Vitals

Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson, smooth gambler

New York, Spring 1955

Film: Guys and Dolls
Release Date: November 3, 1955
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Costume Designer: Irene Sharaff

Background

Five years after its Broadway premiere, Guys and Dolls danced onto the silver screen 70 years ago today when Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s film adaptation of Frank Loesser’s hit Tony-winning musical was released on November 3, 1955. Of the four principal roles, only Vivian Blaine was retained from the original Broadway cast while Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, and Frank Sinatra replaced Robert Alda, Isabel Bigley, and Sam Levene, respectively.

Fresh from the Academy Award win that marked his flourishing career comeback, Sinatra was cast as Nathan Detroit over the protestations of both Loesser and Mankiewicz, who both wanted to keep the lesser-known but better-suited Levene. For his part, Sinatra wasn’t too happy to be Nathan Detroit either—as he had coveted the larger Sky Masterson role which eventually went to Brando.

Despite the on-set drama among the cast and crew, Guys and Dolls found quick success among audiences and critics alike, becoming the top-grossing movie of 1956 and earning four Academy Award nominations, including Best Costume Design for Irene Sharaff.

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What’d He Wear?

Despite Guys and Dolls being set in contemporary 1950s New York, Irene Sharaff’s costume design for Nathan Detroit deliberately evokes the Prohibition era—likely a nod to the character’s real-life inspiration: gambler and gangster Arnold Rothstein, who died in 1928. In contrast to Sky Masterson‘s sleeker modern wardrobe, Nathan dresses in bold stripes, bow ties, and homburgs that harken back to the flamboyant style of the roaring ’20s. He cycles between two striped navy suits: one a traditional chalk-striped double-breasted worn with long ties, and the other—featured in today’s post—cut from rich dark-blue cloth patterned with closely spaced white stripes.

This single-breasted suit jacket channels the swagger of gangster-era tailoring from the 1930s and ’40s. Broad, padded shoulders create a strong silhouette, balanced by wide lapels that taper to a single-button closure at Sinatra’s natural waist. Though reminiscent of peak lapels, the revers feature a fish-mouthed notch that sharply separates the collar. The ventless jacket follows a fashionably full 1950s silhouette, tailored just enough to flatter Sinatra’s famously lean frame. The straight jetted hip pockets are consistent with 1950s trending styles, and Nathan dresses the welted breast pocket with a white linen pocket square. The sleeves are finished with four-button cuffs.

The trousers have an appropriately long rise that meets the jacket’s buttoning point at Sinatra’s waist, where they’re held up by charcoal tonal-patterned silk suspenders (braces) that connect to buttons along the inside of the trouser waistband. The reverse pleats maintain the trousers’ characteristic and fashionable fullness through the hips and thighs, tapered down to the bottoms finished with turn-ups (cuffs) that break over the tops of his well-shined black calfskin leather derby shoes, worn with black dress socks.

Nathan’s voile shirt is eggshell, a shade warmer than pure white, with a dramatically sharp point collar that matches the extravagance of his suit. It also has a plain button-up front, a breast pocket covered with a pointed flap, and square double (French) cuffs that he fastens with large shield-shaped links.

Sky: If you are really looking for some action, I will bet you the same $1,000 that you cannot name the color tie you have on.
Nathan: No bet… (looks down) Polka dots! In the whole world, nobody but Nathan Detroit could blow a thousand bucks on polka dots!

Naming the pattern would have been a safe bet, as Nathan’s bow ties are exclusively polka-dotted. During these scenes, he wears a thistle-shaped tie with a single pointed end, printed with a neatly arranged field of white dots against a dark-navy ground.

Nathan Detroit maintains Sinatra’s own usual affectations of hat, pinky ring, and wristwatch, though likely only the latter gold tank-style watch (on a black leather strap) would have been the actor’s own. Nathan’s gleaming silver ring on his right pinky features a blue square stone set flush against the band.

Rather than Sinatra’s favored Cavanagh trilbies, Nathan wears an all-black felt homburg, styled with a black grosgrain band and matching edge trim.

The following day, Nathan wears the same suit, shirt, and hat but has changed into a narrower red bow-tie with larger white polka dots.

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