Jayne Busts A Move.....

...and a zipper. 

A Tale of Two Toms

Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (20th Century Fox, 1955)

Tom Ewell and Sheree North in The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (20th Century Fox, 1956)

Tom Ewell and Jayne Mansfield in The Girl Can't Help It (20th Century Fox, 1956)

TOM EWELL

April 29, 1909 - September 12, 1994

Tommy Noonan and Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (20th Century Fox, 1953)

Tommy Noonan and Sheree North (with Orson Bean) in How to Be Very, Very Popular (20th Century Fox, 1955)

Tommy Noonan and Jayne Mansfield in Promises! Promises! (NTD, 1963)

Tommy Noonan and Mamie Van Doren in Three Nuts in Search of a Bolt (Harlequin, 1964)

TOMMY NOONAN
April 29, 1921 - April 24, 1968

Blondes, apparently, preferred them.

The Prince and the Showgirl

It's not without some irony that this self-made arbiter of good taste, and the creator of the notorious "Worst Dressed List," found his most notorious and publicized celebrity client in the form of Jayne Mansfield. She was named to Mr. Blackwell's infamous list in 1961, and to Jaynie's credit, turned to the designer for advice; he soon set about turning the showgirl into a lady.

There never seemed to be a shortage of photographers around when Jayne went for her Blackwell fittings and, Mansfield being Mansfield, one wonders if she viewed the whole thing as a grand publicity stunt: she had been publicly pilloried for her style by this man, then charmed him into becoming her personal designer! If this was the case, it was a two-way street: Richard Blackwell could never be described as one who shied away from publicity, and though the two seemed like chalk and cheese on paper, he truly met his ideal partner in crime in La Mansfield.

It was a successful partnership for a few years; and then there came a rift. Jayne signed on to do a quickie comedy called Promises! Promises! (1963) - the main selling point of which was a series of scenes where she appeared topless. The furor this caused may seem unfathomable today, but cannot be underestimated - obscenity charges were leveled, movie theaters were threatened with cease and desist papers, even the custody of Jayne's children was challenged. It all made for reams of publicity, of course, but not necessarily good publicity - even if they spelled your name correctly. How does this involve Mr. Blackwell? Well, besides being a publicity hound extraordinaire, Jaynie was also well-known for her thrift: she furnished her famous Pink Palace almost entirely on freebies, and in lieu of charging a fee for making a personal appearance at a supermarket or department store, often walked away with thousands of dollars' worth of free merchandise! So when Promises! Promises!'s meager budget wouldn't allow for a costume designer, Jayne simply wore her own custom-designed Blackwell wardrobe - and then had Mr. Blackwell's name listed in the credits, and, of course, the publicity materials.


Jayne may have thought she was doing the right thing by crediting Blackwell, whether he was aware of it or not; but Blackwell was furious at being associated with what was essentially a glorified nudie film. He severed his ties with the Pink Goddess, and by 1964, she was back on his Worst Dressed List. But time heals all wounds, and when Blackwell passed away in 2008, a lovely, demure Jayne Mansfield graced the back cover of his memorial service program. "To Richard," she wrote in her looping, heart-dotted hand, "my fantastic, adorable designer. Love, Jayne."

THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL: BLACKWELL & MANSFIELD, CIRCA 1963

For DONNA LETHAL, of course!

Goodnight, Mr. Blackwell

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mr. Blackwell, the fashion maven whose annual "worst-dressed" list could be the bane of Hollywood celebrities, has died at age 86, according to media reports on Monday.

Richard Blackwell, born Richard Selzer, had been in failing health for some time and in August was reported to be in a coma after a fall at his Los Angeles home.

The Los Angeles Times quoted his publicist Harlan Boll as saying the former actor and fashion designer died on Sunday afternoon in hospital of complications from an intestinal infection.

Blackwell issued his "worst-dressed" list for 48 years and it became watched around the world as much for his caustic quips about the stars' fashion as for who made the list.

Last year he put British "Spice Girls" singer Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham at the top of his list, saying: "...in one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty 'Posh' Beckham can really wreck-em."

In the No. 2 spot was British soul singer Amy Winehouse and just behind was U.S. actress Mary-Kate Olsen who, he said, "resembles a tattered toothpick trapped in a hurricane."

For 35 years, Blackwell had his own clothing line. He was also a costume designer who worked with Hollywood stars such as Jayne Mansfield and Jane Russell.

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith; Editing by Eric Walsh)