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The Cleopatra Costume on Stage and in Film by C. David Claudon, copyright 1999

Claudette Colbert as an art deco Cleopatra. Drawing by David Claudon

The Cleopatra Costume in the Twentieth Century (1900-1950)		By the turn of the century, historical accuracy--although still tempered by contemporary styles--became an accepted practice in the robing of Cleopatra. Designers worked for not only theatricality and appropriateness, but also the period costume.
1906...Caesar and Cleopatra		In 1906, the Forbes-Roberston production of George Bernard Shaw's Victorian Egyptian princess premered in New York. Gertrude Elliott played the "kitten" of the Nile to Johnston Forbes-Robertson's Caesar. As can be seen in the drawing from Odell, Miss Elliott wore an elaborately brocaded gown with a transparent fichu. An Egyptian large brooch with pearls is attached to the garment (although not seen in the view of the gown at left). Over the garment is worn a cloak and over it is worn a pallium with applique. She wears a collar of gold baubles. In the coronation scene shown, she wears a skull-cap and veil with three rows of baubles hanging from it. Side pieces from the skull-cap hang down below the knees. Forbes-Robertson is about to place the vulture crown on her head.
1906...Antony and Cleopatra		In England, Beerbohn Tree revived Shakespeare's play with Constance Collier as Cleopatra. Noted for his historically accurate mounted productions, Tree dressed Cleopatra in costumes which The Variorum Shakespeare says "beggared all description." (592) These costumes were unified by Mr. Percy Macquoid who controlled "the gradation of colours, the delicate shades of violet, and puce, and purple, the glittering robes of the Queen, the pomp and ceremony of her court . . ." (592). Trewin (1964) quotes Constance Collier on the Tree production: There is only a mention in the play of Cleopatra appearing as the goddess Isis. Tree elaborated this into a great tableau . . . Cleopatra, robed in silver, crowned in silver, carrying a golden sceptre and the symbol of the sacred golden calf in her hand, went in procession through the streets of Alexandria, the ragged, screaming populace acclaiming the Queen, half in hate, half in superstitious fear and joy as she made her sacrilegious ascent to her high throne in the market-place. From the descriptions, therefore, it is probable, from studying a picture of the final tableau found in Trewin, to state that Miss Collier wore a deep purple gown with partial sleeves and silver breast-guards. Over the skirt is worn a triangular cloth which hangs in front. This is silver with designs applied. As it is the death-scene, she wears a silver robe and her crown. Her hair has apparently been braided and falls over her shoulders.
1908...Antony and Cleopatra		Two years after Tree's production, Edward Sothern and his wife, Julia Marlowe, opened the New Theatre in New York with Shakespeare's play. Winter (1916) quotes one reviewer of the play: "The revival was made under the direciton of Louis Calvert, and as to stage management, scenery, and costume, it was, in the main, a worthy one."(p. 464) Miss Marlowe, in a long-shot still from the production, is dressed simply for the mausoleum scene, wearing a simple gown with three-quarter sleeves. Her hair is braided and draped over each shoulder.
1909...Cleopatre Bakst's costumes were very cubist in appearance.		Leon Bakst created the sets and costumes for premiere of the Ballet Russes production of "Cleopatre" at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on June 2, 1909. Music was by Anton Arensky, with additions by Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka, Serge Taneyev, Nicolas Tcherepnine, Modeste Moussorgsky, Alexandre Glazounov, Mikhail Glinka. The choreography and plot was by Michel Fokine. The dancers at the premiere included Ida Rubinstein, Anna Pavlova, Michel Fokine, Tamara Karsavina, and Vaslaw Nijinsky.
1912..."Cleopatra" aka "Helen Gardner in Cleopatra"		The poster for the movie version of Sardou's Cleopatra, shown by Wagenknecht (1962), touts it as "The most beautiful motion picture ever made" and "The story of the most remarkable woman in human history." A critic of the six-reel production felt, however, "[Gardner] merely did an unsuccessful imitation of Sarah Bernhardt." (p. 26) The advertisement for the film shows Miss Gardner seated on the floor, wearing a white short-sleeved gown. Over this is worn a huge, sheer garment, resembling the Roman stolla. She wears a necklace of pearls and has a string of pearls as a headdress.
