In WOMEN HE'S UNDRESSED, director Gillian Armstrong attempts to uncover the man behind some of cinema's most iconic looks, costume designer Orry-Kelly. Theatrical reenactments & monologues from Orry-Kelly & his mother (played by Darren Gilshenan & Deborah Kennedy), guide us through his life--from his childhood in the small Australian seaside town of Kiama, around the world to New York City (where his roommate is fellow immigrant, Archibald Leach, later known as Cary Grant), to his career in Hollywood, in which he garnered 3 Academy Awards. Interspersed with these staged scenes are interviews with those who knew & worked with Orry-Kelly (Ann Roth, Angela Lansbury, Jane Fonda, to name a few), as well as costume designers, film critics & biographers who have been influenced by his work. Unlike many Hollywood homosexuals of the day, Orry-Kelly refused to hide behind a lavender marriage or staged identity, as his old flame Cary Grant would hardly acknowledge their past together. Being his authentic self may have fueled a drinking problem, but it also allowed stars like Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman & Marilyn Monroe to fully trust his talent for making them shine in his designs. Even Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon petitioned Billy Wilder to let Orry design their costumes in Some Like It Hot. While Orry-Kelly is not a household name in today's world, the looks he created for movies like Jezebel, Casablaca, Irma la Douce & Auntie Mame are unforgettable.

I'm a huge fan of classic movies and I loved this documentary about fashion designer Orry-Kelly. He dressed all the greatest stars of the 1930s and 1940s - Bette Davis, Kay Francis, Ingrid Bergman, and Marilyn Monroe. He won three Academy Awards! His personal life was even more fascinating. He was openly gay and the great love of his life was Cary Grant!!! This documentary focuses a LOT of time on Cary. He was in the closet and he broke Orry's heart. This documentary is based on Orry's unpublished autobiography so I believe it's true. They don't sugarcoat Orry's battle with alcoholism which he won after going to rehab in the 1950s. I hope film fans watch this documentary and become a fan of Orry. He was an important part of Hollywood history.

I went along to this film with a female friend as a favour, otherwise I would never have watched it. I was however, pleasantly surprised. There is joy in learning something new. This film gives you an insight into something that ordinarily you wouldn't think twice about - costume design in films. The narrative is presented in an interesting way - in the first person and from those who actually knew Orry-Kellly which gives it a lovely authenticity and contemporary feel rather than just being a piece of dry history. Being based on the life of a Hollywood employee in the days when the big studios ruled - Paramount, MGM and Warner's, there is some nice scandal too. The film helps you to relive, or maybe see for the first time the style and glamour of early Hollywood - even during times of international economic hardship. All in all, worth a watch.

I will not attempt to precis the content of this film. Gillian Armstrong and her production team have created a swiftly moving film about Orry-Kelly that needed to be told before all living connections to his work die.For anyone interested in what goes into making a film this is a must see documentary that follows a real story arc. He has his high and lows but most of all Orry-Kelly had respect from the Hollywood industry from studio heads down.Some of the well documented activities of some of Hillywood's biggest stars may come as a surprise to some.