Jane Robinson has made her name in frock flicks with two things: 1) big TV miniseries that span decades and 2) early/mid 20th-century glam. Sometimes, the two are combined! After attending Manchester Regional College of Art, she got her start working in London fashion houses, and then moved to Thames TV. Robinson knocked it out of the park with her first TV credit, winning an Emmy, and followed that up with more iconic frock flicks. Let’s enjoy her decades of work!
Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974)
Brideshead Revisited (1981)
Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983-86)
Secret Places (1984)
A Woman of Substance (1984)
Dreamchild (1985)
Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986)
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987)
“Strange Interlude,” American Playhouse (1988)
Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun (1988)
A Handful of Dust (1988)
Scandal (1989)
Cold Sassy Tree (1989)
The Heat of the Day (1989)
Women and Men: Stories of Seduction (1990)
Memphis Belle (1990)
Rambling Rose (1991)
The Best of Friends (1991)
The Public Eye (1992)
Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris (1992)
Blue Sky (1994)
Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995)
The Cater Street Hangman (1998)
The Virginian (2000)
Attila (2001)
Spartacus (2004)
The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam (2005)
Egypt (2005)
From Time to Time (2009)
What frock flicks with costumes designed by Jane Robinson do you like best?
I didn’t realize how much of her work I’ve seen. Other than those oddball “Roman” costumes (and I’ll blame the director), she’s pretty much on the money for every single project shown here. I’d completely forgotten about A Woman of Substance, and I know I watched it because I’d read the paperback. All her 19th century and early to mid 20th century work looks perfect, but for sentiment’s sake, I’m going to have to say Brideshead is my favorite. I’ve seen it multiple times, and those first scenes with Sebastian in his impeccably tailored suits (who else looks so charming barfing in your window?!), and summer whites! Chef’s kiss. And Julia’s flapper dresses. Charles and his sweater vests, and his father in tweeds – the world’s most disinterested, uninvolved father. And of course the scenes in Venice. I could go on and on, I love that series, its production and costume design oh so much. I will have to be more conscious of Jane Robinson’s work – it’s so good, you just presume it’s vintage.
I have to say that my thoughts on this particular post were:-
“The lady knows her frocks”
“PUG!!!” (LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL)
“Congratulations on your face, ladies, and congratulations on your good fortune, sir (The photo with Ms Deborah Kerr and Ms Jenny Seagrove from A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE)
“Oh good grief, why did it take me so long to realise la Belle Scott Thomas was an Absolute Dish?” (That pink frock from A HANDFUL OF DUST)
“Dame Angela and Leslie Manville share a character already? Bring on MARPLE Manville-style, says I!”, as well as “MR Omar Sharifnajd they forgot to mention him! (Both from MRS ‘ARRIS GOES TO PARIS)
“Ey up, it’s little Jane ‘Orccocks!” (MEMPHIS BELLE)
“By jove, they actually found someone to play Dame Elizabeth who was just shockingly-beautiful enough to fit the bill” (LIZ)
“Why is the fact that, of the three screen Atillas I’ve seen in my lifetime, two are played by Scotsmen so very hilarious?” (ATILLA THE HUN).
That blue striped dress from Anastasia doesn’t just pop up in Downton Abbey… I watched Fackham Hall last night and the main female character wears it several times!
Ohmygods FINALLY A Woman of Substance makes an appearance in this blog! <3 <3 <3 Please, please, pretty please with cherry on top, do a deep-dive review. I’m literally begging you (you won’t regret watching it either, despite Barry Bostwick’s terribly fake-Australian accent – seriously, the rest of it is fantastic). You were right about the WWI scene as well.