Orry-Kelly

Orry-Kelly
Born	Orry George Kelly December 31, 1897(1897-12-31) Kiama, New South Wales, Australia
Died	February 27, 1964(1964-02-27) (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Costume designer
Known for	Costume design
Awards	Academy Award for Costume Design 1951 An American in Paris 1957 Les Girls 1959 Some Like It Hot

Orry-Kelly was the professional name of Orry George Kelly (31 December 1897 – 27 February 1964), a prolific Hollywood costume designer.

He was born in Kiama, New South Wales in Australia, and was known as Jack Kelly. His father William Kelly, was born on the Isle of Man and was a gentleman tailor in Kiama. Orry was a name of an ancient King of Man. He studied art in Sydney, and worked as a tailor's apprentice and window dresser.

He journeyed to New York to pursue an acting career. He shared an apartment there with Charlie Spangles and Cary Grant. A job painting murals in a nightclub led to his employment by Fox East Coast studios illustrating titles. He designed costumes and sets for Broadway's Shubert Revues and George White's Scandals.

He went to Hollywood in 1932, working for all the major studios (Warner Brothers, Universal, RKO, 20th Century Fox, and MGM), and designed for all the great actresses of the day, including Bette Davis, Kay Francis, Olivia de Havilland, Katharine Hepburn, Dolores del Río, Ava Gardner, Ann Sheridan, Barbara Stanwyck, and Merle Oberon.

He worked on many films now deemed classics, including 42nd Street, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Arsenic and Old Lace, Harvey, Oklahoma!, Auntie Mame, and Some Like It Hot.

He won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design (for An American in Paris, Cole Porter's Les Girls, and Some Like It Hot) and was nominated for a fourth (for Gypsy).

He wrote a column 'Hollywood Fashion Parade' for the International News Service, owned by William Randolph Hearst, during the war years.

A longtime alcoholic, he died of liver cancer in Hollywood and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills). His pallbearers included Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Billy Wilder and George Cukor and his eulogy was read by Jack Warner. His Academy Awards went to Jack Warner's wife, Ann.

Costume design credits

References

• Mann, William J., Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969, Viking Press, New York, 2001. ISBN 0-14-200114-7

External links

• Orry-Kelly at the Internet Movie Database
• Orry-Kelly at the Internet Broadway Database
• Orry-Kelly at Find a Grave

Academy Award for Costume Design (1948–1960) 1948–1956 Black & White / Color separate 1948 (Black & white): Roger K. Furse / (Color): Dorothy Jeakins and Barbara Karinska 1949 (bw): Edith Head and Gile Steele / (c): Marjorie Best, Leah Rhodes and William Travilla 1950 (bw): Edith Head, Charles LeMaire / (c): Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, Elois Jenssen, Gile Steele, Gwen Wakeling 1951 (bw): Edith Head /(c): Orry-Kelly, Walter Plunkett, Irene Sharaff 1952 (bw): Helen Rose / (c): Marcel Vertès 1953 (bw): Edith Head / (c): Charles LeMaire, Emile Santiago 1954 (bw): Edith Head / (c): Sanzo Wada 1955 (bw): Helen Rose / (c): Charles LeMaire 1956 (bw): Jean Louis / (c): Irene Sharaff 1957–1958 1957: Orry-Kelly 1958: Cecil Beaton 1959–1966 Black & White / Color separate 1959 (bw): Orry-Kelly / (c): Elizabeth Haffenden 1960 (bw): Edith Head and Edward Stevenson / (c): Arlington Valles Complete list (1948–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020)

Persondata
Name
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	31 December 1897
Place of birth	Kiama, New South Wales, Australia
Date of death	27 February 1964
Place of death	Los Angeles, California, United States