archytele The Vault

Edith Head

Known For
Costume & Make-Up
Born
October 28, 1897 in San Bernadino, California, USA
Died
October 24, 1981
Active Years
1944–2016 (73 Years)
Total Credits
350 credits in database
Costume & Make-Up Born Oct 28, 1897 Died Oct 24, 1981 San Bernadino, California, USA 350 credits
350
Total Credits
1944–2016
73 Years Career Span
243
Vault Titles
10
Key Co-Stars

Biography

Edith Claire Head was an American film costume designer born on October 28, 1897, in San Bernardino, California. Throughout her career, she served as a chief costume designer for Universal Studios after beginning her professional life as a sketch artist at Paramount. Head holds a record for the most Academy Award wins for Best Costume Design, having received eight awards during her career. She also earned either 35 or 36 Academy Award nominations, making her the most honored and most nominated woman in the history of the Academy. In addition to her film work, she authored two books titled The Dress Doctor and How to Dress For Success. Head died in Hollywood, California, on October 24, 1981.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Career

Career overview

Edith Claire Head was an American film costume designer born on October 28, 1897, in San Bernardino, California. She began her professional career as a sketch artist at Paramount before eventually serving as the chief costume designer for Universal Studios. Over the course of her extensive career, she worked on hundreds of projects, with Sweet Charity noted as her 1,130th film. In addition to her work in motion pictures, she authored two books titled The Dress Doctor and How to Dress For Success.

Head is recognized for her significant achievements in the film industry, having received a record number of Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design. Sources indicate she earned either 35 or 36 nominations and won the award eight times, starting with The Heiress in 1949 and concluding with The Sting in 1973. These accolades make her the most honored and most nominated woman in the history of the Academy. She also holds the Guinness World Record for the most-credited costume designer. Edith Head died on October 24, 1981, in Hollywood, California.

Ask the Vault

Ask anything about Edith Head.

Frequent co-stars

Career timeline

The Women Who Run Hollywood
Edith Head: The Paramount Years
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid · Costume Design
Edith Head
The Last Married Couple in America · Costume Design
Women in White · Costume Design
Little Women · Costume DesignSextette · Costume DesignThe Big Fix · Costume DesignOlly Olly Oxen Free · Costume DesignReturn Engagement · Costume Design
Airport '77 · Costume DesignSunshine Christmas · Costume DesignSex and the Married Woman · Costume Design
Family Plot · Costume DesignGable and Lombard · Costume DesignThe Disappearance of Aimee · Costume DesignW.C. Fields and Me · Costume DesignAmelia Earhart · Costume Design
The Man Who Would Be King · Wardrobe DesignerRooster Cogburn · Costume DesignThe Great Waldo Pepper · Costume Design
Dinah!Flick FlackAirport 1975 · Costume Design
The Sting · Costume DesignThe Don Is Dead · Costume DesignA Doll's House · Costume DesignShowdown · Costume Design
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean · Costume DesignPete 'n' Tillie · Costume DesignHammersmith Is Out · CostumerThe Screaming Woman · Costume Design
ColumboV.I.P. SchaukelSometimes a Great Notion · Costume Design
Airport · Costume DesignColossus: The Forbin Project · Costume DesignSkullduggery · Costume DesignMyra Breckinridge · CostumerStory of a Woman · Costume Design
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid · Costume DesignTopaz · Costume DesignSweet Charity · Costume DesignDownhill Racer · Costume DesignEye of the Cat · Costume Design
Hellfighters · Costume DesignHouse of Cards · Costume DesignBlue · Costume DesignWhat's So Bad About Feeling Good? · Costume DesignIn Enemy Country · Costume Design
Chuka · Costume DesignBarefoot in the Park · Costume DesignHotel · Costume DesignEasy Come, Easy Go · Costume DesignWarning Shot · Costume Design
El Dorado · Costume DesignTorn Curtain · Costume DesignThis Property Is Condemned · Costume DesignThe OscarThe Oscar · Costume Design
The Sons of Katie Elder · Costume DesignThe Great Race · Costume DesignRed Line 7000 · Costume DesignThe Hallelujah Trail · Costume DesignJohn Goldfarb, Please Come Home! · Costume Design
Sex and the Single Girl · Costume DesignMarnie · Costume DesignThe Yellow Rolls-Royce · Costume DesignWhat a Way to Go! · Costume DesignMan's Favorite Sport? · Costume Design
The Birds · Costume DesignHud · Costume DesignThe Nutty Professor · Costume DesignDonovan's Reef · Costume DesignA New Kind of Love · Costume Design
The Merv Griffin ShowThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance · Costume DesignHatari! · Costume DesignThe Counterfeit Traitor · Costume DesignGirls! Girls! Girls! · Costume Design
Breakfast at Tiffany's · Costume SupervisorPocketful of Miracles · Costume DesignThe Ladies Man · Costume DesignBlue Hawaii · Costume DesignToo Late Blues · Costume Design
The Rat Race · Costume DesignVisit to a Small Planet · Costume DesignThe Facts of Life · Wardrobe DesignerHeller in Pink Tights · Costume DesignPepe · Costume Design
Last Train from Gun Hill · Costume DesignThe Trap · Costume DesignAlias Jesse James · Costume DesignBut Not for Me · Costume DesignA Hole in the Head · Costume Design
Vertigo · Costume DesignKing Creole · CostumerMaracaibo · Costume DesignSeparate Tables · Costume DesignHouseboat · Costume Design
Tonight Starring Jack PaarWitness for the Prosecution · Costume DesignGunfight at the O.K. Corral · Costume DesignFunny Face · Costume DesignThe Tin Star · Costume Design
The Ten Commandments · Costume DesignThe Man Who Knew Too Much · Costume DesignThe Rainmaker · Costume DesignThat Certain Feeling · Costume DesignPardners · Costume Design
To Catch a Thief · Costume DesignThe Trouble with Harry · Costume DesignThe Court Jester · Costume DesignArtists and Models · Costume DesignThe Rose Tattoo · Costume Design

Full Filmography

350 titles

Frequently Asked Questions

What movies or TV shows is Edith Head best known for?

Edith Head is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), The Living Corpse (1967), Little Women (1978), The Big Fix (1978).

When and where was Edith Head born?

Edith Head was born on October 28, 1897 in San Bernadino, California, USA. They passed away on October 24, 1981.

How many credits does Edith Head have?

Edith Head has accumulated over 350 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1944 to 2016.

What is Edith Head's background in cinema and television?

Edith Claire Head was an American film costume designer born on October 28, 1897, in San Bernardino, California. Throughout her career, she served as a chief costume designer for Universal Studios after beginning her professional life as a sketch artist at Paramount. Head holds a record for the most Academy Award wins ...

Edith Head by the numbers

350credits
341films
9TV series
1944–2016active years

Age in their best-rated roles

What viewers say

No comments yet. Be the first to share your take on Edith Head.