Lauren Bacall as Schatze Page in 'How to Marry a Millionaire' Designed by William Travilla

Two-piece charcoal grey wool suit, fitted jacket, full-length sleeves, three button closure; matching wrap skirt. (Bias label in inner sleeve inscribed "1-69-1-1200 Bacall A705"); two prop stone martin furs.

"Gotta Sing Gotta Dance A Pictorial History of Film Musicals," John Kobal, Hamlyn, 1972, pg. 205 (photo). "Great Movie Actresses," Philip Strick, Beech Tree Books, 1982, pg. 148 (photo). "The Great movie Stars The Golden Years," David Shipman, Bonanza Books, 1970, pg. 253 (photo). "Hollywood Costume Design," David Chierichetti, Harmony Books, ? pg. 126 (photo). "Lauren Bacall, Her films and Career," Laurence J. Quirk, The Citadel press, 1986, Pg. 114 (Photo).

Lauren Bacall got her start as a cover model for Harper’s Magazine. At nineteen, she received a Hollywood contract and was cast with Humphrey Bogart in “To Have or Have Not.” This not only started her acting career but, began a great love story with Bogart who was 25 years her senior. Originally, being criticized for her voice, Bacall worked on developing the smoky sexual growl that would become her trademark.

“How to Marry a Millionaire” was a frivolous comedy featuring Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe was about three models who rent and expensive apartment in New York to attract millionaire husbands. They do eventually end up with husbands, although not necessarily the ones they set out to snare. Marilyn Monroe was topped billed and even though she was perceived to have gotten the most attention, it is Lauren Bacall who runs the film partly because she is the resourceful brains for the action with her tough, witty, sultry and waspish persona- which was Bacall.

Williams Travilla made sure the actresses looked like a million dollars with his array of fifties chic silhouettes. Luckily the characters were models so this allowed him the chance to show them in the most progressive looks of the time with tailored suits, full skirts, pastel cocktail dresses, bathing suits and evening gowns. He created over 30 gowns for the stars, each with their own distinct look to enhance the characters. Travilla complained about the distortion of the costumes that occurred with the Cinemascope process, but he was still nominated for Best Costume Design, Color in 1954 for his work on the film.