Mad Men

This month we are going “Behind the Scenes” to learn more about the people who work to make television shows great off the screen. Today we get to learn about costume designers.

Costume designers visually define characters. They break down scripts, research time periods, manage budgets, and collaborate with directors and producers to ensure visual consistency. They also oversee fittings, tailor garments, and supervise the wardrobe department on the set.

Characters’ wardrobes have changed during the years. If you watch shows from the fifties to the early seventies, you will notice that the characters have a clothes inventory for the season. You will see characters wearing these clothes over and over during the year. Gracie Allen used to do her own shopping for the dresses she wore on the set.

Costumer designers can design and create clothing for a character, or they can purchase the wardrobes. Sometimes costumers work with big-name designers like Nolan Miller who design clothes for a television character. On That Girl, Ann Marie wore a lot of clothing designed by Marilyn Lewis. On Green Acres, Lisa Douglas’s negligees were purchased from Lucie Ann.

Starting in the late seventies and eighties, it became more common for characters to have new clothing for each episode. If you watch Dynasty or Charlie’s Angels, you probably never see an outfit a second time.

Costumer designers ensure historical accuracy by doing research into time periods and geographical locations. This is reflected in shows like Mad Men or That Seventies Show.

Designing for specific characters includes knowing their personality, creating color schemes that convey emotions, patterns that reflect a personal style, choosing shapes and forms that express a character’s message or social class. Think about a show like Golden Girls where each character has a very different look.

Additionally, designers must consider the set and background colors to make sure the characters are wearing complementary shades or sometimes wearing a clashing color to stand out.

Let’s meet a few television costume designers.

Harald Johnson

Harald Johnson’s work can be seen on The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Spy, and The Mod Squad. He was a member of the motion picture costumers for more than forty years.

In a 2023 online article by Matt Spaiser (https://www.bondsuits.com/the-stylish-beverly-hills-suits-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/), he shares the following:

“As Rob Petrie, Van Dyke dressed in bespoke suits, which were known simply as ‘custom’ in America. Though the credits read, ‘Mr. Van Dyke’s Wardrobe furnished by “Botany” 500, Tailored by Daroff’, this was not the case literally. Van Dyke used a Beverly Hills tailor named Harry Cherry for his suits. Harry Cherry was the designer of the clothes and the shop proprietor with his name on the door, but he had cutters and tailors working for him.

The famous wardrobe credit was not entirely truthful. This is from the The Dick Van Dyke Show episode ‘My Neighbor’s Husband’s Other Life’.

Botany 500, an average-quality American clothier, paid for their name in the credits and, according to Vince Waldon’s book The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, also paid for Van Dyke’s wardrobe. The credit is cleverly and deceptively worded to mean that Daroff tailored clothes for Botany 500, not for Van Dyke. Botany 500 ‘furnished’ Van Dyke’s suits, in the form of paying his tailor. Van Dyke also appeared in advertisements for Botany 500.

In Waldron’s book, the show’s head of costuming Harald Johnson is quoted, ‘Dick was very, very particular about his clothes … He never wore off-the-rack suits. The only things he ever wore that were not custom-made were sportswear items.’ Johnson also said that the deal with Botany 500 provided the show’s producers Sheldon Leonard and Carl Reiner with suits from the same tailor who dressed Van Dyke.

Botany 500 paid a large sum for the Harry Cherry suits, jackets, and trousers. In a series of advertisements in the Los Angeles Times in 1958 promoting a clearance sale of his ready-to-wear clothes—he was shifting to selling only custom clothes—his ready-to-wear suits originally cost from $125 to $225 and were made of ‘Italian and English imported fabrics in 100% cashmere, cashmere-silk and wool, Italian silks, mohairs, lightweight worsted, silk and mohair, etc.’ “

The clothes worn by Mary Tyler Moore and Rose Marie were provided by various suppliers, most of them based in Los Angeles. In Vince Waldron’s book, The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, Harald Johnson “negotiated deals with a variety of California-based women’s clothing designers, most of whom were only too happy to loan samples of their latest fashion lines to the show’s female stars in exchange for the exposure and – of course – a prominent plug in the show’s closing credits.”

Mary refused to wear the typical and unrealistic clothing other housewives were wearing on television. In a 2021 online article https://www.cnn.com/style/article/mary-tyler-moore-capri-pants), she was quoted, “I said, I’ve seen all the other actresses, and they’re always running the vacuum in these little flowered frocks with high heels on, and I don’t do that,” she recalled to NPR. “And I don’t know any of my friends who do that. So why don’t we try to make this real? And I’ll dress on the show the way I do in real life. … Within a few weeks, we were sneaking (pants) into a few other scenes in every episode.