1917... "Cleopatra" Publicity called Theda Bara the reincarnation of Cleopatra To learn more about nine of the costumes, click the picture above.		The first of the best known film Cleopatras appeared in 1917 when Twentieth Century Fox released "Cleopatra," with Theda Bara in the starring role. Wagenknecht (1962) quotes publicity which "in appearance, so far as can definitely be ascertained, Miss Bara and the 'Siren of the Nile' were similar." (p. 179) No print of the film has survived, but numerous stills from the production show a wide variety of styles and gowns. No costumer is credited, and Maeder (1987) assumes that the actress herself might have created the costumes she wore. (p. 46) The costumes worn by Miss Bara appear designed more to show off her ample figure than to interpret the real Cleopatra. In the costume at right, for example, Miss Bara's costume consists of a gauze-covered wired "skirt"; a strategically placed foil front panel attached to the skirts belt; and snake-coil breast-cups held up with chain. The headdress consists of a simulated cobra on the headband and two pyramid-shaped pieces which frame the face. She wears rings, arm bracelets, and heavy eye-makeup. Other stills from the film, show less intentionally shocking examples. One consists of a dark long satin skirt with pearl-edged appliques of what appear to be hybiscus flowers. Sewn onto the back of the skirt is a long satin train. A light-colored halter of satin has long bead ropes hanging from it. On her head she wears a purely theatrical headdress, over two feet in height, looking like abstract plume outlines in white wire. Another costume, designed for moderate shock value, consists of a halter with a fabric panel which hangs to the floor. She wears a pearl "belt" which attachs to a wider thigh-belt. From the lower belt hangs more fabric. Hundreds of pearls decorate this two-piece costume. On her head she wears a theatrical headdress with four wired fabric wings which flip up. A fourth costume consists of a chiffon semi-princess line gown decorated with a stylized palm tree applique and sequins. With this is worn a fanciful pearl headband with three-dimensional hybiscus at center and strands of pearls hanging down from the sides. In a final shot, she wears an adaptation of an Egyptian klaft--an apron-shaped headcloth.
1923...Discovery of Tut's Tomb		The discovery by Howard Carter of the tomb of Tutankhamon created a world-wide interest in things Egyptian. As a result, more and more costume designers began paying attention to historical details.
1925...Caesar and Cleopatra Helen Hayes wears a variation of the tight tunic with braces shown on the statue of an ancient Egyptian servant seen on the first webpage.		In the Shaw production which opened the new Guild Theatre in New York, Helen Hayes's costume resembles the tunic with braces described in the first section. An intricate design of vulture wings has been sewn on the costume, which probably consists of a gold and green satin. She wears a small beaded collar and her crown consists of the vulture crown. The total effect is one of accuracy.
1931...Antony and Cleopatra Dorothy Massingham plays Lady Macbeth as Cleopatra		At the Old Vic in 1931, a different approach for historically accurate costuming was taken. The Cleopatra of Dorothy Massingham wears an ensemble which appear perhaps inspired by the Baroque murals of Giambattista Tiepolo. The audience was understandably confused. Says Ruth Ellis (n.d.): . . . the Paolo Veronese dressing of this Roman-Egyptian history, however, ever firmly justified in theory, in practice bewildered playgoers, who thought there was something vaguely comic about a Cleopatra in a pink farthingale, looking, to their view, like an incongruous mixture of two great Elizabethan queens. (p. 64) Massingham wears a heavily brocaded farthingale with a pearl laden underskirt, v-line bodice and Rennaisance puffed sleeves. On her head she wears a pearl headdress suggesting the Italian Rennaisance. On the costume are brooches and pearls.
