Costume Design by Helen Rose and Walter Plunkett
Note: Walter Plunkett designed the men's costumes, Helen Rose designed Anne Francis' dresses.
A classic science-fiction film that influenced so many popular science-fiction series, such as Lost in Space, Doctor Who and Star Trek, and whose imagery became a byword in people's minds for 'science fiction' for decades (until videogames and 'concept art' came along, anyway).
This futuristic retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest mostly centres on Altaira, played by Anne Francis. Francis was the 'glamour' of the film, and as such wears several delightful dresses. In some promotional material they were going to go in a slightly different direction.
Forbidden Planet, unlike most (usually low-budget!) science-fiction films of the 50s and 60s, mostly does not go for cliched 'space age' costume designs, but these promotional images show Anne Francis wearing a futuristic leather flightsuit and a shiny silvery foil and plastic dress.
Another dress that seems to have only made it to promotional material is this shiny 'mosaic starfield' dress, that (unlike most of Altaira's dresses in the film film!) goes down over the legs entirely - it's actually quite a shame this didn't get into the film!
As for dresses that actually did make it into the final film, there is this short tan dress with a large collar, coated in an array of metal studs all over, in a pattern that forms a triangle at the waist too - this particular dress would have a sort of afterlife past the film, as it would be reused (along with an array of other costumes)
in the infamous campfest Queen of Outer Space two years later.
This very striking black (or is it brown? the way old photography works makes discerning colours harders) dress has a 'starfield' pattern of sorts on its front, as well as a belt with three silver pointed bucklers on it - sadly, this wonderful dress is only very barely seen in the final film, in exactly one shot!
Rose also designed a less ornate or glitzy, but still smartly designed white mini-dress for Francis to wear in many scenes.
Towards the end of the film, Altaira wears this shiny silver dress, that feels a bit similar in design to the
more plain white dress she wears for the majority of the film, only this one has a hood fitted on
like her hooded blue dress.
Altair'a last dress of note is this pale blue deal with golden studs over the front, especially around the chest, in a similar manner to her famous golden dress.
Altaria's father is the scientist Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), who throughout the film sports a crisp silk buttonless suit that is fixed with a large bow-like shape around the neck. In some scenes it is worn with a plain gown.
However, in the below production photo, there could have been a more colourful version of the gown, unless it is just the effect of old photography?
The uniforms worn by Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his military force are grey overalls with a v-shaped cut in the middle, revealing a panel of ridged fabric, as well as large padded shoulders as well, The shoulders also have a pair of discs in lieu of where epualettes would be on a contemporary uniform.
Costume Reuse note; Several of Forbidden Planet's costumes were reused in later productions.
Many of Ann Francis' dresses, as well as Walter Pigeon's Morbius costume, and the hats and shoulder-pad uniforms, were reused in the kitschy
Queen of Outer Space (1958)
The shoulder-pad uniforms were also reused in the Twilight Zone episode 'The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street', and the 1960 adaptation of The Time Machine.
The zip-up uniforms were reused in the
Twilight Zone episode 'Death Ship' and the
Man from UNCLE episode 'The Vulcan Affair'. In both reuses the costumes were minimally altered with strips of fabric.
I don't know if Forbidden Planet's uniforms were actually reused in the 1988 comedy farce Amazon Women on the Moon, or if the latter film's uniforms were a faithful recreation. Considering Amazon Women features a saucier pastiche of Anne Francis' golden dress, I feel they were recreations.
