryouts were 30 years ago – let's grow up, shall we?" Bart Simpson
, watching him on TV, chuckled and said, "He's such a bitch!"
In the sitcom Two and a Half Men
, Season 5, Episode 14: Winky Dink Time, Charlie Harpers exclaims to his nephew Jake, "Please, Mr. Blackwell, I want your opinion!"
In the 2001 film "Shallow Hal
", Hal (played by Jack Black
) tries to cheer up his best friend Mauricio (played by Jason Alexander
) by telling him that he has "more style than Mr. Blackwell."
In the television drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
", Matt Albie (played by Matthew Perry
) expresses his dismay at his staff's appearance, remarking, "I'm not Blackwell or anything, but holy cow, what the hell are you guys wearing?"
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, 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
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
fashion review, both of which receive somewhat less media attention. His longtime companion, former Beverly Hills hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
, Robert Spencer, managed him. He wrote two books, Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos and an autobiography, From Rags to Bitches.
Early years
Blackwell was born Richard Sylvan Selzer and raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. He was of Jewish descent and grew up in the tenements that housed the “working-poor” immigrant families of the early 20th century. As a child, he claimed he was severely beaten by his stepfather, often resorting to sleeping in the alley beneath his fire escape with a broken bottle he used for protection rather than face further abuse. He only completed the third grade of elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. When he was 11, he was the victim of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
by an older man while attending a boys’ camp. He also worked as a prostitute in his early days.
Acting
He began acting in theater in his teens, appearing in the original 1935 BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Sidney Kingsley
Sidney Kingsley
Sidney Kingsley was an American dramatist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Men in White in 1934.- Biography :...
’s Dead End. After relocating to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
in the 1930s (where he went to school with Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
and Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
, among others) he adopted the name “Dick Ellis” and was signed by the studios to play small parts in the motion picture industry. In-between acting assignments, he worked as a messenger at 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,...
Studio in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
changed his name to Richard Blackwell when he signed him to RKO. He returned to Broadway in 1944 for Catherine Was Great, which starred Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, but eventually left acting for a short stint as a Hollywood agent. He discovered a talent for design while making his client’s stage costumes.
Fashion designer
The name "Mr. Blackwell" came in the late-1950s when he launched his clothing line. As with Valentino, Versace and later Richard TylerRichard Tyler
Richard Tyler is a fictional character in the USA Network science fiction television series The 4400.- Character :One of the first 4400s to be shown, Richard is Lily Tyler's husband, and is the father of her second daughter, Isabelle 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 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 DeCarlo, Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
, Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
, Jane Russell
Jane Russell
Jane Russell was an American film actress and was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s....
and California first lady Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
. At the height of his prominence, he openly declared his disdain for Women's Wear Daily
Women's Wear Daily
Women's Wear Daily is a fashion-industry trade journal sometimes called "the bible of fashion." WWD delivers information and intelligence on changing trends and breaking news in the fashion, beauty and retail industries with a readership composed largely of retailers, designers, manufacturers,...
and its publisher, John Fairchild
John Fairchild
John Fairchild is a retired American basketball player.Fairchild played high school basketball at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, CA and college basketball at Brigham Young University....
. 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 American Weekly 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
The Globe (tabloid)
Globe is a supermarket tabloid first published North America on November 10, 1954 in Montreal, Canada as Midnight by Joe Azaria and John Vader and became the chief competitor to the National Enquirer during the 1960s. In 1978 it changed its name to the Midnight Globe after its publisher, 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
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
: Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
– "dull, dowdy and devastatingly dreary" and consonant: “fabulous fashion independents”, to free verse: Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
– “A million beads/And one overexposed derriere”, and pun: Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, “Was she the palace Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
tree, or just a royal clown?” About Wynona Judd – "She looks like Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in sequins." Often, he simply quipped: Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
– “Dresses like the centerfold for Farmers' Almanac”, and other times combines forms: Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
– “They look like a trio of truck stop
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
fashion tragedies/ trapped in a typhoon”. 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 Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
and country singer Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
expressing their thanks for being selected. Other former list alumni like “Hollywood Beat” editor, Marci Weiner – “Why does Marci Weiner always dress like she’s auditioning for a Fellini movie?” – who was initially angered by her inclusion, now considers it an honor. Still, despite its decline in universal acceptance, it was nonetheless published each year.
The list spawned a parade of imitators from TMZ
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
’s In The Zone: Mr. Blackwell vs. TMZ to the UK’s The Sun newspaper’s Sun Women Online: Celebrity Style Watch and the less known such as “The Catwalk Queen”. 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." Roger Stone
Roger Stone
Roger J. Stone, Jr. is an American political consultant and lobbyist who specializes in opposition research for the Republican National Committee in the United States....
, himself known for his taste in fashion, 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 CharlesPort Charles
Port Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
.
He hosted a daily program on Los Angeles' talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
powerhouse KABC
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
from 1972–74, moving to KIEV 1975–1981.
In 1968 he starred in his own KCOP two hour color television
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
special,’’Mr. Blackwell Presents’’, with Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti is an Italian-born operatic singer and actress.Born in Pesaro, Marche, she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 as Best Actress for Carnival! .Alberghetti was a child prodigy. Her father was an opera singer and concert master of the Rome Opera Company...
, Nick Adams and Rose Marie
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
. 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.
He often participated in audience critique segments on daytime talk and variety shows. He appeared on The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
on numerous occasions, and on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, as a guest on the first broadcast after Carson moved the show from New York to Burbank. The May 2, 1972 episode also featured Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
, George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
and Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
. 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
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
sets.
