The Naked Truth
Fascinating, highly candid and often uproarious, costume designer Jean-Pierre Dorléac’s detailed Hollywood accounts strip back the façade from the years between 1973 and 1985, when classic glamour became a thing of the past. Through his award-winning works spanning theater, television, film, couture, burlesque and ballet, Jean-Pierre draws on firsthand, factual knowledge to paint an insider’s picture of the entertainment industry.
Get a behind-the-scenes account of what it took to create the magic ofBattlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Somewhere in Time, The Blue Lagoon and other diverse projects that brought recognition, respect and acclaim to Dorléac through Oscar, Emmys and The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards while he secured his idiosyncratic place in history as the creator of the figure-hugging, wildly popular, spandex pants.
Scintillating conversations and never-before-told stories revealed in The Naked Truth bring to life a multitude of improbable, yet authentic and entertaining adventures that few know of and even fewer talk about. It’s a straightforward, honest look at such legends as Fred Astaire, Buddy Ebsen, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, David Hemmings, Louis Jourdan, Jimmy Kirkwood, Patricia Neal, Sarah Miles, Ann Miller, Eleanor Parker, Barbara Rush, Brooke Shields, Susan Strasberg, Lana Turner, Nancy Walker and Mae West.
Dorléac’s stories range from the touching to the hysterically ribald, revealing the antics and shenanigans that abounded during many of the fittings with a bevy of bombshell actresses such as Ursula Andress, Ahna Capri, Britt Eklund, Pamela Hensley, Lesley Ann Warren and Kim Cattrall. Details of fun-filled informal chats with brilliant and charming close friends, including June Lockhart, Roddy McDowall and Jean Simmons, provide telling glimpses of the people behind the names.
Woven throughout are insightful, knowledgeable anecdotes detailing how designs originate, starting with creative concepts, production meetings and the development of initial sketches that precede the finding, cutting and blending of fabrics and colors to meet the complex demands of the script. And, finally, the finishing touches of costume construction that are the result of true artistry. Guided by the treasured advice of his mentor, Edith Head, Dorléac was able to successfully retain his composure in exasperating situations and skillfully maintain his balance between obstreperous actors, demanding directors and powerful producers.
This is an engaging chronicle of a crucial 12-year period when the dogged pursuit of higher profits radically changed the entertainment industry and replaced singular, custom-made designs with cut-rate, ready-to-wear on rolling racks.
