Anna Hill Johnstone (April 7, 1913 – October 16, 1992) was an American costume designer. Known for her collaborations with directors Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet and Frank Perry, she received two Academy Award nominations for her work on The Godfather (1972) and Ragtime (1981).
Anna Hill Johnstone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 7, 1913 |
| Died | October 16, 1992 (aged 79) Lenox, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Other names | Anna Johnstone Robinson[1] |
| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Spouse |
Curville Jones Robinson
(m. 1937; died 1989) |
Johnstone's credits include East of Eden (1955), Baby Doll (1956), David and Lisa (1962), The Group (1966), The Godfather (1972), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Stepford Wives (1975), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and Running on Empty (1988).
Early life
editJohnstone was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia.[1] She studied at St. Catherine's School. In 1934, she graduated from Barnard College.[1]
Career
editJohnstone got her start working on student productions at Barnard College, later becoming a seamstress for summer stock stage shows. Her first full credit for costume design was for the 1937 Broadway hit Having Wonderful Time. Her other stage productions included Bell, Book and Candle, Tea and Sympathy, and A Streetcar Named Desire.
In 1948, Johnstone made the move to working in films, obtaining her first costume design credit on Portrait of Jennie. She has been nominated for an Oscar twice for her work in costume design.[2]
Personal life
editJohnstone was married to mechanical engineer Curville Jones Robinson from 1937 until his death in 1989.[3][1]
Death
editJohnstone died on October 19, 1992, in a nursing home in Lenox, Massachusetts, after a long illness. She was 79 years old.[1]
Selected filmography
edit| Title | Year | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait of Jennie | 1948 | William Dieterle | Assistant Costume Designer |
| On the Waterfront | 1954 | Elia Kazan | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| East of Eden | 1955 | Wardrobe Designed by | |
| Baby Doll | 1956 | ||
| A Face in the Crowd | 1957 | Costume Designer | |
| Splendor in the Grass | 1961 | ||
| David and Lisa | 1961 | Frank Perry | |
| America America | 1963 | Elia Kazan | |
| Ladybug, Ladybug | 1963 | Frank Perry | |
| Fail Safe | 1964 | Sidney Lumet | |
| Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster | 1965 | Robert Gaffney | |
| A Christmas Memory | 1966 | Frank Perry | |
| The Swimmer | 1968 | ||
| Alice's Restaurant | 1969 | Arthur Penn | |
| The Godfather | 1972 | Francis Ford Coppola | |
| Serpico | 1973 | Sidney Lumet | |
| The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | 1974 | Joseph Sargent | |
| The Stepford Wives | 1975 | Bryan Forbes | |
| Dog Day Afternoon | 1975 | Sidney Lumet | |
| The Last Tycoon | 1976 | Elia Kazan | |
| The Wiz | 1978 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Coordinator |
| King of the Gypsies | 1978 | Frank Pierson | Costume Designer |
| Ragtime | 1981 | Miloš Forman | |
| The Verdict | 1982 | Sidney Lumet | |
| Garbo Talks | 1984 | ||
| Running on Empty | 1988 |
Awards and nominations
edit| Institution | Category | Year | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Costume Design | 1973 | The Godfather | Nominated |
| 1982 | Ragtime | Nominated | ||
| BAFTA Awards | Best Costume Design | 1973 | The Godfather | Nominated |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | Hall of Fame | 2006 | — | Won |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Lambert, Bruce (October 19, 1992). "Anna Johnstone, 79, a Designer Of Costumes for Films and Plays". The New York Times.
- ^ "Anna Hill Johnstone". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
- ^ "Anna H. Johnstone Married in South; She Is Wed to C. J. Robinson in a Garden Ceremony at Her Richmond, Va., Home". The New York Times. May 10, 1937.