Orry-Kelly
Costume Designer, Film costumer designer
1897 – 1964
Who was Orry-Kelly?
Orry-Kelly was the professional name of Orry George Kelly, a prolific Hollywood costume designer.
He was born in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia, and was known as Jack Kelly. His father William Kelly, was born on the Isle of Man and was a gentleman tailor in Kiama. Orry was a name of an ancient King of Man. He studied art in Sydney, and worked as a tailor's apprentice and window dresser.
He journeyed to New York to pursue an acting career. He shared an apartment there with Charlie Spangles and Cary Grant. A job painting murals in a nightclub led to his employment by Fox East Coast studios illustrating titles. He designed costumes and sets for Broadway's Shubert Revues and George White's Scandals.
He went to Hollywood in 1932, working for all the major studios, and designed for all the great actresses of the day, including Bette Davis, Kay Francis, Olivia de Havilland, Katharine Hepburn, Dolores del Río, Ava Gardner, Ann Sheridan, Barbara Stanwyck, and Merle Oberon.
He worked on many films now deemed classics, including 42nd Street, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Arsenic and Old Lace, Harvey, Oklahoma!, Auntie Mame, and Some Like It Hot.
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- Born
- Dec 31, 1897
Kiama - Also known as
- Jack Kelly
- Orry George Kelly
- Orry Kelly
- John Kelly
- Pvt. Orry-Kelly
- Parents
- Nationality
- Australia
- Profession
- Lived in
- Kiama
- Sydney
- Los Angeles
- New York City
- Died
- Feb 27, 1964
Hollywood - Resting place
- Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
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"Orry-Kelly." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/orry-kelly>.
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