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Theadora Van Runkle

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Theadora Van Runkle (born Dorothy Schweppe;[1] March 27, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – November 4, 2011 in Los Angeles, California) was an American costume designer.[2]

Early life

Born Dorothy Schweppe in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the illegitimate daughter of Courtney Bradstreet Schweppe (1885-1958), a reported member of the Schweppes beverage family, and Eltsy Adair (1909-2005). The couple did not stay together, and Eltsy moved to California while Dorothy was still an infant, and raised her on her own.[1][3]

While in her twenties she began to call herself Theodora, and became a department store fashion illustrator. For a short time she worked as a sketch artist for Dorothy Jeakins, an Oscar-winning costume designer.[3] She only worked for Jeakins for one month, but soon after departing, Jeakins called her and told her she had recommended her to work on "Bonnie and Clyde."[3]

Personal life

She had two children with her first husband, Robert Lorimer Van Runkle, with whom she divorced. Her second marriage to photographer Bruce McBroom also ended in divorce.[3]

Career

The first films Van Runkle designed costumes for were Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and The Arrangement (1969), all of which starred Faye Dunaway, for whom Van Runkle also designed the gown Dunaway wore to the 1968 Oscars, as well as Dunaway's complete off-screen wardrobe at the time.

Theadora Van Runkle was nominated for an Oscar for three of her projects: 1967's Bonnie and Clyde, The Godfather Part II in 1974, and Peggy Sue Got Married in 1986. Although not nominated for her work on Troop Beverly Hills, in the film, the central character (played by Shelley Long), references Van Runkle by name. After being complimented on her dress, Long declares "It's a Van Runkle isn't it fabulous?"[4]

In 1983 she won an Emmy Award for her work on "Wizards and Warriors," a fantasy TV series.[3]

She was the recipient of the Costume Designer Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.[5]

Death

Theadora Van Runkle died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of lung cancer on November 4, 2011. She was survived by her son, Maxim Yorick Van Runkle, her daughter, Felicity Van Runkle, and her grandson, Michael Teo Van Runkle.[5]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

  1. ^ a b Theadora Van Runkle obituary. The Guardian, 2011-11-11.
  2. ^ Theadora Van Runkle, Costume Designer, Dies at 83. New York Times, 2011-11-08.
  3. ^ a b c d e Fox, Margalit (2011-11-07). "Theadora Van Runkle, Costume Designer, Dies at 83". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  4. ^ Bauer, Laura L. S. (2018). Hollywood Heroines: The Most Influential Women in Film History. ABC-CLIO. p. 91. ISBN 1440836493.
  5. ^ a b Theadora Van Runkle dies at 83; noted Hollywood costume designer. Los Angeles Times, 2011-11-08.
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