19205

y the 19205, Hollywood was universally recognized as the capital of the movie busi-

ness. The theater chains, which owned the movie studios, pressured producers to

produce more and more new films to satisfy the enthusiastic public. The speed of
production forced the film companies to become true manufacturing plants, with factories
staffed with specialized professionals dedicated to the production of handmade features.
Throughout the decade, costume departments became bustling, efficient clothing assembly lines.
In her 1921 article “Dressing the Movies” for Women’s Home Companion, Miss Walker observed:
“The motion pictures have opened up a most fascinating field for the man, woman, or girl who is
clever at designing and making clothes, particularly if she is able to express personality, character,
and emotions through clothes. Almost any producer of motion pictures can secure the services of
a tailor whose lines are admirable, of a milliner whose hats are ravishing, or a draper who can
hide defects and emphasize slimness, but they are all watching keenly for the worker in the shop

who adds to any of these gifts the ability to express human emotions in terms of clothes.”

OPPOSITE, ”The canary costume come with c1 detachable tall so that I could sit down." itouise Brooks
The Canary Murder Case (7929) - Travis Banton, costume designer