Raoul Pene Du Bois
Encyclopedia
Raoul Pene Du Bois was an American costume designer
and scenic designer for the stage and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction
.
, New York, the son of René Pène Du Bois, a banker. He started his career as a costume designer when he was 14, by designing four showgirl costumes for the Ziegfeld Follies. He went on to design the costumes for the Broadway
revues Ziegfeld Follies of 1934, his first show and Ziegfeld Follies of 1936
.
Du Bois designed the costumes and/or the scenery for some 48 Broadway shows, starting in 1934 with the Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 and his last, Reggae in 1980; his designs were used in Jerome Robbins' Broadway
in 1989. Among his work was Gypsy (1959) and many other musicals starring Ethel Merman
. He worked on Billy Rose's Aquacade
for the New York World's Fair (1939–40).
He won the 1971 Tony Award
and Drama Desk Award
, Best Costume Design for No, No, Nanette
and the 1953 Tony Award, Best Scenic Design, for Wonderful Town
and was nominated for the Tony Award, Costume Design, for Sugar Babies
(1980), Doctor Jazz (1975) and Gypsy (1960), and for scenic design for The Student Gypsy (1964).
Costume Designer
A costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The...
and scenic designer for the stage and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
.
Career
He was born on Staten IslandStaten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York, the son of René Pène Du Bois, a banker. He started his career as a costume designer when he was 14, by designing four showgirl costumes for the Ziegfeld Follies. He went on to design the costumes for the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revues Ziegfeld Follies of 1934, his first show and Ziegfeld Follies of 1936
Ziegfeld Follies of 1936
The Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 is a musical revue with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by Vernon Duke and sketches by Gershwin and David Freedman...
.
Du Bois designed the costumes and/or the scenery for some 48 Broadway shows, starting in 1934 with the Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 and his last, Reggae in 1980; his designs were used in Jerome Robbins' Broadway
Jerome Robbins' Broadway
Jerome Robbins' Broadway is an anthology comprising musical numbers from earlier shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Robbins won his fifth Tony Award for direction of the show....
in 1989. Among his work was Gypsy (1959) and many other musicals starring Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
. He worked on Billy Rose's Aquacade
Billy Rose's Aquacade
Billy Rose's Aquacade was a music, dance and swimming show produced by Billy Rose at the Great Lakes Exposition in 1937.Later Aquacade moved to the 1939 New York World's Fair where it was the most successful production of the fair . The Art Deco 11,000 seat amphitheatre was designed by architects...
for the New York World's Fair (1939–40).
He won the 1971 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
and Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
, Best Costume Design for No, No, Nanette
No, No, Nanette
No, No, Nanette is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play My Lady Friends...
and the 1953 Tony Award, Best Scenic Design, for Wonderful Town
Wonderful Town
Wonderful Town is a musical with a book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein...
and was nominated for the Tony Award, Costume Design, for Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies
Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era...
(1980), Doctor Jazz (1975) and Gypsy (1960), and for scenic design for The Student Gypsy (1964).
Selected filmography
Du Bois was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction:- Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase (film)Louisiana Purchase is a 1941 film adaptation of the musical theater play, Louisiana Purchase. A Paramount Pictures production, the film was directed by Irving Cummings with Robert Emmett Dolan serving as musical director as he had done for the play. Starring comedian Bob Hope, the film featured...
(1941) - Lady in the DarkLady in the Dark (film)Lady in the Dark is a 1944 Technicolor musical film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Ginger Rogers. It was nominated for three Academy Awards; for Best Cinematography, Best Music and Best Art Direction ....
(1944)