WHO made Johnny Depps hats for Public Enemies

[Viper Man]

When I brought a couple hats into Optimo for servicing last summer, Graham himself told me that they were using his "Oxblood" felt for this film. I'm guessing that the hat Depp is wearing is Oxblood. It certainly looks like it here....

 

[CopperNY]

not surprised at the 'stiffness' of the costuming.

Atwood (costume designer) has a great resume, but there's the old "costume" versus "clothing" Hollywoodism....

i see the same split among reenactors of various periods.

 

[Torpedo]

Hi CoppeNY,

Could you elaborate a little on the concept? It seems intringuing.

 

[CopperNY]

eek, newbie on the spot....

i'll give it a shot.

it's really just a matter of approach. you can make something that 'looks' right, that ticks all the checkboxes for 'correct', but just doesn't present as an article a person actually 'lived' in.

whether it's subtleties of cut, color choices, omitting signs of wear or possibly exaggeration of details; little things can add up to make (the aficionado) say "too much", which takes it into the realm of "costume".

an example here would be where i see posters use the phrase "too costumey" in reference to certain outfits.

i'm not qualified to comment on this movie, being a newcomer here and much less informed than others, but i wasn't surprised that Hollywood omitted certain elements of personal styled mentioned above (hat angle,etc.) for the sake of presenting the 'look' in keeping with the costume director's vision, even if starkly.

i have a friend who worked in theater in Boston and in props in Hollywood, who's job was exclusively "distressing" wardrobe. she has a fit with things like this. she's a reenactor specializing in early Mughal Indian (southern) costume and insists on sunbleaching or otherwise wearing in outfits before wearing them to an event.

[i hope that made some modicum of sense....]

 

[1OldGI]

True

Some "hat movies" are better than others. I think in some of these modern hat movies, the hats are seen as necessary for time era authenticity but at the same time detrimental to seeing the whole of Johnny Depp's. Kevin Cosner's, Brad Pitt's far too pretty face. A good example of this is in Dances with Wolves (a great movie by the way). Kevin Cosner's character, not only a man but a military man, only wears his hat in a couple of the opening scenes of the movie. Point of fact, in the mid 19th century, civilian men who appeared in public uncovered (without a hat) were not seen as very gentlemanly. On the military side, military folks to this day are ALWAYS covered when outside (unless safety regulations prohibit it (i.e. flightline or deck of an aircraft carrier). Of course, Kevin Cosners hat despite riding accross the prarie from St. Louis to the Dakotas was spotless, dust free and shaped to strict military regulations.

A bit more realistic hat movie (and another great movie), is A River Runs Through It. In this movie you see the way that it probably really was back then. A bit dressier hat for church on Sunday or a date with a girl but a beat up old fedora for fly fishing as well.

 

[Hatsquad]

CopperNY and 1OldGI..............well spoken, and thoughtful, both of you.

I am a fan of the cinematic efforts of Michael Mann in his law enforcement-themed films, "Heat" being a best example. He has a knack for capturing the essence of the "cop personality" played against the "criminal" character that, for me , at least, adds greatly to the authenticity of a movie.

It will be disappointing if he neglected to have the actors "live" in their clothes, and let the costumes have their way.

Regards, Gerry

 

[Dietzatron]

Depp's lid looks like the 47th Street model on the Optimo website.

 

[Chas]

The film looks like fun, but I hate the music. I'd have preferred a period soundtrack.

At least I didn't hear any hip-hop.

 

[TopSpin]

Just saw the trailer on--wait for it--THE BIG SCREEN at yesterday's showing of Watchmen.

It made me a little giddy inside, period-accurate or not.

And then I got to see Rorschach in his fedora, so it was a veritable double whammy of hatdom.

 

[mike]

The brims seem a little narrow to me. And the lack of a snap is weird, since if a hat is flanged for a snap, there's no avoiding it. These hats look like they were made with cowboy hat felt and stiffened into shape.

in regards to the narrowness of the brim, keep in mind the original -cinematic- public enemy....

 

[Fletch]

The film looks like fun, but I hate the music. I'd have preferred a period soundtrack.

Problem is, the music of the early 30s dropped into a cultural black hole. It was a time no one ever wanted to remember, in between the Jazz Age and the Swing Era.

In our collective, cultural memory, that era has a feel and a look, but no sound outside of FDR, Amos and Andy, and maybe a Crosby or Vallée record or two. So the rhythmic, dance oriented music of those years is just about useless for setting a mood that has to be created in the mind of the viewer. Only Paper Moon, AFAIK, ever really tried, and that was 35 years ago when there were people around who remembered.

It would also be hard to keep the present-day attitude with period music. And that attitude - the iconic, < BADASS > sensibility - is what they feel they need to sell the story today. Remember, unless you're a history nut, the present feels "real," the past "unreal."

Do we know they're not using period music in the film itself? Maybe it's just for the trailer.

 

[Dixon]

It will be disappointing if he neglected to have the actors "live" in their clothes, and let the costumes have their way.

Regards, Gerry

I read that Depp as able to try on some of Dillinger's actual clothes. Get this, they fit and were his size. Now that's "lived in" from another angle.

As for music, I'm with you Chas.

Mann, as a filmmaker, is more about capturing the feel of a time going for the "fly on the wall", time capsule effect. You can get both (Miller's Crossing being a prime example) but that's not his desire.

For that reason the trailer music doesn't bother. It's evocative of the tragic undertones of the film. And, when juxtaposed with the action sequences, it really works for me.

My two cents.
Oh, and I LOVE the hats!

B

 

[kaosharper1]

The brims seem a little narrow to me.

I thought hats at that time had narrower brims (I noticed the same thing in The Changeling). I'm also talking to Art Fawcett about a hat with Maltese Falcon proportions and he told me it would be a 6" open crown and a 2 3/8" brim.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Problem is, the music of the early 30s dropped into a cultural black hole. It was a time no one ever wanted to remember, in between the Jazz Age and the Swing Era.

From 1993 to 2008, Mora's Modern Rhythmists focused most of its efforts on transcribing, arranging, playing live and recording this very music. Here on the west coast, they've been quite successful.


Listen to samples from the "Call of the Freaks" and "Mr. Rhythmist Goes to Town" albums: http://www.morasmodern.com/music-usa.ASP

.

 

[mannySpaghetti]

That's style! Makes me wish everyone still had it. Thankfully I happened on the Fedora Lounge though, so I know it's not completely lost. :eusa_clap

The guy in the blue topcoat in the second pic looks like he means business!

I'm lookin forward to this film.

 

[CRH]

Very cool, Alan .

 

[Old Fogey UK]

Cool Fedora on "Public Enemies" Movie Website

Just been looking at the "Public Enemies" trailer and photo gallery on the official movie website and noticed that Christian Bale (aka Melvin Purvis) is wearing a really cool light coloured fedora. Has anyone any idea where it came from ? I'd like one just like it !

 

[scotrace]

Oh no... not another movie with that whispering cheesehead Bale!!! :eusa_doh:

 

[Brad Bowers]

I went through the website and couldn't figure out which actor was Bale, and wasn't sure which hat you were talking about. Any photos you can post?

To tell you the truth, all of those actors looked the same to me. Guess I'm not familiar enough with any of them to know them on sight.

Brad

 

[jdbenson]

That's a great name for a band

"The Whispering Cheeseheads"