EPISODE 162 - “ADRIAN: THE ART OF HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR ” - 10/19/2026
What do Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Joan Crawford’s legendary shoulder pads, and some of the most glamorous gowns ever seen on the silver screen have in common? One man: Adrian! This week on From Beneath the Hollywood Sign, we celebrate the extraordinary life and career of Gilbert Adrian, the brilliant costume designer who helped define the look of Hollywood’s Golden Age. From dressing such legendary stars as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Jean Harlow, and Judy Garland to creating some of the most unforgettable costumes in movie history, Adrian was more than a designer—he was a visionary who understood the power of fashion to create a star, define a character, and captivate an audience. Join us as we explore the artistry, imagination, and fascinating personal story of the man whose creations continue to influence fashion nearly a century later. It's a stylish journey through Hollywood history you won't want to miss!
SHOW NOTES:
Sources:
Adrian: A Lifetime of Movie Glamour, Art and High Fashion (2019), by Leonard Stanley and Mark A. Vieira;
Gowns by Adrian: The MGM years 1928-1941 by Howard Gunter
“Adrian Talks of Gowns--and of Goats; An interview with the Hollywood designer running the gamut from art to animals,”May 27, 1945, by Helen Markel, New York Times;
“Adrian, Whose Elegant Styles Were Movie Scene-Stealers,” May 17, 2002, by Grace Glueck, New York Times;
“Fashion Designer Gilbert Adrian Dies: Cerebral Hemorrhage Saturday Fatal to Noted Hollywood Stylist,” September 14, 1959, New York Times;
“Smithsonian Unearths 42 Adrian Designs,” July 2, 1978, by Karen de Vim, New York Times;
The Adrian by Terry Ann Gordon, Costume Designers Guild (June 26, 2023)
wikipedia.com;
TCM.com;
IMDBPro.com;
Movies Mentioned:
Backbone (1923), starring Edith Roberts, Alfred Lunt, William B. Mack, Frankie Evans;
The Hooded Falcon (1924), starring Rudolph Valentino, Tony D’Algy, Snitz Edwards, Nita Naldi, Emily Fitzroy (never completed);
Cobra (1925), starring Rudolph Valentino, Nita Naldi, Casson Ferguson, Gertrude Olmstead;
What Price Beauty? (1925) starring Nita Naldi, Pierre Gendron, Virginia Pearson, Myrna Loy. (Filmed in 1925; released in 1928.);
The Gold Rush (1925), starring Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman;
The King of Kings (1927), starring H. B. Warner, Dorothy Cumming, Ernest Torrence, Joseph Schildkraut, Jacqueline Logan;
Daddy Long Legs (1931), starring Janet Gaynor, Warner Baxter, Una Merkel, John Arledge, Claude Gillingwater;
Grand Hotel (1932), starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore;
Letty Lynton (1932), starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Nils Asther, Lewis Stone, May Robson;
Queen Christina (1933), starring Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Young;
Dinner at Eight (1933), starring Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore & Karen Morley;
Camille (1936), starring Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Daniell, Elizabeth Allan;
A Star Is Born (1937), starring Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine;
Marie Antoinette (1938), starring Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Robert Morley, Anita Louise.
Ninotchka (1939), starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire, Bela Lugosi, Sig Ruman.
The Women (1939), starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Mary Boland, Marjorie Main;
The Wizard of Oz (1939), starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr;
The Philadelphia Story (1940), starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, John Howard;
Two-Faced Woman (1941), starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Ruth Gordon;
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