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  • Gene Tierney as Morgan Taylor wearing a velvet dress in the 1950 film "Where the Sidewalk Ends."
    • Twentieth Century Fox

    Where the Sidewalk Ends

    1950

    Costume seen on Gene Tierney as Morgan Taylor

  • Gene Tierney wearing a red velvet dress in a 1950 ad for Chesterfield Cigarettes.
    • Philip Morris USA

    Chesterfield Cigarettes Ad

    1950

    Costume seen on Gene Tierney as herself

  • Marilyn Monroe wearing a red velvet dress in a promotional photo by Eric Carpenter for the 1950 film "Asphalt Jungle."
    • Eric Carpenter
    • MGM

    The Asphalt Jungle Promo Photos

    1950

    Costume seen on Marilyn Monroe in an Eric Carpenter photo

  • Marilyn Monroe wearing a red velvet dress in a promotional photo for the 1952 "Henrietta Awards."
    • Foreign Press Association of Hollywood

    Henrietta Awards

    1952

    Costume seen on Marilyn Monroe as herself

Additional Images

About the Costume

Designer Oleg Cassini is best known for his work with First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy, helping her create her signature look. Before that time, however, Cassini had a successful career in Hollywood. He began as a designer in Rome in the 1930s. Then, he moved to America and became a costume designer at Paramount alongside Edith Head. In 1941 he married Hollywood star Gene Tierney, and he would design the gowns for all of her films until their divorce in 1953.

This red velvet dress, designed by Cassini, was first worn by Gene Tierney as Morgan Taylor in the 1950 film Where the Sidewalk Ends. Chesterfield Cigarettes frequently used Hollywood stars to advertise their products, and not long after Where the Sidewalk Ends, promotional photos from the film were used to create an ad featuring Tierney in the dress. However, when she was offered the dress to keep, she declined, stating it was far too challenging to walk in. 

The dress went to Cassini’s private salon on 16 East 55th Street, where Marilyn Monroe purchased it. In 1950, Marilyn wore the gown in a series of promotional photos by Eric Carpenter for her film The Asphalt Jungle. In 1952 she wore the dress again at the Henrietta Awards (Later renamed the Golden Globes), where she received an award for “Best Young Box Office Personality.” She appeared in a promotional photo from the evening alongside fellow nominees Tony Curtis, John Derek, Leslie Caron, Virginia Gibson, and Mitzi Gaynor.

The book Marilyn in Fashion: The Enduring Influence of Marilyn Monroe states that:

Commenting on the design, Marilyn commented to Modern Screen, “I’ve always admired [Cassini’s] taste and imagination of women’s clothes, and my gown is no exception. It fits snugly down to my knees and then flares out, in the Lillian Russel tradition.” With a straight face she added, “It plunges somewhat in the front, but not extremely.” One fan magazine declared the gown the most risqué design of the year. 

Check out more costumes featured in promotional photos here!

About the Costume

Have you seen this gown somewhere else? Do you need to be given credit for this sighting? Do you have corrections, additions or changes you would like to make?

Have you ever watched a film and noticed a character walk by in a gown that you just know you’ve seen before? Recycled Movie Costumes is dedicated to documenting the life of a costume through its various appearances on film and television.

Additional Images

About the Costume

Designer Oleg Cassini is best known for his work with First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy, helping her create her signature look. Before that time, however, Cassini had a successful career in Hollywood. He began as a designer in Rome in the 1930s. Then, he moved to America and became a costume designer at Paramount alongside Edith Head. In 1941 he married Hollywood star Gene Tierney, and he would design the gowns for all of her films until their divorce in 1953.

This red velvet dress, designed by Cassini, was first worn by Gene Tierney as Morgan Taylor in the 1950 film Where the Sidewalk Ends. Chesterfield Cigarettes frequently used Hollywood stars to advertise their products, and not long after Where the Sidewalk Ends, promotional photos from the film were used to create an ad featuring Tierney in the dress. However, when she was offered the dress to keep, she declined, stating it was far too challenging to walk in. 

The dress went to Cassini’s private salon on 16 East 55th Street, where Marilyn Monroe purchased it. In 1950, Marilyn wore the gown in a series of promotional photos by Eric Carpenter for her film The Asphalt Jungle. In 1952 she wore the dress again at the Henrietta Awards (Later renamed the Golden Globes), where she received an award for “Best Young Box Office Personality.” She appeared in a promotional photo from the evening alongside fellow nominees Tony Curtis, John Derek, Leslie Caron, Virginia Gibson, and Mitzi Gaynor.

The book Marilyn in Fashion: The Enduring Influence of Marilyn Monroe states that:

Commenting on the design, Marilyn commented to Modern Screen, “I’ve always admired [Cassini’s] taste and imagination of women’s clothes, and my gown is no exception. It fits snugly down to my knees and then flares out, in the Lillian Russel tradition.” With a straight face she added, “It plunges somewhat in the front, but not extremely.” One fan magazine declared the gown the most risqué design of the year. 

Check out more costumes featured in promotional photos here!

Designer Oleg Cassini is best known for his work with First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy, helping her create her signature look. Before that time, however, Cassini had a successful career in Hollywood. He began as a designer in Rome in the 1930s. Then, he moved to America and became a costume designer at Paramount alongside Edith Head. In 1941 he married Hollywood star Gene Tierney, and he would design the gowns for all of her films until their divorce in 1953.

This red velvet dress, designed by Cassini, was first worn by Gene Tierney as Morgan Taylor in the 1950 film Where the Sidewalk Ends. Chesterfield Cigarettes frequently used Hollywood stars to advertise their products, and not long after Where the Sidewalk Ends, promotional photos from the film were used to create an ad featuring Tierney in the dress. However, when she was offered the dress to keep, she declined, stating it was far too challenging to walk in. 

The dress went to Cassini’s private salon on 16 East 55th Street, where Marilyn Monroe purchased it. In 1950, Marilyn wore the gown in a series of promotional photos by Eric Carpenter for her film The Asphalt Jungle. In 1952 she wore the dress again at the Henrietta Awards (Later renamed the Golden Globes), where she received an award for “Best Young Box Office Personality.” She appeared in a promotional photo from the evening alongside fellow nominees Tony Curtis, John Derek, Leslie Caron, Virginia Gibson, and Mitzi Gaynor.

The book Marilyn in Fashion: The Enduring Influence of Marilyn Monroe states that:

Commenting on the design, Marilyn commented to Modern Screen, “I’ve always admired [Cassini’s] taste and imagination of women’s clothes, and my gown is no exception. It fits snugly down to my knees and then flares out, in the Lillian Russel tradition.” With a straight face she added, “It plunges somewhat in the front, but not extremely.” One fan magazine declared the gown the most risqué design of the year. 

Check out more costumes featured in promotional photos here!

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Credits

Costume Designer:
  • Oleg Cassini

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