6/100: Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

"Some day they'll go down together, they'll bury them side by side"

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Costumes by: Theadora Van Runkle

Directed by: Arthur Penn

This movie may be for you if: you love a chic little hat, you’re into mixing decades, and your type is whoever is the worst for you.

Where to watch: included in Hulu & YouTube premium subscriptions, available to rent for $3.99 on various other platforms

Before the lettering on the title card turns a bloody red

Long before the days of viral podcasts and Netflix specials, America was captured by scandalous newspaper clippings on American true crime’s first couple: Bonnie and Clyde. The infamous duo has been reimagined in dozens of ways since their thrilling rise and demise, but few renditions have impacted the cultural consciousness like Arthur Penn’s loosely biographical 1967 neo-noir film Bonnie and Clyde. The movie is set in the real-life couple’s depression era hayday, influenced by violent gangster films of the 1930’s and the French New Wave movement of the late 50’s and early 60’s.

Amongst Penn's influences: Scarface (1932) and Breathless (1960)

Bonnie and Clyde marked the end of Hayes-era subtlety, shocking audiences with frank sexuality and previously unseen amounts of blood. “The movie opened like a slap in the face,” wrote Roger Ebert looking back on the film. “American filmgoers had never seen anything like it."

While many critics struggled to praise the movie’s so-called glorification of graphic violence, Bonnie and Clyde’s embrace by its countercultural era audience proved that America were ready for the New Hollywood. The movie was brash and shocking, but beneath it all, undoubtedly romantic. Stars Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty made crime look good, in no small part to costumes design by Theadora Van Runkle. The trailblazing project marked both the start of Van Runkle’s film costuming career and her relationship with Dunaway.

Faye Dunaway (left) and Theadora Van Runkle (right) both wearing berets

The two would go on to work on several films together, with Van Runkle also creating Dunaway’s entire off-screen wardrobe at the time. This was somewhat common in the days before celebrity stylists, when many older Hollywood stars bonded with costume designers and hired them to work on their personal wardrobes. Van Runkle was nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar for her work on Bonnie and Clyde, and would receive two more nominations throughout her costuming career.

Dunaway attended the 1968 Oscars in a dramatic Van Runkle design

To create the looks for Bonnie and Clyde, Van Runkle studied the styles of the 1930’s. She referenced old photos of gangsters from the era, focusing on a famous series of the real-life Bonnie and Clyde. In the midst of the duo’s crime spree, they were joined by Clyde’s brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche, in Joplin, Missouri. The crew temporarily hid out in an apartment, narrowly evading the police and leaving their possessions behind in their escape.

Amongst a large arsenal of abandoned weapons were Buck’s three-week-old parole papers, a handwritten poem by Parker, and several undeveloped rolls of film. The photos were developed at The Joplin Globe, revealing numerous shots of the young fugitives posing with guns and cigars. The dramatic staging indicated that the photos were exaggerated for the crew’s own entertainment, but the striking images catapulted them to instant stardom. Several publicity photos for the 1967 movie were almost shot-for-shot recreations of the titillating originals.

Dunaway and Beatty recreate the original duo’s most iconic shot

The real life Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, circa 1932-33

Parker’s poem, from the Dallas Police Department Collection

Van Runkle had no design experience prior to starting working on Penn’s “little Western” - the director purposely chose a fresh new talent to ensure the film carried no vestiges of Old Hollywood. While shopping for textile samples in Beverly Hills, Van Runkle ran into legendary costume designer Edith Head. According to Van Runkle’s telling, Head’s advice was to “just dress [Bonnie] in chiffon.” She ignored the advice, instead choosing to create outfits more closely in line with the real Bonnie Parker’s style, but with updates to appeal to the late 60’s audience.