Anna Hill Johnstone

Anna Hill Johnstone
Born(1913-04-07)April 7, 1913
Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedOctober 16, 1992(1992-10-16) (aged 79)
Lenox, Massachusetts, U.S.
Other namesAnna Johnstone Robinson[1]
OccupationCostume designer
Spouse
Curville Jones Robinson
​
​
(m. 1937; died 1989)​

Anna Hill Johnstone (April 7, 1913 – October 16, 1992) was an American costume designer. Known for her collaborations with directors Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet and Frank Perry, she received two Academy Award nominations for her work on The Godfather (1972) and Ragtime (1981).

Johnstone's credits include East of Eden (1955), Baby Doll (1956), David and Lisa (1962), The Group (1966), The Godfather (1972), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Stepford Wives (1975), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and Running on Empty (1988).

Early life

Johnstone was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia.[1] She studied at St. Catherine's School. In 1934, she graduated from Barnard College.[1]

Career

Johnstone got her start working on student productions at Barnard College, later becoming a seamstress for summer stock stage shows. Her first full credit for costume design was for the 1937 Broadway hit Having Wonderful Time. Her other stage productions included Bell, Book and Candle, Tea and Sympathy, and A Streetcar Named Desire.

In 1948, Johnstone made the move to working in films, obtaining her first costume design credit on Portrait of Jennie. She has been nominated for an Oscar twice for her work in costume design.[2]

Personal life

Johnstone was married to mechanical engineer Curville Jones Robinson from 1937 until his death in 1989.[3][1]

Death

Johnstone died on October 19, 1992, in a nursing home in Lenox, Massachusetts, after a long illness. She was 79 years old.[1]

Selected filmography

Title Year Director Notes
Portrait of Jennie 1948 William Dieterle Assistant Costume Designer
On the Waterfront 1954 Elia Kazan Wardrobe Supervisor
East of Eden 1955 Wardrobe Designed by
Baby Doll 1956
A Face in the Crowd 1957 Costume Designer
Splendor in the Grass 1961
David and Lisa 1961 Frank Perry
America America 1963 Elia Kazan
Ladybug, Ladybug 1963 Frank Perry
Fail Safe 1964 Sidney Lumet
Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster 1965 Robert Gaffney
A Christmas Memory 1966 Frank Perry
The Swimmer 1968
Alice's Restaurant 1969 Arthur Penn
The Godfather 1972 Francis Ford Coppola
Serpico 1973 Sidney Lumet
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 1974 Joseph Sargent
The Stepford Wives 1975 Bryan Forbes
Dog Day Afternoon 1975 Sidney Lumet
The Last Tycoon 1976 Elia Kazan
The Wiz 1978 Sidney Lumet Costume Coordinator
King of the Gypsies 1978 Frank Pierson Costume Designer
Ragtime 1981 Miloš Forman
The Verdict 1982 Sidney Lumet
Garbo Talks 1984
Running on Empty 1988

Awards and nominations

Institution Category Year Work Result
Academy Awards Best Costume Design 1973 The Godfather Nominated
1982 Ragtime Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Costume Design 1973 The Godfather Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards Hall of Fame 2006 — Won

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Lambert, Bruce (October 19, 1992). "Anna Johnstone, 79, a Designer Of Costumes for Films and Plays". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Anna Hill Johnstone". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  3. ^ "Anna H. Johnstone Married in South; She Is Wed to C. J. Robinson in a Garden Ceremony at Her Richmond, Va., Home". The New York Times. May 10, 1937.