Monday 19 August 2013

Fashion in Film: The British Film Annual 1949

I picked up a copy of The British Film Annual: 1949 from a charity shop this afternoon and couldn't wait to share some images with you all. Period cinema and film-related literature is a great way to get inspiration for vintage styles, and for the couple of pounds I paid this book does not disappoint. This book was put out by British newspaper The Daily Mail, in connection with the National Film Awards.

The book has a couple of pages each dedicated to a total of 54 films released in the previous year, with black and white and colour images. There are screen shots, studio portraits and promotional images. I've picked out a selection of my favourites to show you.

Valerie Hobson, Blanche Fury
Valerie Hobson as Blanche Fury

Greta Gynt, Pat Parsons, Easy Money
Greta Gynt as Pat Parsons in Easy Money

Young actress Hazel Court

Gene Simmons as Ophelia, Hamlet, Ophelia
Jean Simmons as Ophelia in Hamlet

Anna Neagle, Judy Howard, Spring in Park Lane
Anna Neagle as Judy Howard in Spring In Park Lane

Patricia Roc, One Night With You

There are, of course, some beautiful hats being worn.

Margaret Lockwood
Margaret Lockwood

Beatrice Campbell, My Brother Jonathan
Beatrice Campbell as Edie in My Brother Jonathan

Greta Gynt, The Calendar
Greta Gynt as Wenda in The Calendar

Of course, you can't have 1940s fashion without some novelty prints!


Sally Ann Howes, My Sister And I
Sally Ann Howes in a beautiful leaf-motif dress.

Sheila Sim, Robert Flemyng, The Guinea Pig
Sheila Sim in The Guinea Pig

Paula Valenska
Paula Valenska in a beatiful leaf print with contrast collar.

3 comments:

  1. Very nice! Looks like a lovely inspirational find!

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  2. Saw on a documentary of a war time farm that factories used to make the sacks for bulk wheat seed or flour from an attractive material knowing they would be recycled because fabric was on ration. They even gave instructions on how to remove the factory label so that the fabric could be used for clothing . Your coarse 27" fabric sounds as though it could have been one of the war time sacks! Incidently there was enough fabric in these sacks for the programme made a summer frock from two.

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