Male and Female

USA, 1919. Director Cecil B. DeMille. 97min.

DeMille typically inserted into his modern-day narratives exotic episodes, so-called ‘visions’, that provided seductive fantasy escape and featured climactic costuming. In the film’s notorious dream sequence Gloria Swanson dramatically enters into a lions’ den kitted out in a lavish all-white robe and headdress made of pearls, beads and peacock feathers. The show-stopping outfit was designed by Mitchell Leisen and executed by an entire crew of seamstresses. It was reportedly so heavy that Swanson required the assistance of two members of the crew to move around the set.

With Gloria Swanson and Thomas Meighan.
Costume design by Clare West, Mitchell Leisen and Paul Iribe.

Past screenings

Birds of Paradise – London
Friday 3 December 2010, 18:20 | BFI Southbank, NFT2
Friday 10 December 2010, 20:40 | BFI Southbank, NFT2
With live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney.

Birds of Paradise – New York
Saturday 16 April 2011, 17:00 | Museum of the Moving Image