Every stain a story: The many dirty undershirts of John McClane in Die Hard | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 4, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 2052-4013
  • E-ISSN: 2052-4021

Abstract

Men’s upper body underwear and the depiction of grime, dirt and blood on costumes have a long tradition in Hollywood films. This article explores the 34 undershirts worn by Bruce Willis and his stuntman in the 1988 action film from the points of view of the maker, designer, actor, curator and spectator. The image of McClane and the undershirt became iconic in their depiction of a white, working-class, heroic masculinity. One of the many undershirts used in the film was donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Culture costume collection. This one artefact and the 33 ‘lost’ doubles hold more clues to the undershirt’s past than the obvious connection to a major star; the exhibited object also brings the viewer into physical proximity with the art of Hollywood filmmaking. This article queries the different ‘authenticities’ of the garment, from its material believability as evidence of the character’s progression through the film, to its cultural signification legitimized by the perspectives of the makers and audiences, to its role as artefact authenticated by the museum and/or viewer. Analysis is correspondingly divided into costume in context, costume in production, costume as film image and costume as artefact.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/scp_00004_1
2019-12-01
2024-04-18
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abele, E.. ( 2002;), ‘ Assuming a true identity: Re-/de-constructing Hollywood heroes. ’, Journal of American & Comparative Cultures, 25:3&4, pp. 44754.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Appadurai, A.. ( 1996), Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization, Minneapolis:: University of Minnesota Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Ardis, A., and Bauer, D. M.. ( 1991;), ‘ “Just the fax, ma’am”: Male sentimentality in the Die Hard films. ’, Arizona Quarterly: A Journal of American Literature, Culture, and Theory, 47:2, pp. 11729.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Avildsen, J. G.. ( 1976), Rocky, USA:: Chartoff-Winkler Productions;.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Barbieri, D.. ( 2017), Costume in Performance: Materiality, Culture, and the Body, London:: Bloomsbury Academic;.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Barthes, R.. ( 1983), The Fashion System, New York:: Hill and Wang;.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Beaumont, H.. ( 1931), Dance, Fools, Dance, USA:: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer;.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Bowers, D. B., and Lintelman, R.. ( 2017;), Personal interview on 21 February at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. , Washington; [interview by U. Dierker].
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Bruzzi, S.. ( 1997), Undressing Cinema: Clothing and Identity in the Movies, London:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Butler, J.. ( 1988;), ‘ Performative acts and gender constitutions: An essay in phenomenology and Feminist theory. ’, Theatre Journal, 40:4, pp. 51931.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Cohen, R.. ( 2002), XXx, USA:: Revolution Studios;.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Cole, S.. ( 2018), The Story of Men’s Underwear, New York:: Parkstone International;.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Cousins, J.. ( 2008), Unstitching the 1950s Film à Costumes: Hidden Designers, Hidden Meanings, Exeter:: University of Exeter;.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Dean, S. E.. ( 2016;), ‘ Where is the body in the costume design process?. Studies in Costume & Performance, 1:1, pp. 97111.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Donaldson, L. F.. ( 2014), Texture in Film, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Emmerich, R.. ( 2013), White House Down, USA:: Columbia Pictures;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Flanagan, M.. ( 2004;), ‘ “Get ready for rush hour”: The chronotope in action. ’ in Y. Tasker. (ed.), The Action and Adventure Cinema, London, England:: Routledge;, pp. 10318.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Friedkin, W.. ( 1980), Cruising, USA:: Lorimar Film Entertainment;.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Hauser, K.. ( 2004;), ‘ A garment in the dock or, how the FBI illuminated the prehistory of a pair of denim jeans. ’, Journal of Material Culture, 9:3, pp. 293313.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Irsigler, I.. ( 2014;), ‘ Cowboy John McClane: Traditionsbezuege und Wertediskurs. in Die Hard’, in G. Lungershausen, and W. Strank. (eds), Actionkino: moderne Klassiker des populären Films, Berlin:: Bertz + Fischer;, pp. 8094.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Jeffords, S.. ( 1993;), ‘ Can masculinity be terminated?. ’ in S. Cohan, and I. R. Hark. (eds), Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema, London:: Routledge;, pp. 24561.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Joyce, R.. ( 2013;), ‘ When is authentic? Situating authenticity in the itineraries of objects. ’, in L. V. Broekhoven, and A. Geurds. (eds), Creating Authenticity: Authentication Processes in Ethnographic Museums, Leiden:: Sidestone Press;, pp. 3958.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Kazan, E.. ( 1951), A Streetcar Named Desire, USA:: Charles K. Feldman Group;.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Kopytoff, I.. ( 1986;), ‘ The cultural biography of things: Commoditization as process. ’ in A. Appadurai. (ed.), The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 6492.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Kotcheff, T.. ( 1982), First Blood, USA:: Anabasis N.V.;
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Landis, D. N.. ( 2003), Scene and Not Heard: The Role of Costume in the Cinematic Storytelling Process, London:: The Royal College of Art;.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Landis, D. N.. ( 2012), Hollywood Costume, London:: Victoria & Albert Museum;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Lees, D.. ( 2016;), ‘ Cinema and authenticity: Anxieties in the making of historical film. ’, Journal of Media Practice, 17:2&3, pp. 199212.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Leonard, R. Z.. ( 1933), Dancing Lady, USA:: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer;.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Lin, J.. ( 2011), Fast Five, USA:: Universal Pictures;.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Lucas, G.. ( 1973), American Graffiti, USA:: Universal Pictures;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Maeder, E.. ( 1987), Hollywood and History: Costume Design in Film, Los Angeles:: Los Angeles County Museum of Art;.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Marks, L.U.. ( 2000), The Skin of the Film: Intercultural Cinema, Embodiment, and the Senses, Durham:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Mulvey, L.. ( 1975;), ‘ Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. ’, Screen, 16:3, pp. 618.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Penn, A.. ( 1967), Bonnie and Clyde, USA:: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts;.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Ray, N.. ( 1955), Rebel Without a Cause, USA:: Warner Brothers;.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Salih, S.. ( 2009;), ‘ Cinematic authenticity-effects and medieval art: A paradox. ’, in A. Bernau, and B. Bildhauer. (eds), Medieval Film, Manchester:: Manchester University Press;, pp. 2039.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Saussure, F. de. ( 1959), Course in General Linguistics, New York:: Philosophical Library;.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Sawchuck, K.. ( 1987;), ‘ A tale of inscription/fashion statements. ’, Canadian Journal of Politics and Social Theory, XI:1&2, pp. 5167.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Tasker, Y.. ( 2015), The Hollywood Action and Adventure Film: New Approaches to Film Genre, Chichester:: Wiley Blackwell;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Vance, M.. ( 2017;), Telephone interview. , 6 March, Toronto, Canada: [interview by U. Dierker].
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Wilkinson, C., and Mallinson, A.. ( 2014;), ‘ Making time: A conversation on aging film costumes | drain magazine. ’, Drain, 11:2, http://drainmag.com/making-time-a-conversation-on-aging-film-costumes/. Accessed 9 November 2015.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Zywietz, B.. ( 2016), Terrorismus im Spielfilm: eine filmwissenschaftliche Untersuchung über Konflikte, Genres und Figuren , Wiesbaden:: Springer VS;.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Dierker, U. A. Georg. ( 2019;), ‘ Every stain a story: The many dirty undershirts of John McClane in Die Hard. ’, Studies in Costume & Performance, 4:2, pp. 193205, doi: 10.1386/scp_00004_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/scp_00004_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/scp_00004_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): ageing costumes; body; costume design; material; performance; textile artist
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error