Phyllis Dalton facts for kids

Phyllis Dalton (16 October 1925 – 9 January 2025) was a famous English costume designer. She created clothes for movies and TV shows for over 40 years! She won many awards, including two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), a BAFTA Award, a Saturn Award, and an Emmy Award.

Phyllis Dalton was well-known for working with famous directors like David Lean and Rob Reiner. She was nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar three times. She won twice for her work on Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Henry V (1989). She also won a BAFTA Award for The Hireling (1973).

A Life in Costumes

Phyllis Dalton was born in London, England, on 16 October 1925. As a teenager, she studied art at the Ealing School of Art.

Starting Her Career

When World War II began, she trained as a Wren. She worked at Bletchley Park, a secret place where codes were broken. She said it was "unbelievably boring"!

In 1946, after the war ended, her grandmother helped her enter a competition. Phyllis won a chance to work at Gainsborough Studios in Islington. There, she started gaining experience on films like A Christmas Carol (1951) and Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).

Designing for Big Movies

Phyllis Dalton became very well-known in the late 1950s. She designed costumes for movies such as Island in the Sun (1957) and Our Man in Havana (1959).

Her most famous work was with director David Lean. She designed costumes for his epic films: Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Dr. Zhivago (1965). For Dr. Zhivago, she won her first Oscar!

Peter O'Toole wearing one of Dalton's famous costumes in Lawrence of Arabia (1962).

Julie Christie in one of Dalton's award-winning designs for Dr. Zhivago (1965).

Dalton's costumes for The Princess Bride (1987) on display.

The Scale of Her Work

For Dr. Zhivago, Phyllis and her team made 3,000 costumes. They put together 35,000 clothing items for the many extra actors! The main characters, Zhivago and Lara, each had about 90 different costume combinations.

This was before CGI (computer-made images) existed. So, everything had to be real. The costume department used a huge amount of fabric, thread, buttons, and safety pins for the film.

Other Notable Films

Phyllis Dalton designed costumes for over 40 films. Some other important ones include Oliver! (1968) and The Princess Bride (1987).

Many famous actors wore her designs, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Maggie Smith, Robin Williams, and Keanu Reeves.

Her other films include The World of Suzie Wong (1960), The Message (1976), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993), which was her last credited work.

In 2012, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) held a special event to celebrate Phyllis Dalton's amazing work in British cinema.

Phyllis Dalton passed away on 9 January 2025, at the age of 99.

Awards and Honors

Other Recognitions

Phyllis Dalton was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2002. This is a special honor given for great service to the film industry.