Orry-Kelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Orry-Kelly
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| Born |
Orry George Kelly
December 31, 1897 Kiama, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | February 27, 1964 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, United States
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| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Known for | Costume design |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Costume Design:
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Orry-Kelly, whose real name was Orry George Kelly, was a famous costume designer in Hollywood. He was born in Australia and later became an American citizen. He designed amazing outfits for many classic movies.
Orry-Kelly won three Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) for his costume designs. These awards are a big honor in the film industry. He was the Australian-born person with the most Oscars until 2014.
Contents
About Orry-Kelly's Life
Early Years in Australia
Orry-Kelly was born on December 31, 1897, in a town called Kiama, in New South Wales, Australia. His family and friends knew him as Jack Kelly. His father, William Kelly, was a tailor.
When Orry-Kelly was 17, he moved to Sydney. He was supposed to study banking there. However, he became very interested in theater and plays instead.
Moving to the United States
Orry-Kelly decided to move to New York City to try acting. He shared an apartment in Greenwich Village with a few friends, including the famous actor Cary Grant.
He got a job painting murals in a nightclub. This led him to work for Fox East Coast studios. There, he helped create the words shown on screen in silent films. He also designed costumes and sets for big Broadway shows like the Shubert Revues. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Corps for a while.
Designing in Hollywood
In 1932, Orry-Kelly moved to Hollywood, California. He was hired by Warner Bros. studio as their main costume designer. He worked there until 1944. The studio encouraged him to use "Orry-Kelly" as his professional name. They thought it sounded more unique for movie credits.
After leaving Warner Bros., he designed costumes for other major studios. These included Universal, RKO, 20th Century Fox, and MGM. He won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design. These were for the movies An American in Paris, Les Girls, and Some Like It Hot. He was also nominated for a fourth Oscar for Gypsy.
Besides his movie work, Orry-Kelly was also a talented portrait artist. He was allowed to design special gowns and ready-to-wear dresses for private clients.
Famous Films and Actresses
Orry-Kelly worked on many movies that are still loved today. Some of these include 42nd Street, The Maltese Falcon, and Casablanca. He also designed for Arsenic and Old Lace, Harvey, and Some Like It Hot.
He created costumes for many of the biggest actresses of his time. These stars included Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Olivia de Havilland, Katharine Hepburn, and Dolores del Río.
Orry-Kelly was known for his amazing skill in making actors look their best. He could design clothes that perfectly fit each character and story. For example, he designed the elegant clothes for Ingrid Bergman's character in Casablanca. These outfits are still considered perfect for the movie.
He also showed his skill by designing clothes for characters who dressed up as women in the movie Some Like It Hot. Actors Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon played these roles. Orry-Kelly's designs were so good that the actors could walk into a ladies' room without being recognized as men!
During World War II, Orry-Kelly also wrote a fashion column. It was called "Hollywood Fashion Parade" and appeared in newspapers.
Later Life and Passing
Orry-Kelly passed away in Hollywood in 1964 at the age of 66. He was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills. Many famous people attended his funeral. His pallbearers included Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Billy Wilder, and George Cukor.
Orry-Kelly did not have any close family when he died. His personal belongings and his three Academy Awards were kept by Ann Warner. She was the wife of his friend and former boss, Jack Warner. His Oscars were later shown in an exhibition in Australia in 2015.
Images for kids
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Dolores del Río wears an Orry-Kelly gown in I Live for Love (1935)
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Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca (1942)
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Nina Foch in An American in Paris (1951)
See also
In Spanish: Orry-Kelly para niños
