Hollywood Jack Vincennes

[Benny Holiday]

Any fans of the "Hollywood" Jack Vincennes look out there? I've read that LA Confidential director Curtis Hanson advised Kevin Spacey to seek his inspiration and look for the character by watching Dean Martin in vintage movies and film clips.

After seeing LA Confidential when it first came out, I kept my eyes out for sharp-draped sportscoats in some of the better department stores, and started combining them with my 40's ties and Hollywood-waist trousers to get the sharp late 40's-early 50's look that, oddly enough, my own father sported forty years before me.

I apologise for the size of that picture!

 

[Zach R.]

I personally love the look.

You know of a source for such a sportcoat these days? I've been looking for one in black and white like the one James Dean wore in Rebel w/o a cause.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Nice fleck to Dean's jacket, Zach

I dig that jacket too. There are quite a few flecked jackets on Ebay at any given time. Go to Vintage Clothing, then Mens Clothing, 1947-1964. Type in 'fleck', 'flecked', 'atomic', 'sports', 'blazer' and 'hollywood' in the search field, and on almost any given day a few hits will come up.

While I have a few flecked numbers, my Hollywood Jack sportscoats tend to have a slightly earlier look, like a light glen plaid, checked, or herringbone pattern to them. I don't have a digital camera, but I'll have to get off my lazy posterior, take some photos and scan them so I can post them here.

Good luck with the search!

 

[Flitcraft]

That is a cool look!
J. Peterman actually had the whole outfit for sale when the movie first came out- jacket, shirt, tie and trousers. I see the jacket on ebay every once in awhile.

 

[flat-top]

The Peterman "Bud White" tie is on Ebay as we speak............

 

[Nick Charles]

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vintage brooks brothers

 

[Benny Holiday]

That's the look all right, Nick

Sharp as a tac! Y'know, it's sad, I recall my Dad telling me he used to buy those sorts of threads here at a shop called Reuben F Scarf. He remembered the days when ol' Reuben used to attend to the customers himself, fitting them out with the sharpest trousers and sportscoats or suits, or serving in the custom tailor shop. It was the place to shop if you wanted to look smart back in the late 40's-early '50s (like Brooks Bros in the States, I guess).

Fast forward fifty-five years, Reuben F Scarf still exists as a shop, but they sell $20 Aloha shirts, microfibre (there's that word again!) suits, mostly tacky low-end-of-the-market stuff. What a fall! But from time to time, there's still a glimpse of the former greatness, in the form of a well-made, nicely-detailed sportscoat hanging on a display rack.

That tie and the shoes are the mezz, too, Nick, and set the whole outfit off completely!

 

[dr greg]

sydney style

It's a while since I pounded the mean streets of Darlo, but isn't Zink's the tailor's still there? The sharp lads got the clobber from them and the hair cut at Eric's down below in Burton St.They were still doing bespoke when I left in 97

 

[Benny Holiday]

Zink was there last time I was there, too, Dr Greg

That was about 2 years back, as I recall. The history in that place must be amazing. I noticed that when I was last in Pitt St, Andy Ellis was gone. Perhaps he passed on?