Elois Jenssen

Elois Jenssen (November 5, 1922 - February 14, 2004) was an Academy Award-winning American film and television costume designer.

Born Elois W. Jenssen in Palo Alto, California, she attended the Westlake School for Girls before moving to Paris to study fashion at the Parsons School of Design. She returned to California after the start of World War II and enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute. She began her film career as an assistant costume designer in Hunt Stromberg's production company and received her first screen credit designing Hedy Lamarr's gowns for "Dishonored Lady" in 1947. That same year, her design for a white fleece overcoat, electrically heated by batteries carried in two side pockets (with an extension cord that could be plugged in on planes or trains), was featured in a futuristic fashion show sponsored by the Los Angeles Fashion Group [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779420,00.html "Time", November 3, 1947] ] .

In 1951, Lucille Ball approached Jensson and asked her if she would be interested in designing costumes for a new situation comedy television series she and her husband Desi Arnaz were readying for CBS. Under exclusive contract to 20th Century Fox at the time, she was unable to accept the offer, but after leaving the studio to freelance, she spent a season designing clothing for Ann Sothern on "Private Secretary", then contacted Ball to see if the position on "I Love Lucy" was available. She was hired at $100 per episode, considerably less than her feature film salary, one week before the filming of the 1953-54 season began, and the following season her salary increased to $150. When she held out for $200 the next year, cost-conscious executives at Desilu replaced her [ ["The Story of I Love Lucy" by Bart Andrews, E.P. Dutton & Company, Inc., 1976, pp. 88-89, 123-124 ISBN 0-525-14990-2] ] . Her later television credits included designs for Julie Newmar in "My Living Doll" and Eleanor Parker in "Bracken's World".

Jenssen, in failing health following a series of strokes, died in the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was predeceased by her husband, Thomas J. Andre, Jr., and survived by her stepson, five stepgrandchildren, and six stepgreat-grandchildren.

Additional credits

*"Samson and Delilah" (1949)
*"Cry Danger" (1951)
*"Phone Call from a Stranger" (1952)
*"We're Not Married!" (1952)
*"Forever, Darling" (1956)
*"TRON" (1982)

Awards and nominations

*1951 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Color ("Samson and Delilah", winner)
*1983 Academy Award for Best Costume Design ("TRON", nominee)
*1983 Saturn Award for Best Costumes ("TRON", winner)

References

External links

*imdb|0421784
* [http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-04-01-janssen-dies_x.htm "USA Today" obituary]
* [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117902146.html?categoryid=25&cs=1 "Variety" obituary]
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