Vincent Dee

Born in Pennsylvania in 1915, Vincent Dee passed away in 2006. With almost 100 credits, he was a prolific designer. According to BackstageAudition.com, his “contributions as a costume supervisor are nothing short of extraordinary. His passion for storytelling, coupled with his unparalleled skill in costume design, has brought characters to life in a way that captivates audiences worldwide. Dee’s legacy as a master of his craft will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of costumer designers and enthusiasts alike.”

Dee began as a costumer designer on television from 1954 to 1978. He was part of the cast for many popular series including Tales of West Fargo, Bachelor Father, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Leave It to Beaver, Wagon Train, McHale’s Navy, The Munsters, and The Virginian.

Bachelor Father is one of my favorites and the characters’ wardrobes are spot on. Bentley Gregg is clad in the tailored suits a wealthy attorney would wear. His teen niece Kelly wears typical high school fashion with a polished, upscale vibe. And Peter switches his clothing from white shirt when working at the house to more casual, informal clothing when he’s out and about.

Then you have Leave It to Beaver. June is often made fun of for her flowing dresses and pearls. Barbara Billingsley often told the story about why she wore pearls. She had a large hollow in her neck which became more obvious on screen, so the pearls covered up that stark look. Ward, the businessman is usually in suits or casual attire for golfing. Beaver and Wally wear the typical clothing for boys their age: jeans, flannel shirts, sweaters. The Cleavers are the poster family for a wholesome, clean-cut, conservative family of that time.

The Munsters were a satire of the typical sixties’ family. However, Eddie Munster dressed nothing like Beaver. He wore the same outfit in every show: a velvet suit with short pants and a shite collar with a jacket and gray knee socks. Poor Fred wore heavy looking clothing as a mortician. He was given build-up shoes to expand his 5”6” frame to 7’. His clothing weighed about 50 pounds so there were fans and lemonade and water for him between takes. Lily gives a nod to The Bride of Frankenstein from 1935 with her black and white hair and long, flowing gown.

An interesting story about Dee concerned Edith Head, an amazing designer who often found herself involved in scandals and unethical behavior toward other designers. In a 7-29-2024 online article (https://www.okcmoa.com/edith-heads-controversies) by Kristen Pignuolo, we learn that Head was responsible for promoting The Sting and making sure the actors were happy with their costumes. However, she did no design work for the film. That fell to Peter Saldutti and Vincent Dee who worked with Paul Newman and Robert Redford and Andrea Weaver who was the women’s costumer. The Sting won Best Costume Design. Head received the Oscar and during her acceptance speech failed to even mention Saldutti, Dee, or Weaver.

I think the world of costuming is fascinating. You have all the creative license, scandal, and intrigue of any television plot. I wish we knew more about these hard-working, creative individuals who made our characters so real for us.

We are discussing some of our favorite actors who were typically supporting actors. In the case of today’s subject, he did star in a television show, but he was so great in other assisting roles, we are including him here as well. Today we get to know Dick Van Patten.

📷nypldigitalcollections.com Off Broadway

Van Patten was born in 1928 in Queens, New York. His father was an interior decorator, and his mother worked in advertising. Joyce Van Patten is his sister. Van Patten began working as a model and actor while he was still a child. He was only four when he joined John Robert Powers, a modeling agency, where made $5 an hour.

His first Broadway appearance was in “Tapestry in Gray” when he was seven, and he appeared in many plays by the time he graduated from the Professional Children’s School in New York City.

At that time, he moved to Hollywood. In 1949 he accepted the role of Nels Hansen on the early sitcom, Mama, about a Norwegian family living in San Francisco. The show was on the air until 1957, for a total of 327 episodes.

In 1954 Van Patten married Patricia Poole. She was a professional dancer, part of the June Taylor Dancers on The Jackie Gleason Show. Their son Vincent was on Apple’s Way in the mid-seventies, with 65 credits to his name. He is married to Eileen Davidson, who is Ashley Abbot in The Young and the Restless.

📷wikipedia.com On the set with friend Dick Van Dyke

Van Patten’s sister Joyce also began her career as a child. With 160 acting credits, she also has been very busy for decades, starring in The Good Guys. She was married to Martin Balsam from 1957-1962, another prolific actor. Van Patten’s niece Talia, who has also amassed more than 100 acting credits, was married to George Clooney and then John Slattery, star of several shows including Mad Men. So, this is a well-known family in entertainment.

