Noel Taylor

Costume Designer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his one-and-a-half-hour interview, Noel Taylor (1913-2010) talks about his early experiences in the theater as an actor and writer before turning his talents to costume designing. He discusses his entrance into television working under NBC contract, primarily on the anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame. He talks about several of this series productions including "Hamlet," "The Green Pastures," "The Magnificent Yankee," and "Barefoot in Athens."  He discusses such aspects of the craft as creating a shade of white that could be read on camera and painting "embroidery" on costumes as a money-saving technique. He talks about winning an Emmy Award for Costume Design for "The Magnificent Yankee," in the first year costume design was cited.  He details his continued work in television including the 1970s KCET series The Hollywood Television Theater, which earned him a second Emmy award. Lastly, he discusses his long association with Katharine Hepburn in all her later work, including Mrs. Delafield Wants To Marry. B-roll consists of photos and costume sketches from Hallmark Hall of Fame, Startime's "Turn of the Screw," Hollywood Television Theater, Antony and Cleopatra, Eleanor First Lady of the World, and Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on April 19, 2005 in West Hollywood, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"You can take one of my outfits and it's usually classic design. I don't use tricks."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Noel Taylor on costuming Julie Harris on several episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame
02:20
Noel Taylor on making costumes for Dame Judith Anderson in "Medea" on Broadway
05:40
Noel Taylor on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Magnificent Yankee" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
01:50
Noel Taylor on working with Bette Davis
03:09
Noel Taylor on working with Katharine Hepburn
07:22
Noel Taylor on career achievements and what he does best
01:48
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On how he got into the theater, and on selling his first play; on his experience of World War II; on returning to Los Angeles after World War II
On making costumes for Dame Judith Anderson in "Medea" on Broadway; on his earliest experiences with television; on costuming King Richard II with Maurice Evans (misidentified as Hamlet) directed by George Schaefer

Chapter 2

On working with director George Schaefer; on winning special Emmy Awards for his work in costuming on Hallmark Hall of Fame; on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Magnificent Yankee" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
On costuming the Hallmark Hall of Fame productions of "Alice in Wonderland" a "Cradle Song"; on costuming the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Green Pastures"; on fabrics he liked to use for costume designs
On reusing costumes on Hallmark Hall of Fame; on costuming Julie Harris on several episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame; on costuming the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "Barefoot in Athens"
On appearing in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "Teahouse of the August Moon"; on the challenge of doing costume changes on live television; on costuming the Ford Startime production of "Turn of the Screw" starring Ingrid Bergman and for Hollywood Television Theatre

Chapter 3

On costuming for Norman Lloyd's Hollywood Television Theatre; on costuming for Sandburg's Lincoln starring Hal Holbrook; on costuming for Eleanor, First Lady of the World starring Jean Stapleton
On doing research for period costumes; on costuming Grace Kelly starring Cheryl Ladd; on working with Katherine Hepburn and Bette Davis
On costuming for Delbert Mann's Ironclads; on working with Sidney Lumet; on working with Rosalind Russell
On his style; on career achievements and what he does best; on how he'd like to be remembered

Chapter 4

On b-roll photographs and drawings of some of his projects- Christopher Plummer and Hope Lange in Hallmark Hall of Fame; "Tea House of the August Moon" for Hallmark Hall of Fame; "The Green Pastures" for Hallmark Hall of Fame; Julie Harris in Hallmark Hall of Fame; Julie Harris in Hallmark Hall of Fame; The Lunts in Hallmark Hall of Fame; Hallmark Hall of Fame's "Barefoot in Athens"; Ingrid Bergman in "Hallmark Hall of Fame's" The Turn of the Screw; Hallmark Hall of Fame's "The Story of Paul Muni"; sketch for Katharine Hepburn; working backstage; various sketches of his costumes
Shows

Ford Startime

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Noel Taylor on costuming the Ford Startime production of "Turn of the Screw" starring Ingrid Bergman
01:31

Hallmark Hall of Fame

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Noel Taylor on the production schedule for designing for Hallmark Hall of Fame
01:02
Noel Taylor on winning special Emmy Awards for his work in costuming on Hallmark Hall of Fame
02:03
Noel Taylor on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Magnificent Yankee" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
01:50
Noel Taylor on costuming the Hallmark Hall of Fame productions of "Alice in Wonderland" a "Cradle Song"
02:19
Noel Taylor on costuming the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Green Pastures"
03:33
Noel Taylor on reusing costumes on Hallmark Hall of Fame
02:21
Noel Taylor on costuming Julie Harris on several episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame
02:20
Noel Taylor on costuming the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "Barefoot in Athens"
02:12
Noel Taylor on appearing in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "Teahouse of the August Moon"
01:33

Hollywood Television Theatre

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Noel Taylor on costuming for Hollywood Television Theatre
01:13
Noel Taylor on costuming for Norman Lloyd's Hollywood Television Theatre and on winning an Emmy Award
03:10

Ironclads

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Noel Taylor on costuming for Delbert Mann's Ironclads
01:22

Startime: "The Turn of the Screw"

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Noel Taylor on costuming the Ford Startime production of "Turn of the Screw" starring Ingrid Bergman
01:31
Topics

Emmy Awards

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Costume Designer Noel Taylor on winning the very first ever Emmy Award in the Costume Designer category in 1965 for Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Magnificent Yankee," along with stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
01:46

Historic Events and Social Change

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Noel Taylor on his experience of World War II
05:39

Television Industry

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Noel Taylor on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:12

War

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Noel Taylor on his experience of World War II
05:39

World War II

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Noel Taylor on his experience of World War II
05:39
Professions

Costume Designer

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Noel Taylor on fabrics he liked to use for costume designs
01:19
Noel Taylor on the challenge of doing costume changes on live television
02:27
Noel Taylor on doing research for period costumes
00:59
Noel Taylor on his style
01:40

Designers

View Profession
Noel Taylor on fabrics he liked to use for costume designs
01:19
Noel Taylor on the challenge of doing costume changes on live television
02:27
Noel Taylor on doing research for period costumes
00:59
Noel Taylor on his style
01:40
Genres

Classic Anthology Series

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Noel Taylor on costuming for Hallmark Hall of Fame
23:23
Noel Taylor on costuming the Ford Startime production of "Turn of the Screw" starring Ingrid Bergman
01:31
Noel Taylor on costuming for Hollywood Television Theatre
01:13
People

Judith Anderson

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Noel Taylor on making costumes for Dame Judith Anderson in "Medea" on Broadway
05:40

Ingrid Bergman

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Noel Taylor on costuming the Ford Startime production of "Turn of the Screw" starring Ingrid Bergman
01:31

Bette Davis

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Noel Taylor on working with Bette Davis
03:09

Lynn Fontanne

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Noel Taylor on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Magnificent Yankee" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
01:50

Julie Harris

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Noel Taylor on costuming Julie Harris on several episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame
02:20

Katharine Hepburn

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Noel Taylor on working with Katharine Hepburn
07:22

Cheryl Ladd

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Noel Taylor on costuming Grace Kelly starring Cheryl Ladd
01:25

Sidney Lumet

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Noel Taylor on working with Sidney Lumet
03:05

Alfred Lunt

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Noel Taylor on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Magnificent Yankee" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
01:50

Rosalind Russell

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Noel Taylor on working with Rosalind Russell
01:36

George Schaefer

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Noel Taylor on costuming King Richard II with Maurice Evans (misidentified as Hamlet) directed by George Schaefer
01:13
Noel Taylor on working with director George Schaefer
02:51

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