Chances are Orry-Kelly is not a name you’ve heard all over Hollywood. In Gillian Armstrong’s new documentary, Women He’s Undressed, the career of the most prolific fashion designer of Hollywood’s Golden Age finally comes to light. Though his career spanned four decades and featured three Academy Awards, his name is buried due to his open homosexuality and a live-in relationship with a young Cary Grant. He was outspokenly gay when Hollywood was trying to keep a quiet and conservative look.
Women He’s Undressed is inspired by his recently published memoir, long considered to be lost until it was discovered in a pillow case. Brought to life by Armstrong, the film mixes recreations of Orry-Kelly’s life with interviews from fans, close friends, and Hollywood royalty. He worked on films such as Jezebel, 42nd Street, Casablanca, Oklahoma, Auntie Mame, Some Like It Hot, An American in Paris, Now, Voyager -and hundreds more. He dressed Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyk, Rosalind Russell, and Errol Flynn.
