The Menswear in “Hail Caesar” (2016)

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Do you guys ever have a movie that you didn’t like, only to come back around to it years later and think, “wow, this is actually great”? That was me with Hail, Caesar!. I distinctly remember watching it with Spencer when it came out and leaving the theater quite underwhelmed and frustrated with the random plot and odd ending that were seemingly only there to provide a loose thread between the spectacular send ups of Old Hollywood. Spencer, who loves movies where you just “hang out” with the protagonist for a day (see Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood), loved this flick.

Of course, with age comes appreciation. And over time, and a handful of old films under my belt, I’ve really come around on this movie, fully enjoying its asburd story and framing device. It’s supposed to be silly— but it’s also quite accurate to what was going on in this time period.

Hail, Caesar! is a hilarious romp through the ires of Golden Era Hollywood, told through the perspective of Eddie Mannix, studio fixer, who tries to find his kidnapped star Baird Whitlock while also deciding if he even wants to stay in this damn world. Taking place in one day, the audience is treated to a plethora of charming vignettes of the 50s: antiquated genres (biblical epics, extensively choreographed musicals, cowboy ballads, tux-and-gown dramas), pushy gossip columists, the workings of the bygone Studio System, and, in true post-war fashion, the threat of Communism. All of it is quite fun, especially if you’re a fan of old Hollywood films (the homages to classic genres are the best part of the film) or if you’re like the Academy and have a soft spot for “movies about making movies”. It’s not that serious by any means— I mean at one point, a tap-dancing star defects to the Soviet Union via submarine— which makes Hail, Caesar! a great film to throw on an enjoy.

Even though the film’s setting is a bit later than I prefer (1951 isn’t exactly Apparel Arts-core), I’ve also come around on the clothing. It’s all really well done, with period accuracy (a lot of it appears to be true vintage) and interesting styling! Mary Zophres has captured what it would be like to be on set in the 50s; considering her prowess in costume design, this comes at no surprise. It was about time that Spencer and I covered this film!

*We mainly see Mannix in one look during the film (as it takes place over a little more than one day), but it’s a good one! That’s a true vintage suit and tie.*

*His signature item is a stiff homburg in dark brown to better match his taupe suit. This hat’s structured, old-school attitude also helps to echo his gruff and direct personality.*

Let’s start with our protagonist.

Eddie Mannix, the “Head of Physical Production” for Capitol Studios, wears a rather stodgy look that matches his gruff, efficient demeanor. It’s a taupe plaid DB suit (cut in a late-40s way, complete with low buttoning), a no-nonsense white spearpoint, and an abstract brocade tie likely purchased in the 40s. According to an interview with Variety, Zophres initially intended to make a custom suit for Brolin, but they ended up having him wear a true vintage one on screen. It looks great!

You might expect a movie executive to wear something more corporate (think a grey or navy suit), but I think the brown suit fits him perfectly. It’s earthy and rugged, much like Mannix, who quite literally operates like a mafia fixer rather than a middle manager. [It’s a interesting to contrast against Brolin’s all-brown look in Gangster Squad a few years earlier, though this time, he finally gets to wear a DB.]This effect shows up on screen when he meets with a Lockheed Martin exec, who courts Mannix while wearing a grey pinstripe 3PC. Mannix’s look definitely comes off as less serious, echoing what the Lockheed guy remarks about Eddie’s current job in the picture business.

In fact, the most serious facet of Mannix’s style is his homburg. This felt hat looks similar to a fedora but forgoes the floppy, snap-down brim for a stiff, upturned one, complete with edge-binding. These qualities make a homburg a dressier, more conservative piece of headwear. You might have seen it paired with the more formal aspects of period men’s fashion, like Morning Dress/stroller suits or evening wear, but it also worked with regular suits (maybe not separates), adding a bit more dressiness to a look. Of course, this hat was falling out of favor by the 50s, with the fedora becoming a much more common full-brimmed hat. Having Mannix wear one as a part of his “uniform” conveys a sense of steadfastness in his personality and his place in this period. He’s a seasoned guy; why wouldn’t he wear a stuffy, old-school hat? After all, Hail, Caesar! is meant to show us a bygone era of movie-making, one that, in-universe, would be hastened by the rise of television and the end of the studio system.

Mannix doesn’t care. He’s sticking with Capitol Pictures, even considering the absolutely absurd 24 hours he’s had wrangling a kidnapped-by-Communists movie star, orchestrating a legal fiction, and helping a rising star find his footing in the movies. And as a new day dawns, Mannix sticks to his uniform: a homburg and DB suit, this time both in light grey.

*This film gives us so many great vintage looks! Just look at the variety: sport shirts, bow ties, sweaters. It’s got it all!*

*Ralph Fiennes’s Laurence Laurentz is quite the dandy, rocking a guncheck DB and ascot. Nowadays, you only see this worn by your favorite menswear personalities!*

*The Communist abductors are also fantastically styled in their brown separates. How intellectual— and slouchy!*

Now, one of the best things that makes Hail, Caesar! an enjoyable watch is the sheer variety of period menswear (and boy, is there a lot of it) that’s all displayed without any fuss. Mary Zophres has done it again!

