A Veronica Lake dress from This Gun For Hire
Paramount Pictures, 1942. Designed by Edith Head. Black jersey long-sleeved dress consisting of a neckline with a hand-sewn design of gold sequins, beads, and metallic thread embroidery resembling a necklace, with padded shoulders and a front pleat skirt, bearing a blue-lettered "Paramount Pictures" label inscribed, "Lake," and "W-28PAR" and "PAR" handwritten in white ink on either side of the lining of the back collar. At the peak of her fame as a foil to Alan Ladd in this film noir, the diminutive 4'11" Lake was a powerhouse at the box office. This Gun for Hire was their most successful pairing, with Ladd playing a hardboiled hit man whom Lake befriends amidst an investigation. It is considered one of the most important films of the early film noir genre, with Lake bringing added allure via her "peek-a-boo" hairstyle, which was copied by women all over the world. Designer Edith Head achieved a 43-year career at Paramount Pictures and was the most requested designer by female stars. The understated elegance of her memorable and oft-copied style is evident in this creation. Lake was even photographed wearing the dress at Hollywood nightclubs and personal appearances. Accompanied by a DVD of the film and 2 photos of Lake wearing the dress.