Sophie Wachner (November 5, 1879 – September 13, 1960) was an American costumer who designed costumes for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Fox, and Selznick International Pictures in the early 20th century.[1][3][4] Her work appeared in films such as Just Imagine, A Connecticut Yankee, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.[5]

Sophie Wachner
C. Aubrey Smith, Freddie Bartholomew & Dolores Costello in Little Lord Fauntleroy
Born	(1879-11-05)November 5, 1879[1] Akron, Ohio
Died	September 13, 1960(1960-09-13) (aged 80)[1] Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
Known for	Costume design
Notable work	He Who Gets Slapped, Just Imagine, A Connecticut Yankee
Spouse(s)	Harold Powers ​ ​ (m. 1920; died 1943)​ [2][1]

Early life

Wachner was born in 1879 in Akron, Ohio, to Jewish immigrant parents from Hungary.[1] She first began a career in teaching in Akron Public Schools, but in 1909 moved to New York City to design costumes on Broadway.[3] She and her aunt, Frederica De Wolfe, spent ten years there, and during this time Wachner worked as a costumer for Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.[3] In 1919, she moved to Los Angeles to work for Goldwyn Studios.[1]

Career

Wachner joined Goldwyn Studios in August 1919, as they set up a new headquarters for their costume department.[6] Wachner was well-known among the Los Angeles clothiers who supplied Goldwyn Studios' productions.[7][8] While employed there, Wachner's opinion was greatly respected by the actors and directors she worked with, who "court[ed] her favor exactly as they court the favor of the public".[9] William Wellman and G. B. Manly gave her the nickname 'Colonel Wachner'.[10] Her early work for Goldwyn included costumes for the Hobart Henley film So This Is Marriage, which included a technicolor sequence depicting the story of Bathsheba and David, and He Who Gets Slapped, a 1924 psychological thriller starring Lon Chaney.[11] For the 1930 film Just Imagine, she collaborated with Alice O'Neill and Dolly Tree to create a wardrobe for futuristic 1980s New Yorkers and Martians.[1] Wachner left Goldwyn Studios for Fox in 1924, and worked there until 1930, when she was fired to cut costs.[3][12] Wachner worked in Hollywood for over fifteen years, with her final film Little Lord Fauntleroy being released in 1936.[5]

Filmography

References

External links

• Sophie Wachner at IMDb