Indeed, some of the notable menswear in the film is decidedly costume-y (and makes sense in context), like the evening wear in Merrily, We Dance or western duds in Hobie Doyle’s pictures. But there’s also a lot of great style outside of those situational contexts, shown by the various in-universe production teams as well as the side characters encountered by Mannix and Baird Whitlock, the missing star. All of these vignettes show the breadth of late 40s/early 50s menswear, much like they showcase the bygone genres of midcentury cinema. It’s all just lovely to look at and notice all the fun sartorial details, all while enjoying an absurdly charming movie.

Just look at how the production posse dresses. On the casual end of the spectrum, you’ll find dues wearing colorful rayon sport shirts, tucked into Hollywood waist trousers, with some even adding in a cropped Ricky jacket. All of this might read as dressy by today’s standards, but for the period setting, this was normal. [I will concede that most fashion mfers are into rayons and big pants, so the tide is indeed changing.]

I particularly like Kyle Bornheimer (who plays the Extras A.D. for the in-universe Hail, Caesar!), who wears a long-sleeved red batik sport shirt with honey colored trousers. There’s also Arne Seslem (Christopher Lambert), who dons an Alpine-themed sweater while directing the “No Dames” dance sequence. Of course, I can’t forget the sharply dressed Laurence Laurentz, who has an ascot underneath a wonderful guncheck DB. I will say that the look doesn’t feel 50s (the ascot is a small shout-out to Cary Grant), but it’s a good menswear look nonetheless. However, what I appreciated most is seeing the background guys, the various on-set workers whom Zophres made sure to dress in ties and bowties, all layered with sweater vests, sportcoats, and Hollywood jackets. It’s a bit extra, to be sure, but it’s delightful to see done— especially when you realize just how accurate it is to actual photographs of people on set. They really used to dress this way!

I also have a soft spot for the cabal of Communist writers that kidnap Whitlock and attempt to convert (and blackmail) him into the cause. In almost stereotypical styling, each member of the study group is delightfully frumpy and wears trad/academic clothing, all in shades of brown. Seriously, their separates are different shades of brown in herringbone tweed, flannel, and wool gabardine. More than a few have knitwear over their dress shirts and ties, a move that is very effective in providing an intellectual air to the wearer; Fisher Stevens in particular has a lovely two-tone waistcoat. My favorite of the bunch is Herbert Marcuse (yes, there is a character in this film based on the real guy), as he wears a full herringbone tweed suit over a dobby stripe shirt and foulard bow tie, both charmingly muted. I may have to pull references to these looks once temps properly drop here in LA.

*Hobie Doyle makes a great case for fun, vintage western wear.*

That said, he also pulls off a traditional black-tie rig so well! Seriously, this film gives us a lot of menswear. Maybe that’s the appeal of period movies, especially ones that are about show business!

The film’s real stylish star is Hobie Doyle, played by Alden Ehrenreich. A send-up of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and other icons of 30s-50s Western films and TV, Hobie is earnest, good-natured, and wears fun cowboy attire. We first see him in a cream popover with contrasting brown piping on the collar, yoke, and curved chest pockets; it all harmonizes with his taupe whipcord pants, brown bandana, and large, silverbelly cowboy hat. In Lazy ‘Ol Moon, another in-universe film, Hobie sings a ballad while donning a blue plaid western shirt (complete with sawtooth pockets), a matching blue bandana (quite jaunty!), western pants, and tall riding-boot-style roper boots. These looks are a bit more novel than the more rugged, plain Western looks most of us know (or wear) today; just compare Hobie’s fun looks to the sleek get-ups in Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. I think it would be cool to do more of these “sillier” cowboy outfits; if only such pieces weren’t so darn rare and expensive!

We also get to see Hobie in a tailoring getup— twice! I told you this movie was a treat for menswear guys. When he gets roped into Lawrence Laurentz’s Merrily, We Dance, our cowboy ingenue trades his duds for a full black-tie rig: a low-slung 4×1 DB tux (might be midnight blue) with a wing-collar shirt and a proper hand-tied bow tie. Despite how obviously out of his depth Hobie is in this role (forced on him by the Studio), he still manages to look suave as hell in a tux (though who doesn’t). We later see Hobie much more in his element in a black western suit (complete with white piping on the yoke), which, as an SB peak, serves as his own take on evening wear for a swanky movie premiere. Yes, it’s considerably more casual, especially with a regular button-up shirt and bolo tie, but the ensemble better reflects who Hobie is. At least his hat is conservative charcoal grey, but maybe black would have been better? In any case, he looks damn good! I would love to see more western-inspired tailoring out there; I’m sure many vintage enthusiasts wear it to Viva, the annual rockabilly gathering in Las Vegas. And who knows, maybe I’ll be inspired to make my suits more western-coded, especially when I get my big cattleman back from being fixed up by Joyride. After all, I do have that clip-on western bow tie that needs more wearin’ (but a jaunty bandana works fine too)!

Perhaps I’ll softly look for some rayon gab western shirts— complete with piping, contrast panels, and embroidery. And maybe I’ll watch some fun 50s Westerns, too!

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever really written about Western clothing and I guess now I never will…

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