1934..."Cleopatra." Claudette Colbert and Henry Wilcoxon as Cleopatra and Mark Antony in Cecil B. De Mille's "Cleopatra." Drawn from a Paramount still by David Claudon		In 1934, Cecil B. De Mille brought Cleopatra to the Hollywood epic, complete with art deco costume designs by Travis Banton, Ralph Jensen, and Mitchell Leisen. Starring Claudette Colbert, the movie contained many glamous costumes which would have been equally functional as contemporary evening dresses. According to Maeder (1987), "dresses in the 1930s were often cut on the bias, and this smooth, clinging style seemed particularly suited for this setting and story." (p. 48)
		According to Maeder (1987): Cleopatra wore at least three wigs in the movie. The one seen most often was a smooth pageboy with ends curled under in 1930's fashion and straight bangs across her entire forehead. [Shown above.] . . . One scene showed her with a short bobbed version of this wig with an art deco headdress. . . . In another scene she wore a bird of paradise feather wig. . . . Two years earlier she wore an identical version of the longer wig as the wicked Roman Empress Poppaea in The Sign of the Cross. (p. 49) Maeder continues:
		Colbert's Cleopatra makeup was the pure 1930s glamor formula with thin, plucked brows, heavy glamor lashes, dark shadow on the lips, and vividly colored, full, rounded lips. In September 1934 Maybelline cosmetics ran an intriguing ad for "alluring eye makeup" which featured the face of the historic Cleopatra beside a modern woman's face. Although no names were mentioned, it is probably not coincidental that both faces bore a striking resemblance to Claudette Colbert. (p. 48) For her death scene with the asp, Miss Colbert wears a variation of the vulture crown in which the vulture's head has become a ureaus wearing the horns and moon of Isis. The hard collar worn has the sacred winged scarab. The dark gown has a low-cut square neck loosely suggesting the tunic and braces, but the material is sumptuous and clinging. For her introduction to Antony, Cleopatra is dressed in a bias-cut gown which clings down to below the knees and then reaches gathered fullness to the floor. The effect is of a tree trunk or Morticia's gown from the Adams family. Beaded bands criss-cross the waist and torso and accent below the breasts. She wears a matching an Egyptian necklace and the bird of paradise wig mentioned above. Her headband also is jewelled along the edges and has a uraeus. She has a cloak carried by seven handmaidens. For her entrance to Rome, she wears a gold lame gown. Over this is a long gold cape. The headdress has both the horns of Isis and the pyramidical side panels of the turn of the century.
1937...Antony and Cleopatra Jo Mielziner's costly costumes and sets were considered gorgeous, but said Tallulah, "It was a pleasing prospect. Only I was vile." (Gill, p. 170) The show lasted five performances. (Picture based on a publicity picture from Gill)		"Tallulah Bankhead barged down the Nile last night as Cleopatra--and sank. And with her sank one of the loveliest, most subtle, and most stirring of all Shakespeare's major tragedies." So began John Mason Brown in his infamous review of Miss Bankhead's production of Antony and Cleopatra, quoted in Gill (1972), p. 170. Brown continued: Miss Bankhead can be a brilliant performer. She has many exciting gifts and often projects her glowing personality. But as the Serpent of the Nile she proves to be no more dangerous than a garter snake. As the tremulous, mercurial, arrogant, pleading, heart-sick heroine of the tragedy, she seems nearer to a midway than to Alexandria. She is beautiful. Yet her Cleopatra has no authority. . . . She strikes some Egyptian poses. She screams termagant-wise when angry. But she cannot keep pace with Cleopatra's changing moods, or suggest her flaming tragedy. . . . If Miss Bankhead fails as Cleopatra, Conway Tearle fails even more distressingly as Antony. . . . The two costumes pictured in Gill include the one at left, an evening gown with tight bodice, pleated skirt and open overskirt with stylized lotus and painted scales. The capelet of sheet material is held down by a stylized Egyptian collar. Her hair hangs loose and she wears a band in it. Her period makeup and highly polished fingernails definitely locks the look in the thirties. The other publicity still shows her with more stylized eye makeup, a sight braided wig. The gown is sleeveless, with an overdrape of light colored silk(?) material. The asymmetrical skirt has a quilted right side what appears to be a black and white right side with stylized greek border designs. The gown is held together with a wide dark midrif belt. She wears an armband on her right arm, two bracelets, and a necklace. In all the appearance of Jo Mielziner's costumes is imaginative stylization of Egyptian motifs.
