Deborah Nadoolman Landis
Encyclopedia
Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis (born 1952) is an American
film and theater costume designer. She worked on such notable films as Animal House, Three Amigos, and Raiders of the Lost Ark
. Landis recently completed her second term as president of the Costume Designers Guild
of which she has been a member for more than thirty years. She is married to director John Landis
.
Deborah Nadoolman graduated from UCLA with a M.F.A. in Costume Design in 1975. She earned her Ph.D. in History of Design from the Royal College of Art
in London. She has created iconic costumes throughout her career, such as the fedora and jacket of Indiana Jones
(Harrison Ford
), the "college" t-shirt worn by John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi), and Michael Jackson
's red jacket
in Thriller. In addition to many Dramalogue awards for her theater designs, she was nominated for an Academy Award
in 1988 for Coming to America.
After receiving her doctorate, she wrote and edited a number of books including: Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design (Harper Collins, 2007), Screencraft/Costume Design (Focal Press, 2003) and 50 Costumes/50 Designers: Concept to Character (University of California Press. 2004).
Landis has lectured widely on costume design and taught classes at the University of Southern California
, the AFI Conservatory
and is a professor at the University of the Arts, London. She was inducted as a Distinguished Alumni at the UCLA Department of Theater, Film and Television in 2005, and honored as a William Randolf Hearst Fellow at the University of Texas, Austin in 2006. In 2007, she served on the Cinefondation
Jury at the 60th Cannes Film Festival
. In 2009, Landis became the David C. Copley Chair and the Director of the David C. Copley Center of Costume Design at UCLA, School of Theater, Film & Television.
She is mentioned in "The 21-Second Excitation" episode of The Big Bang Theory
for her work on Raiders of the Lost Ark
and Michael Jackson
's Thriller.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and theater costume designer. She worked on such notable films as Animal House, Three Amigos, and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
. Landis recently completed her second term as president of the Costume Designers Guild
Costume Designers Guild
The Costume Designers Guild , IATSE LOCAL 892 was founded in 1953 by a group of 30 motion picture costume designers. In 1986, the Costume Designers Guild joined the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and added Local 892 to its name...
of which she has been a member for more than thirty years. She is married to director John Landis
John Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
.
Deborah Nadoolman graduated from UCLA with a M.F.A. in Costume Design in 1975. She earned her Ph.D. in History of Design from the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London. She has created iconic costumes throughout her career, such as the fedora and jacket of Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
(Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
), the "college" t-shirt worn by John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi), and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's red jacket
Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket
Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket refers to the iconic red jacket worn by Michael Jackson in the Michael Jackson's Thriller video in 1983. On June 27, 2011, the buyer Milton Verret described the jacket as "the greatest piece of rock and roll memorabilia in history".-Design:The jacket was designed...
in Thriller. In addition to many Dramalogue awards for her theater designs, she was nominated for an Academy Award
61st Academy Awards
The 61st Academy Awards were presented on March 29, 1989 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The date had been moved from its usual Monday telecast due to Easter, which was on March 26. For this show, there was no "official" host as the show opened with a stage-show featuring Merv Griffin, Snow...
in 1988 for Coming to America.
After receiving her doctorate, she wrote and edited a number of books including: Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design (Harper Collins, 2007), Screencraft/Costume Design (Focal Press, 2003) and 50 Costumes/50 Designers: Concept to Character (University of California Press. 2004).
Landis has lectured widely on costume design and taught classes at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, the AFI Conservatory
AFI Conservatory
The AFI Conservatory is a division of the American Film Institute founded in 1969, located in Hollywood's Griffith Park. The school is the only existing Master of Fine Arts conservatory in advanced film education...
and is a professor at the University of the Arts, London. She was inducted as a Distinguished Alumni at the UCLA Department of Theater, Film and Television in 2005, and honored as a William Randolf Hearst Fellow at the University of Texas, Austin in 2006. In 2007, she served on the Cinefondation
Cinéfondation
La Cinéfondation is a foundation under the aegis of the Cannes Film Festival, created to inspire and support the next generation of international filmmakers....
Jury at the 60th Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. In 2009, Landis became the David C. Copley Chair and the Director of the David C. Copley Center of Costume Design at UCLA, School of Theater, Film & Television.
She is mentioned in "The 21-Second Excitation" episode of The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
for her work on Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Thriller.
Filmography
- Burke and HareBurke and Hare (film)Burke and Hare is a British black comedy film, loosely based on the Burke and Hare murders. Directed by John Landis, the film stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as William Burke and William Hare respectively. It was Landis's first feature film release in twelve years, the last being 1998's Susan's...
(2010) - Susan's PlanSusan's PlanSusan's Plan is a 1998 black comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Nastassja Kinski, Dan Aykroyd, Billy Zane, Rob Schneider, Lara Flynn Boyle and Michael Biehn. The plot revolves around Susan's plan to kill her former husband and collect his life insurance....
(1998) - Blues Brothers 2000Blues Brothers 2000Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 American musical comedy film that is a sequel to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Directed by John Landis, the film featured Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman, with cameos by many musicians.-Plot:...
(1998) - Mad CityMad City (film)Mad City is a 1997 drama film and thriller film written by Tom Matthews and Eric Williams, directed by Costa-Gavras, and starring Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Mia Kirshner, Alan Alda, Blythe Danner, Ted Levine, Raymond J. Barry, and Larry King.-Plot:...
(1997) - The StupidsThe Stupids* For the skatepunk band see The Stupids * For the 1996 film, see The Stupids The Stupids are a fictional family which appear in a series of books written by Harry Allard and James Marshall...
(1996) - Innocent BloodInnocent Blood (film)Innocent Blood is a 1992 American horror-crime film directed by John Landis. The film stars Anne Parillaud as a vampire who finds herself against a blood-sucking legion of mobsters after biting a notorious crime boss played by Robert Loggia....
(1992) - Nothing But Trouble (1991)
- Coming to AmericaComing to AmericaComing to America is a 1988 comedy film directed by John Landis. The screenplay was written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, from a story by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the film. Murphy plays an African prince, who heads to the United States in hopes of finding a woman he can marry...
(1988) Academy Award nomination - ¡Three Amigos!¡Three Amigos!Three Amigos is a 1986 American adventure musical comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, and Randy Newman...
(1986) - Spies Like UsSpies Like UsSpies Like Us is a 1985 American comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest, and Donna Dixon...
(1985) - Into the Night (1985/I)
- CrackersCrackers (1984 film)Crackers is a 1984 American film directed by Louis Malle. It was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival.Written by Jeffrey Fiskin, the film is about a group of small-time out-of-luck thieves, led by the unemployed Weslake , who attempt to rob the neighborhood pawn shop owned by...
(1984) - ThrillerThriller (music video)Michael Jackson's Thriller is a 14-minute music video for the song of the same name released on December 2, 1983 and directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson....
(1983) - Twilight Zone: The MovieTwilight Zone: The MovieTwilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
(1983) (segment 1) - Trading PlacesTrading PlacesTrading Places is a 1983 American comedy film, of the satire genre, directed by John Landis, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. It tells the story of an upper class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet...
(1983) - An American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
(1981) - Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
(1981) - The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers (film)The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
(1980) - 19411941 (film)1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd...
(1979) - Animal House (1978)
- The Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
(1977)