Tagged: Boston
Steve McQueen’s Navy Suits as Thomas Crown
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, millionaire criminal mastermind
Boston, June 1968
Film: The Thomas Crown Affair
Release Date: June 19, 1968
Director: Norman Jewison
Costume Designer: Alan Levine
Tailor: Douglas Hayward
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of The Thomas Crown Affair, Norman Jewison’s stylish 1968 thriller starring Steve McQueen as the titular mastermind who finds himself in a passionate cat-and-mouse game opposite a glamorous insurance investigator played by Faye Dunaway.
Steve McQueen sports Thomas Crown’s navy suits all over Boston, proudly wearing them for his adventures by land, sea, and air… Continue reading
Jack Nicholson’s Lavender Sportcoat in The Departed
Jack Nicholson as Francis “Frank” Costello in The Departed (2006)
Vitals
Jack Nicholson as Francis “Frank” Costello, sadistic Irish-American mob boss
Boston, Summer 2006
Film: The Departed
Release Date: October 6, 2006
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
Background
To celebrate Jack Nicholson’s 80th birthday today, April 22, BAMF Style is looking at an iconic role from his latter career as crime boss Francis “Frank” Costello in The Departed. Nicholson reportedly wanted “a little something more” for his character*, and elements of real-life Boston mobster Whitey Bulger were incorporated into Jack’s eccentric and erratic character.
This brief but memorable scene, featuring Nicholson in some timely springtime pastels, was filmed June 28, 2005 at the Long Wharf in Boston. Two of Massachusetts’ finest, Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), are monitoring Costello’s movements and decide to show their face. Continue reading
The Boondock Saints
Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery as the MacManus Brothers in The Boondock Saints (1999).
Vitals
Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as
Connor MacManus and Murphy MacManus (respectively), Irish-American blue-collar vigilante brothers
Boston, MA, March 1999
Film: The Boondock Saints
Release Date: January 22, 1999
Director: Troy Duffy
Costume Designer: Mary E. McLeod
Background
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For most of us, St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration full of green beer, corned beef, and bad decisions. For the MacManus brothers, two cheeky but religious meat packers in South Boston, it usually means the same thing. Even Murphy MacManus uses the holiday to welcome a trio Russian mobsters to the neighborhood bar:
Yeah, it’s St. Paddy’s Day, everyone’s Irish tonight. Why don’t you just pull up a stool and have a drink with us?
Unfortunately, the Russkies aren’t as willing to throw a few back and celebrate, so the holiday leads to an eruption of violence that evolves the MacManus brothers into “The Boondock Saints”. Continue reading
Thomas Crown, the “Boston Wrangler”
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, millionaire playboy and heist mastermind
Boston, Summer 1968
Film: The Thomas Crown Affair
Release Date: June 19, 1968
Director: Norman Jewison
Costume Designer: Alan Levine
Background
In an edgy move given the city’s recent history, The Thomas Crown Affair‘s soundtrack composer Michel Legrand named a track from the album “The Boston Wrangler”*. The track in question centers around a brief two minute scene where Crown, under heavy surveillance at his home, manages to sneak out and incapacitate a guard, all while cheekily puffing away on a stogie. I’m not sure if there was any initial blowback from the track’s name, but the instrumental itself is a fine example of the jazzy ’60s cool that defined the movie’s style.
* In case you’re not a criminal history enthusiast, the track’s title is a pun on the “Boston Strangler”, a serial killer who had recently been convicted for multiple murders.
What’d He Wear?
Although he’s as dapper as they come in his three-piece suits, Crown is no stranger to casual attire when it comes to non-business activities. When it comes to sneaking around at night, Crown avoids his genre contemporary James Bond’s choice of wearing all black and opts for shades of blue to better blend in with the night. Continue reading
Steve McQueen’s Brown 3-Piece Suit as Thomas Crown
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, millionaire busienssman and criminal mastermind
Boston, Summer 1968
Film: The Thomas Crown Affair
Release Date: June 19, 1968
Director: Norman Jewison
Costume Designer: Alan Levine
Tailor: Douglas Hayward
Background
The Thomas Crown Affair is one film where I would feel comfortable ruling that the style outweighs the substance. In some ways, the plot reads like a harlequin novel – a dashing millionaire is investigated by an impossibly stunning insurance investigator and the two play a cat-and-mouse game, culminating in some symbolism-driven sex and his eventual escape. It is a simple plot in a film best remembered for its lavish touches across the board from cinematography to costuming.
In fact, Crown himself is far more sophisticated than the plot. Watching for plot can be more than mildly frustrating as the film really electrifies when McQueen and Dunaway are onscreen and – not the fault of the other actors – stumbles when neither are there to save it. The film is still a fun and very ’60s caper, but it’s important to keep in mind that the focus is totally on style. Continue reading
Steve McQueen in Gray and Pink as Thomas Crown
With Easter nearly here and spring finally taking over after a long winter, some men may be looking to incorporate more color into their wardrobe.
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, millionaire criminal mastermind
Boston, June 1968
Film: The Thomas Crown Affair
Release Date: June 19, 1968
Director: Norman Jewison
Costume Designer: Alan Levine
Tailor: Douglas Hayward
Background
Thanks to films like The Great Escape, The Sand Pebbles, and – most recently – Bullitt, Steve McQueen was at the top of the Hollywood game in 1968. He was already popular enough to be demanding about his roles, and his reputation for difficulty just enhanced the “bad boy” status he was cultivating. Continue reading
Brad Pitt in Killing Them Softly
Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan in Killing Them Softly (2012)
Vitals
Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan, freelance mob hitman
Boston*, November 2008
* The movie—like the source novel—was indeed set in the Boston area but was filmed in New Orleans.
Film: Killing Them Softly
Release Date: November 30, 2012
Director: Andrew Dominik
Costume Designer: Patricia Norris
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Although it met with mixed reviews, many fans of George V. Higgins appreciate the recent film version of his 1974 book Cogan’s Trade, released as Killing Them Softly based on a line from the novel’s titular protagonist, Jackie Cogan:
They cry. They plead. They beg. They piss themselves. They call for their mothers. It gets embarrassing. I like to kill ’em softly, from a distance. Not close enough for feelings. Don’t like feelings. Don’t want to think about them.
Steve McQueen’s Gray Plaid Suit as Thomas Crown
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Last Friday would have been Steve McQueen’s 83rd birthday. To celebrate Steve and honor an early request from a BAMF Style follower…
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, millionaire criminal mastermind
Boston, June 1968
Film: The Thomas Crown Affair
Release Date: June 19, 1968
Director: Norman Jewison
Costume Designer: Alan Levine
Tailor: Douglas Hayward
Background
Steve McQueen was racking up several iconic tough guy looks by 1968, with both The Great Escape and Bullitt under his belt. Now, as millionaire playboy Thomas Crown, he would be playing more of a romantic lead and would need the wardrobe to match. Continue reading
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