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No Business Like Show Business Donald O'Connor Production Made Costume

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Movie - Memorabilia Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 300.00 USD
No Business Like Show Business Donald O'Connor Production Made Costume
No Business Like Show Business Donald O'Connor Production Made Costume - The mega-budgeted musical "There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954) is perhaps known more for all the back-stage controversy than for the film itself. It was a lavish musical of vaudeville in the early 1900's, inspired a bit by the real life performing families of Eddie Foy and George M. Cohen. It starred the biggest stars of the day including Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Dan Dailey and Mitzi Gaynor, plus a sky-rocketing newcomer named Marylyn Monroe. Monroe was on the cusp of becoming a massive star, and was forced into this film to help created a lot of fire under her (her next film roared her to the top with "Seven Year Itch", which she was promised if she took this role). In fact, she shocked and delighted the public with her singing voice, and scandalized the censors with her seductive "Heatwave" number. Her co-star was Donald O'Connor, who was one of the first actors to play a love scene with her. In fact, in a scene where they have their first kiss, over 1000 studio personnel came over to the set to watch! Although O'Connor's romantic designs on Monroe were strictly professional, the press had a field day with all kinds of conjecture and innuendo, which became too much for O'Connor's wife of ten years. She separated from him during production and then divorced him... only to marry O'Connor's co-star Dan Dailey who played his father in the movie! The costumes were by legendary Travilla and Miles White. Travilla was best known for his work on many of Monroe's classic films (including designing the most famous dress in the world: Monroe's subway dress from "The Seven Year Itch") and Miles White was known of his work the greatest Broadway Musicals of all time including "Oklahoma!", and "Carousel", as well as such epics as "Around The World In 80 Days" (1956), and "The Greatest Show On Earth" (1952). However in "Show Business" it was O'Connor who had the most outfits. This is a production made suit for Donald O'Conner for the movie. It was either worn in one of the many cut scenes, or was created for a sequence in which another outfit was finally selected, since it does not appear in the final release print of the movie. It has the original Western Costume label on the pants with Donald O'Connor's name, and also the official WCC (Western Union Costume Company) stamps on the inner lining of the jacket.