In the fifties and sixties, most of Van Patten’s roles on television were in dramas and a few westerns. In the seventies, he took on his first comedy roles, appearing on I Dream of Jeannie, The Governor and JJ, Arnie, That Girl, Sanford and Son, The Doris Day Show, The Paul Lynde Show, Love American Style, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Maude, Phyllis, Happy Days, and One Day at a Time, among others. He also accepted a few drama roles on shows such as Cannon, Adam-12, The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, and Barnaby Jones. After appearing on The New Dick Van Dyke Show in 1971, Van Patten and Van Dyke became life-long friends.

He appeared in 36 movies, his first being Violent Midnight in 1963. Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and High Anxiety, all with Mel Brooks, were probably his best-known films. In 2014, Van Patten said working with Brooks was “great. It’s like a game. It’s not like work. He keeps you laughing the full day on the set. He’s just a funny man.” Van Patten also accepted 28 made-for-tv movie roles.

In 1977, he took on the role that would make him a household name: that of Tom Bradford on Eight is Enough. He played a newspaper publisher with eight kids. His wife dies early in the series, and Tom remarries.

Van Patten auditioned for the role of Tom Bradford but was not given the part. When the producers watched the first day of shooting, they scrapped the entire production. Fred Silverman then hired Van Patten.

📷showbizcheatsheet.com Cast of Eight is Enough

It’s interesting to wonder what his career would have been like if he had declined Eight is Enough and accepted the role he was offered of Dr. Adam Brinker on The Love Boat. Since he had already agreed to appear on Eight is Enough, the role went to Bernie Kopell.

In an interview with the St. Petersburg Times in 1989, Van Patten discussed his character on Eight is Enough: “Tom Bradford is a lot like the real me. He’s a man who always put his career second to his family. As long as everything was OK at home, he was OK too.”

Sadly, the cast did not learn of the cancellation of Eight is Enough from the network. Van Patten said “nobody called me to tell me it was canceled. I read it in the paper.”

Van Patten never received a starring role again, but he did keep very busy in the eighties and nineties appearing in many popular shows, including Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, The Facts of Life, Growing Pains, and Diagnosis: Murder.

He was in a handful of shows in the 2000s with Hot in Cleveland in 2011 being his last appearance on television.

He published a book in 2009 titled Eighty is Not Enough!, his memoir. He had also written Launching Your Child in Show Biz: A Compete Step-By-Step Guide and Totally Terrific TV Trivia. In 2001, he was honorary mayor of Sherman Oaks, California.

Van Patten was an animal advocate, and he created Natural Balance Pet Foods and the National Guide Dog Month to raise awareness and money for nonprofit guide dog schools.

Van Patten also participated in a variety of hobbies. Like Tom Bradford, he loved spending time with this family. He also owned thoroughbreds and attended horse racing events. He enjoyed playing poker, golf, swimming and reading. Most Sundays he headed to the tennis courts to meet Alan Alda, Mel Brooks, and Gene Wilder.

In 2006, Van Patten suffered a diabetic stroke. He made a full recovery and lived another nine years, passing away in 2015 from diabetes complications. He was still married to Patricia.

His son Tommy on Eight is Enough, Willie Aames, said Van Patten “was truly a gem who will be missed.” His second wife, Abby, on the show played by Betty Buckley, recalled that “every day on the set he was a happy, jovial person, always generous and ready to play, tease, and always keep us laughing. He was the consummate professional, a wonderful actor, master of comedy, and a kind and generous human being.”

Van Patten had an extremely successful career. For more than seven decades he was part of the entertainment community. In addition to his stage productions, films, and television work, he appeared in more than 600 radio show episodes and was in Weird Al Yankovic’s music video “Smells Like Nirvana.” He said that he had “fun doing this and going through my life. I’ve had a great life. It was exciting. I worked with the most interesting people, and I traveled all over the country.”

His reflection on his work is great advice for all of us. Van Patten said that he wanted to express the “single idea that has governed my entire life, that every moment of life is precious, that every step we take is an adventure, that every day on earth is a gift from God.” Thanks, Dick Van Patten, for leaving us with this inspiration and for taking your gifts and presenting them to us in the form of many wonderful memories.

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How pop culture influences us

Costumers: Bringing Characters to Life

Dick Van Patten: He Was Enough