Albert Wolsky Explained
| Albert Wolsky |
| Birth Date: | 24 November 1930 |
| Birth Place: | Paris, France |
| Occupation: | Costume designer |
| Domesticpartner: | James Mitchell (till his death) |
| Yearsactive: | 1967–present |
Albert Wolsky (born November 24, 1930)[1] is an American costume designer.[2] He has worked both on stage shows as well as for film, and has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design seven times, winning two awards for his work on the films All That Jazz (1979) and Bugsy (1991).
Early life, military service and early career
Wolsky was born in Paris, France, but during World War II, he and the rest of his family fled to the United States to escape the German occupation. After graduating from the City College of New York, he served in the army from 1953 to 1956, spending most of his enlistment in Japan.[3] Once he returned to the United States, he began working in his father's travel agency. However, he decided to change careers and took an assistant's job with notable costume maker Helene Pons.[4] His first show with Pons was Camelot. After a year and a half working together, they went separate ways. The two continued to be friends for years to come.
Career
Wolsky became a well regarded costume designer, working both on Broadway and in the motion picture industry.
He began his career as costume designer for the theatre by assisting costume designer Ann Roth on A Case of Libel (1963); he later assisted Roth on The Odd Couple (1965), Patricia Zipprodt on Fiddler on the Roof (1964), and Theoni Aldredge on Illya Darling (1967).[5] The first play Wolsky did on his own was called Generation in 1965. He went on to serve as principal costume designer for both plays and musicals, including The Sunshine Boys (1972) and Sly Fox (1976). Wolsky was announced as the designer for the 2012 Broadway production of The Heiress.[6]
The first film Wolsky worked on was The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.[7] He had been recommended to the film by Theoni Aldridge. Wolsky worked on many films including Harry and Tonto, The Turning Point, Grease and Manhattan.[8] He worked with Bob Fosse, a leading Broadway director, on All That Jazz and won his first Academy Award. Wolsky went on to work with Fosse twice more. He won his second Academy Award for Bugsy in 1991 and has been nominated five other times, most recently for his work on Julie Taymor's Beatles-inspired musical Across the Universe (2007) and Sam Mendes's Revolutionary Road (2008).[9] [10] [11]
In 2010, Wolsky donated his costume design sketches to the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[12]
Film credits
Honors and awards
- Academy Awards
- Hollywood Film Award, Costume Designer of the Year, 2004
- Costume Designers Guild, Career Achievement Award, 1999
- TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010[13] [14]
- Antoinette Perry Award
- 2013 Best Costume Design of a Play for The Heiress (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award
- 1976 Outstanding Costume Design for They Knew What They Wanted (nominee)
- 1976 Outstanding Costume Design for A Memory of Two Mondays / 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (nominee)
- 1977 Outstanding Costume Design for Sly Fox (nominee)
Memberships
Wolsky is a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[15]
Personal life
His partner of thirty-nine years was actor James Mitchell who died in 2010.[16] [17]
Bibliography
- Chaneles, Sol & Wolsky, Albert (1974) The Movie Makers: the lives and films of more than 2,500 stars, supporting actors, and directors who have made motion picture history. Secaucus, NJ: Derbibooks
Further reading
- "Wolsky, Albert." Contemporary Theater, Film, and Television. Vol. 36. Ed. Thomas Riggs. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2001. 379–80.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Albert Wolsky Biography (1930-) . Film Reference . April 19, 2021.
- Web site: Albert Wolsky: May with the "Fire" . Kilbourne-Kimpton . Cheryl . Manhattan Wardrobe Supply . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120309234738/http://www.wardrobesupplies.com/blog/?p=744 . March 9, 2012.
- Boris Wolsky, My Life in Three Worlds (Miami Beach, FL: Wolsky, 1979), 133-34.
- Deborah Nadoolman Landis, "Albert Wolsky," Costume Design (Burlington, Massachusetts: Focal Press, 2003), page 163.
- Web site: Albert Wolsky . Internet Broadway Database . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171006234244/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/albert-wolsky-24604 . October 6, 2017.
- Web site: The Heiress to Play Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre; Judith Ivey Joins Cast . Lipton . Brian Scott . July 9, 2012 . Theater Mania . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110749/http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/07-2012/the-heiress-to-play-broadways-walter-kerr-theatre-_59269.html . March 4, 2016.
- Web site: Albert Wolsky costume design drawings, 1977-2007. Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . November 10, 2024.
- Web site: Phantom Threads Albert Wolsky . Phillips . Arianne . Langmead . Jeremy . August 28, 2024 . Hollywood Authentic . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240829091833/https://hollywoodauthentic.com/albert-wolsky/ . August 29, 2024.
- Web site: Albert Wolsky's 'Revolutionary' style . Snead . Elizabeth . The Los Angeles Times . February 18, 2009 . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100127203641/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/la-en-style18-2009feb18,0,7292662.story . January 27, 2010.
- Web site: Lee, Wolsky et al. to be honored at 2010 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards, 4/23 . May 9, 2010 . Huffpost . November 10, 2024.
- Web site: Wolsky, Lee, Vietti and Ridge receive Irene Sharaff awards April 23 . Hetrick . Adam . April 23, 2010 . Playbill . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806135705/https://playbill.com/article/wolsky-lee-vietti-and-ridge-receive-irene-sharaff-awards-april-23-com-167867 . August 6, 2020.
- Web site: Academy Library Celebrates New Collections . Broadway World . May 19, 2010 . November 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708095136/http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/Academy_Library_Celebrates_New_Collections_519_20100520 . July 8, 2011.
- http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/awards-for-costume-and-set-designers/ Awards for Costume and Set Designers
- Probst, Andy.Ming Cho Lee, Albert Wolsky, et al. to Receive Irene Sharaff Awards" theatermania.com, March 9, 2010
- Web site: Newbie Quartet Joins AMPAS as Governors . July 10, 2007 . Screendaily . April 20, 2021.
- News: 2010-01-23 . All My Children Star James Mitchell Dead at 89 . Advocate . dead . 2013-12-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100125004958/http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/23/All_My_Children_Star_James_Mitchell_Dead_at_89/ . 2010-01-25.
- Web site: James Mitchell obituary Soap opera The Guardian. amp.theguardian.com. 2019-09-25.
