"The Green Curtain Dress" is arguably one of the most iconic costumes ever created. It was designed by Walter Plunkett for use on Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind.
It's shocking to think that a gown that has become so iconic in our eyes would go on to be used again. Still, we must remember that before the advent of video and streaming, people saw a movie in the theater and rarely saw it again.
It is not known how many copies of the curtain dress were produced. At least one copy of the costume does seem to have gone on to be altered and used in the 1946 film Bedlam on Anna Lee as Nell Bowen.
The gown has clearly undergone some adjustments. The hoop skirt is no longer worn, and thus, the skirt falls much differently. The caplet on the left shoulder has been removed, large cuffs have been added to the end of the sleeves, and the cording around the waist and shoulder have been removed. However, looking at the collar and the seams of the dress makes it evident that it is indeed the same costume – a fact that is confirmed in the audio commentary of Bedlam.
One copy of the curtain dress is in storage at the David O. Selznick collection at The Harry Ransom Center in Texas, where $30,000 was raised for its restoration.
To properly restore the gown, textile conservator Cara Varnell took great pains in determining what was original to the dress and what was not. Of the dress at the Ransom Center, she says:
"There are several rows of machine stitching on the waistline that don't make sense. There are extensive alterations, and it's not clear when or why they were done."
Is the gown that the Ransom Center owns the same one used in Bedlam? Either way – the dress owned by the Ransom Center is a reminder that even the most exceptional pieces get altered and changed.
To learn more about the conservation of this wonderful dress, visit the Ransom Center Blog.
What do you think are the most iconic costumes created for film? Let us know!
To learn more about alterations to the dress, visit our website: bit.ly/VicEd082