Jake Gittes: Style Icon

[jake_fink]

I recently learned how to get screen shots from my dvds, and I've taken on a little project.

Marc and others have been busy supplying images, and I want to contribute more than pics of my ugly mug and the things I wear above it, so I'm contributing images of clothing form period films taht I like. Which is to say, I like the clothing and I like the film.

I'm starting with my favourite film of all time, and one of my favourite characters in film history, Chinatown and Jake Gittes. I know a lot of people here got into wearing period attire via Indiana Jones, but he never really did much for me, I was laways all about the smarts, the street cred, the toughness, the tenderness and the sheer elan of one Jake Gittes, private detective, assayed in two films by the inimitable Jack Nicholson. Now here was a fully rounded and fascinating character, a believable, naturalistic rendering (if not all absolutely accurate) of the 1930s, and here too was a vain little cockscomb of a man who knew how to dress, and loved doing it. There would be no rumpled trench coat or "farted up" suit in J.J.'s closet, only the gladdest glad rags this side of L. O. Fellowes illustrations for Esquire.

So, here without further ado, are the duds of Jake Gittes.

 

[jake_fink]

The film's art director was Dick Sylbert, and his wife Ann designed the costumes. I've read that they were made for the film and that they were vintage, so I don't know the truth, but she does have an eye for the kind of thing a Jake Gittes would have had on in the summer of 1937.

First up is his linen suit. Apparently white or cream. It is three piece, double breasted and sports a very fancy back. He wears it twice in the film. In the first scene and in the scene following his temper tantrum at the barber. Of course he can't wear a white suit again, since having met the real Evelyn Mulwray he is compromised, so he moves into grey and then on to darker suits. Here's his linen.

Difficult getting full length shots of anything but the back of Nicholson's ear in theis film.

With a red, gold, grey striped tie.

And in the later scene with a different shirt and tie.

 

[jake_fink]

Here's the back:

The sleeve appears to be creased in the photo above.

 

[jake_fink]

This is the best shot I could get of the front, though if you watch the scene where he meets the phony Mrs Mulwray you get a few quick looks at it while it is buttoned.

 

[jake_fink]

Finally, a look at Jake in his straw hat, and a look at the long pointy shirt collars he was partial to.

 

[jake_fink]

That's it for now. It's a time consuming project, but I'll be back with the next suit in a few days.

If this is a pointless exercise, please let me know.

 

[Sefton]

Not pointless at all. I'm not expert so I can't say if that's a vintage suit or not. I can say that it looks great and I'd be a very pleased cockscomb to have one of my own! Lovely hat. The multi-colored ribbon is a nice touch. Please continue with your project. That film is a true masterpiece-including the costumes. :eusa_clap

 

[scotrace]

Plenty Pointy

I like this very much and I know it's a lot of work - thanks for doing it!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

This is why Chinatown gets my vote for the most authentic '30s costuming film made in the '70s. Although Chinatown had a costume designer, he outfitted the male stars almost exclusively in '30s vintage clothing. In other words, the real stuff.


.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The first time I saw Chinatown, I zeroed in on the necktie above. Turns out that its colors were very popular in the early '30s. That particular color combination even had a name: "Sunray".

For some reason, it's extremely difficult to find a '30s tie today with those colors. About 10 years ago, I was fortunate to find one.

And yes, I wear it with a white, belted-back suit. Just like Jake did.

.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

It's the back of that coat that makes the suit. Man, that's a great cut!

Also, I love the ribbon on the straw.

"Chinatown" is one of my favorite films. That film came as close to Classic Hollywood as anything in the last 40 years.

Can you imagine all of the costumes from the 230s and 40s that were still on the lots in those days?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Can you imagine all of the costumes from the '20s, '30s and '40s that were still on the lots in those days?

Hemingway, this is for you:


In 1970, MGM liquidated virtually its entire stock of costumes accumulated over 45 years. It started off by auctioning the most famous pieces (as in Wizard of Oz famous).

Following the auctions, there was a three-week sale period of extras clothing, props and other items. “They sold photos, hats, shoes, corsets,” said one customer, Steve Lee. “You name it, they sold it. The place was a madhouse."

A friend of Lee's, Satch LaValley, was an old movie buff with a photographic memory. He was able to see part of a garment sticking out from a jam-packed rack and know which star wore it in what movie. To his astonishment, LaValley found costumes worn by major stars that were mistakenly put up for sale with extras’ clothing. “They didn’t realize what they were getting rid of,” Lee said. For $25 to $50 apiece, LaValley got over 100 stars’ costumes. He later found photos of the stars wearing the costumes and was able to document their authenticity to increase their value.

One of the costumes LaValley bought, but wasn’t able to document was a pink silk peignoir. He believed that Greer Garson wore it in the 1941 movie Blossoms in the Dust and he contacted her to see if she would help him document it. Garson lived in Palm Desert and invited him to her home. She immediately recognized the peignoir and confirmed that she had worn it in the movie to LaValley’s delight.

Lee said LaValley wrote to Elizabeth Taylor about acquiring her white chiffon dress from the 1958 movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but she didn’t answer his letter. He had amazingly found the dress and bought it for about $25. He later sold it for $4,000. Lee said the dress had Taylor’s name printed on a tag inside it.

Eventually LaValley decided to sell his Hollywood costumes. From 1979 to 1982 he sold them for higher sums than he’d paid for them. He took his profits and bought a huge collection of 1880 to 1945 vintage clothing, which he found in a Redlands antique clothing store. He paid over $7,000 for the collection that was really worth about $40,000 unbeknownst to the storeowner. LaValley continued to collect vintage clothing and amassed nearly more than 800 costumes by the time he stopped collecting in 1995.


P.S. I know where that Redlands antiques store is. The present owner is selling a collection of costume jewelry worn by Jean Harlow in her '30s films.


.

 

[herringbonekid]

that is perhaps THE classic 30s summer suit.

Marc, the broad stripe on your tie looks more grey than brown as Jack's does. or is it the photo ? (not that i'm complaining...it's gorgeous)

 

[Feraud]

Fascinating!!

 

[Mr. 'H']

I always thought the guy on the left had a terrible hairdo.

Sooo 70s "drylook".

Not 30s at all! :rage:

Please correct me if I'm wrong ...(Marc).

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc, the broad stripe on your tie looks more grey than brown as Jack's does. or is it the photo ?

It's the photo. The color is in fact a mocha brown (on crepe silk).

.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

.

Is that a Superba tie? P'raps from the "sugar and spice" line?

bk

 

[Matt Deckard]

Nothin' like a cool linen suit for a hot summer day. Some belt backs are seen randomely as sport jackets on the market. I want to see the suits come back with the full on bi-swing action back. Now that's classic style.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Nothin' like a cool linen suit for a hot summer day. Some belt backs are seen randomely as sport jackets on the market. I want to see the suits come back with the full on bi-swing action back. Now that's classic style.

As we saw in Brooks Brothers, NYC... sort of.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

I love the lapels on this jacket. These lazy peaks are almost a hybrid between a peaked and notched lapel. I love it! Now this would be a smashing suit to do in an ivory linen! Any takers?

Kind regards,
Magnoli