1945...Antony and Cleopatra		In the 1945 Old Vic production of Antony and Cleopatra, Claire Luce plays the Egyptian queen. Her costume, reminiscent of Colbert's gown eleven years earlier, consists of a gold lame tight gown, a "Joan Crawford" collar which emphasises her shoulders, and the usual vulture crown with a small version of the horns and moon.
1945..."Caesar and Cleopatra"		After years of refusal, in 1945, Shaw was finally persuaded to allow his play to be filmed. Vivien Leigh played opposite Claude Rains. The costumes were designed by Oliver Messel. From a book on the making of the movie, Marjorie Deans (n.d., ca1946) tells about the costumes: Authentic antique Egyptian jewellery was copied in thin wire, plastics, cellophane, bits of glass--anything Messel and his talented staff or assistant could lay their hands on. . . . The oriental department at a London store was ransacked, and the most striking costumes were contrived out of Indian saris, or hangings and cotton bedspreads printed in excellent hand-blocked Egyptian and Persian designs. . . . Messel's assistant, Elinor Abbey, toiled for days and nights over the countless jewels of Cleopatra's coronation robe, sewing them on one by one, by hand. . . . All of the costume pieces had to be specially designed and made for the picture, and every last bird and bead and arabesque is the outcome of meticulous research combined with Messel's individual artistry. (p. 108-109) As can be seen, historical accuracy became a costly and time-consuming prospect. The cornation robes mentioned are shown with a crown-wig which has a double uraei and a circle of uraei with the solar disk on an elaborate and intricate wig. The entire crown is of braided gold with royal purple. Vivien Leigh as Cleopatra, wearing the coronation robes and crown, was featured on the cover of Illustrated, October 28, 1944, a British publication. In another costume, Miss Leigh wears a gown of pale blue silk with gold trim and gold motifs. The headdress is a band which rests on the crown of the head. It has a lotus motif and is gold with blue tassels. She also wears long gold earrings. Her hair is braided and gold weights attached to the end of each braid. A third costume, probably of gold lame, has a vulture in gold design across the breast. The skirt is full. The headdress is based on the vulture cap, but it looks vaguely similar to the bonnets worn in Elizabethan England. Again the hair is intricately braided onto what appear to be layered weights.
1946...Antony and Cleopatra		Dame Edith Evans, with Godfrey Tearle, played her third Cleopatra in the 1946 production. Says her biographer Trewin (1954): "The tragedy did not exalt: Cleopatra, throned in her Monument, was turned to fire and air. We had a night of edged intelligence without the ultimate splendour." (p. 90) The production was designed with no particular period, obviously. In one scene, for example, she wears a long-sleeved gown which is pulled up at the side to reveal an underskirt. The plainess of the gown re-emphasizes the fact that this was a period of war-time austerity. In the final scene, Dame Evans wears a long full skirt and a black long-sleeved bodice. Applique and paint suggest peacock feathers on the skirt. The crown is purely English theatrical and has a tear-drop pearl hanging on her forehead. Both costumes are in marked contrast to the Messel costumes of the motion picture of the same year.
1947...Antony and Cleopatra Katherine Cornell shows an austere post-war Cleopatra		The year following Evans' production, another older actress staged Shakespeare's play. Borrowing Evans' leading man, Katherine Cornell opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York. The costumes for the production were designed by Valentina and suggest the austerity of the post-war years. The first costume shows a rather shapeless strapless pleated chemise under a dark velvet gown. A collar and bracelets are worn and a headband similar to that of Sarah Bernhardt's. The combination gown makes Miss Cornell look quite heavy. A second picture shows a basic white pleated sleeveless gown which is belted. The tomb scene shows a long dark robe completed with a heavy collar and Nefertiti-style headdress.