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TRAVILLA William

William Jack Travilla.

Date of birth : March 22, 1920, Los Angeles, California .

Date of death : November 2, 1990, Los Angeles, California.

Profession dress designer, under contract with the Fox.

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Addresses

1941 : 1541 N.Western Avenue, Hollywood.

1944 : 6727 Pacific Avenue.

Story 

He graduated from Woodbury University and began to work in Hollywood in 1941.

On August 19, 1944 he married actress Dona Drake (November 15, 1914-June 20, 1989)(,

). 

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They had a daughter Nia Novella (August 16, 1951, Los Angeles-October 1st, 2002, California)().

In 1945, he was the youngest dress designer under contract with an important studio (the Warner).

After work on several B movies, he worked until finally earned an Oscar in 1949 for "The Adventures of Don Juan" and in 1951 he designed the costumes for "The Day the Earth Stood Still". He then worked mainly at the Twentieth-Century Fox.

In 1956 he separated with his wife, while they didn't divorce.

Link with Marilyn


He met Marilyn in 1950 when she asked to use the fitting room to dress a costume up.

They worked together in 8 movies.

 

1952 "Monkey Business" and "Don't Bother to Knock'

 

1952, at the Club 54, Los Angeles 


1953  "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

plum dress
                                  

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gold lamé dress

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black bustier

                                                                    

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orange dress                                              

pink dress

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red spangled dress

                                                                                    

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black suit, fur stole

                  

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green top ,,                                            

non used leotard                                            

gloves

 


1953 "How to Marry a Millionaire?".


1954 "There's No Business Like Show Business" 

"Heat Wave" dress  

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blue dress

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beige dress ;

 


1954 "River of No Return" 

red saloon dress ;,    

                                                                            

red and green saloon dress ;

 


1954 "The Seven Year Itch" 

white dress

                        

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pink bustier ,

1956 "Bus Stop" 

spangled leotard ;,,  

             

lace top, blue skirt ;,,

 

During his long career, he received an Academy Award for his work in "The Adventures of Don Juan" (1948), with Errol Flynn; he was nominated for his work in "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "Bus Stop".

 

He designed the majority of Marilyn's most memorable costumes, including the dress with the crushing effect she wore in public appearences, like during the Photoplay magazine awards ceremony in 1953.

He helped her to slip into the gold lamé dress she had worn in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"  and with which she picked up her prize, the "Fastest Rising Star of 1952".  

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The last time he saw her was when she had dinner with Peter Lawford and Pat Newcomb, a week before her death (according to some testimonies, this dinner took place the very last evening). He reported that she looked hangdog and dazed, and when he came to greet her at her table, she didn't recognize him  immediately. He was hurt and decided to tell her in a letter he didn't have enough time to write.

In the late 1970s, he began working mainly in television, where he won two Emmy Awards.



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