Robert F Boyle (RIP), Designed Many Classics

Sad news to report. Robert F Boyle, a four time Oscar nominee for Art Direction and Alfred Hitchcock's Production Designer during the Tippi Hedren years, passed away on Sunday at 100 years of age. He nearly made it to 101.

Here he is at the February 2008 Oscars with Nicole Kidman when he was 98.


When I published the list of Oldest Living Oscar Nominees last month, I didn't mean it as a morbid countdown, but as a tribute to these enduring artists and I hope it reads that way, even as they depart. We all must pass on eventually. Boyle had been the oldest of them all. May Luise Rainier, now the oldest at 100, live as long as Methusaleh.

Among Doyle's credits are classics like North by Northwest (Oscar nomination), Fiddler on the Roof (Oscar nomination), In Cold Blood, The Thomas Crown Affair and Cape Fear (the originals). In the last ten years of his career (roughly the 1980s) he mainly worked on female star comedy vehicles like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Troop Beverly Hills and Private Benjamin.

Clockwise from left: North by Northwest, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Cape Fear and Fiddler on the Roof

Clockwise from top left: The Thomas Crown Affair, The Birds, Marnie, and Staying Alive

He had a long and rich career. May we all find such great use of our talents.
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Curio: Odes to Tippi Hedren

Alexa from Pop Elegantiarum here. Maybe I'm just in Mad Men withdrawal, but lately I've been watching films from the early 60s with a closer eye to the fashion, mores, and themes of the time. After catching Marnie recently, I decided that Tippi Hedren is the closest Betty Draper doppelganger; with Hitchcock she had the same icy model facade hiding an unravelled interior. (Check out this old magazine with Tippi; modeling and horses, how very Betty!) Here are some crafty celebrations of the icon that I'm loving right now.


I really dig this chunky Tippi statement necklace by Melissa Loschy. She literally gives her wings. (And she's made some jewelry odes to Hitchcock, too.)


I especially fell in love with this fantastic Halloween costume awaitingdawn posted recently. A bird attack chapeau! Why didn't I think of that? And if anyone can come up with a Marnie costume idea for next year, let me know. Something involving a horse, perhaps?