Personal life
Blackwell lived in the Hancock Park enclave of Los Angeles with his partner of 60 years, Robert Spencer. In 1964, they rented their home to The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 and he published several editions of his work, including his "Mother America" series.
In 2001, Blackwell was diagnosed with Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
which causes limited to severe paralysis of facial muscles and can affect eyesight as well. Although treatable, Bell's palsy is incurable; however, it often clears up on its own. 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
In the SeinfeldSeinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
television series episode (No. 87), “The Chaperone” originally aired on September 22, 1994, the Kramer
Kramer
-People:*Kramer , a musician and record producer.Fictional* Cosmo Kramer, a character from the American sitcom Seinfeld, usually referred to as just "Kramer".For other people, real or fictional, with the last name of "Kramer", see Kramer...
character becomes a chaperone for a Miss Rhode Island
Miss Rhode Island
The Miss Rhode Island competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Rhode Island in the Miss America pageant.- Winners :- External links :*...
contestant in a national beauty pageant. In an exchange with Kramer (played by Michael Richards
Michael Richards
Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
), Seinfeld exclaims, “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Blackwell,” as Kramer slides into the room. Kramer responds, “Oh, come on! … You’re pooh-poohing!” to which Seinfeld responds, “Yes, I pooh-pooh.” He was played by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
on the May 20, 1995 episode of SCTV
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
’s, The Show Formerly Known as The Martin Short Show. In 2006, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
picked up an AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
story about US figure skater Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir
John Garvin "Johnny" Weir is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion , the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion....
’s costume at the Olympics in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
under the Headline: “Figure Skating Gets Ugly: Mr. Blackwell, You’re Wanted At The Olympics”.
The Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
concept album Music from "The Elder", includes a song about a villain named "Mr. Blackwell". The pre choruses include the refrain, "You're cold and mean, and in between / You're rotten to the core", which seems to describe various celebrities' opinions of the real Blackwell.
The animated television show The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
had a parody version of Mr. Blackwell named "Mr. Boswell." A sample quote from "A Streetcar Named Marge
A Streetcar Named Marge
"A Streetcar Named Marge" is the second episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 1, 1992. In the episode, Marge wins the role of Blanche DuBois in a musical version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire...
": "Memo to Goldie Hawn: Cheerleading tryouts were 30 years ago – let's grow up, shall we?" Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, watching him on TV, chuckled and said, "He's such a bitch!"
In the sitcom Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, Season 5, Episode 14: Winky Dink Time, Charlie Harpers exclaims to his nephew Jake, "Please, Mr. Blackwell, I want your opinion!"
In the 2001 film "Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, and Jason Alexander. It was directed by the Farrelly Brothers and filmed in and around Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Sterling and Princeton, Massachusetts at Wachusett Mountain.- Plot :Hal Larson is a...
", Hal (played by Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
) tries to cheer up his best friend Mauricio (played by Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
) by telling him that he has "more style than Mr. Blackwell."
In the television drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
", Matt Albie (played by Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
) expresses his dismay at his staff's appearance, remarking, "I'm not Blackwell or anything, but holy cow, what the hell are you guys wearing?"
Filmography
- Juvenile Court (film) (1938) as “Ears” (Dick Selzer)
- Little Tough Guy (film) (1938) as “Bud” (un-credited)
- Promises! Promises (film) (1963) as Jayne MansfieldJayne MansfieldJayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
's wardrobe designer - The Mike Douglas ShowThe Mike Douglas ShowThe Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
(1967) – Guest appearance - Mr. Blackwell Presents (1968) TV special (Host, designer and producer)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
(1970–1973) – Five guest appearances - The Virginia Graham ShowVirginia GrahamVirginia Graham born Virginia Komiss, was a daytime television talk show host from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s...
(1971) – Guest appearance - The Mike Douglas Show (1972) – Guest appearance
- The Mike Douglas Show (1975) – Guest appearance
- The Brady Brides (TV series) (1981) "A Pretty Boy Is Like A Melody" (as himself)
- Matt HoustonMatt HoustonMatt Houston is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1982 to 1985. Created by Lawrence Gordon, the series was produced by Aaron Spelling.-Synopsis:...
(TV series) (1982) "Deadly Fashion" as “Valentine St. Clair” - MatlockMatlock (TV series)Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
(1990, two-part episode) as the Art dealer - Civil WarsCivil Wars (TV series)Civil Wars is an American legal drama that aired on ABC from November 1991 to March 1993. The series was produced by Steven Bochco, known for his work on NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, and Hill Street Blues.-Synopsis:...
(1992) "The Triumph of DeVille" as himself - BlossomBlossom (TV series)Blossom is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1991 to May 22, 1995. The series stars Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenage girl living with her father and two brothers. It was created by Don Reo.- Synopsis :...
(TV series) (1991) "Blossom: A Rockumentary" as himself - Hollywood Women (miniseries) (1994) as himself (interviewee) in Segment 4 ("Fear and Violence")
- Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
(TV series) (1995, two episodes) as himself - Port CharlesPort CharlesPort Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
(soap opera) (1997, 1999) as himself (13 episodes) - Intimate Portrait of Marilyn Monroe (Lifetime TV documentary) (1998) as himself (interviewee)
- Elvis Is Alive! I Swear I Saw Him Eating Ding Dongs Outside The Piggly Wiggly’s (film) (1998) as himself
Stage
- Dead End (1935) – billed as Richard Seltzer
- Catherine Was Great (1944) – billed as Dick Ellis