Get to know one of the CMBA's newest members, Dominique Breckenridge who took the time to answer our questions so we could learn more about her. She writes at Dominique Revue.
Why do you blog?
I
find writing as a form of expression - naturally - and films, for me, make
such an impression and create such a connection - be it to a character, a
location, or a situation - that they form an imprint, or what I like to
call a film memory, connecting us to a moment, a time in our lives; part
of what becomes a component of our makeup, what makes us who we are,
inspires us in our personal and/or professional lives, emotionally,
spiritually, mentally, and as humans - especially creatives - we want to
share those thoughts, to express our feelings out loud, through our
connection with film, to connect us with others.
Your
blog goes beyond writing about classic films to include photos of
fashions that you've made that are inspired by the classics. How did
that come about?
One of many of the facets that connected me to classic cinema was the costuming, both garments and sets.
Very
early on, the garments the actresses, performers, or entertainers wore
caught my attention - Carmen Miranda, Lena Horne, Hedy Lamarr, Sophia
Loren. The way they dressed made an impact on me. In turn, elaborate
musical ensemble costumes followed - especially (but definitely not
limited to) Pre-Code - 42nd Street (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Footlight Parade (1933) - and I think Cab Calloway's zoot suit, style,
performances blew me out of the water above anything I had ever seen or
heard before (outside of the robust personality of Little Richard, which
was a structure of music in our house growing up) and, I wanted to know,
how do I do that?! How do I create something original that is inspired
by what I love, fashion and film?
Gradually,
I began constructing a space using the influence that classic cinema
had on me and translating that inspiration into my own designs. Initially,
my ideas turned into sketches, developed into a portfolio, evolved into
garments, and ultimately, a collection, Dominique Private Collection.
Designing garments and wear inspired by Old Hollywood. This transition
simultaneously inspired me to build a direct bridge between fashion and
film, and I began to write, direct, and choreograph fashion shows. I
incorporate classic scenes or quotes with an original theme that I
write, influenced by Old Hollywood and classic cinema. It became
Dominique Revue: Theatrical Productions.
I've
designed garments and gowns inspired by those like Judy Garland's suit
dress-blazer in Summer Stock (1950), Constance Bennett in Topper (1937),
Myrna Loy in The Thin Man, Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1940), Irene Dunne in The Awful Truth (1937), to garments directly
inspired by classic entertainers as Josephine Baker's banana skirt
(banana belt, as she called it), Cab Calloway's classic white zoot
suit - that eventually influenced me to write a Minnie the Moocher-esque
theatrical production with all garments (designed and created by me) in
the style of late 1920s to early 1930s. More recently I've designed
Hitchcockian dresses, inspired by some of his film's leading ladies.
Besides classic movie blogging, what are some of your other passions?
Reading.
As much as I love films (and music), reading is completely my own
personal space. You can get lost inside a book differently than a film,
in a way far exceeding our imagination on an earthly plane. Because when
we read, we become the creators of the story we are reading, visually.
Guided
by what is written, we begin to see that person, place, and setting as
authored but in our version of that text. We create those characters
based on the description and when it becomes personal, we make what we
are reading . . . real. Through our imagination. Through our vision.
Books,
to me, are limitless in their ability to capture your inner being and
transport you to another dimension, setting, or period, becoming the
narrative of the book for those moments when it's you and the words
written on the pages. I love storytelling.
What classic film (or films) do you recommend to people who aren't familiar with older films?
Recommending
classic cinema is one of my favorite things. I love when someone who is
not classic cinema savvy but who loves cinema or those new to classic
cinema, or open to watching more movies, asks me to drop some
recommendations for them to start with. Most recently, I was asked this
and I gave them Summertime (1955), The Portrait of Jennie (1948), Black Narcissus (1947), and Princess Tam Tam (1935).
On
social over time I've been vocal about A Warm December (1973) starring and directed by Sidney Poitier, Hitchcock films in general (which, to
me, are so universal, whether you are a classic film fan, a film fan, or
not even much of a movie watcher), On the Waterfront (1955), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), and any Mae West film. If you are not
familiar with older films, watch Mae West and get acquainted.
In
the past, some of my friends wanted to gather at my house once a month
to watch a classic film I'd recommend. I'd give them a brief intro
before the film, we'd watch it, then discuss it afterward. I picked
films I fell in love with on sight, especially films I "discovered"
early on that nurtured and helped mold my love for classic cinema:
GILDA (1946)—a film that struck a chord for me from the first frame I saw of the film
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (filmed in 1941/released in 1944)
GUYS AND DOLLS (1955)
LE SAMOURAÏ (1967)
ASCENSEUR POUR L'ÉCHAFAUD/ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (1958)
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) - and highly recommend reading the book!
What is a classic movie you love, but most people don't know about? And what do you love about the film?
There
are a few, and maybe I would say they are not unknown as they are
undermentioned, Il Grido (1957) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, La Legge (1959), Adua E Le Compagne (aka Adua and Her Friends) (1960), Come Next Spring (1956), The Happy Time (1952), and love it or leave it, one
film I find under-mentioned in general, considering the contribution it
made in cinema, the all-Black cast Dark Manhattan (1937), which is
included in my Notable Black Entertainers series where I highlight
under-mentioned Black artists and films every film fan should see.
But
the first film that came to mind was director Jacques de Baroncelli's
Une Fausse Alerte, aka The French Way, 1945 (filmed in 1940) starring
Josephine Baker. Whenever I'm in
the mood for a Josephine Baker film, I always find myself reaching for
Une Fausse Alerte. She is charming and delightful (per usual) in a
cupid-esque role. As always, natural chemistry with the camera. And a
reminder that she IS the show in EVERY film she's in!
What is something that most people don't know about you or that you would like to share?
It's not unknown, but it's not anything I bring up in conversation . . . I used to play the violin. I still have my violin, know how to read music, and still know the all the notes on the fingerboard, positions, and vibrato technique.
Thanks, Dominique for letting us get to know you. We encourage everyone to check out her blog at Dominique Revue.
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