By OGTTM’s writer Patrice Aylward
Harold Crawford is one of the first African Americans to work behind the scenes in the wardrobe departments of major Hollywood studios, making him a pioneer in this field. The stars he has worked with include George C. Scott, Cicely Tyson, Richard Widmark, Laurence Fishburne, Jack Klugman, Louis Gossett Jr., Keanu Reeves, Robert Guillaume, Cuba Gooding Jr. and many others. As a costumer, Harold sources, organizes and maintains clothing and costumes, and dresses performers in film, television and theater. It’s a creative and detail-oriented profession well-suited to his imaginative and resourceful mindset.
Q. How did you get started in the field of costuming for film studios?
Harold Crawford:
Initially, my passion was fashion, and I studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. I thought I wanted to be a department store buyer until a young lady I was dating encouraged me to apply at the Paramount Studios wardrobe department. In 1969, I walked through the turnstile at Paramount and was accepted into a program designed to encourage faces of color behind the camera, and that was that.
I apprenticed at the four major studios, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount, learning something different at each one. When the apprenticeship was complete, I was hired by Universal Studios.
Q. Is there one movie you are most proud of that shows your work?
HC:
All of them because I really enjoy what I do! Each film requires a certain mindset, and I found doing the research, say for a particular time in history, to be fascinating. When I worked on “King” with Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield, I tried to relive that time period, look at everything Martin Luther King wore and how he wore it. And then pull the costumes to match.
Q. You were born in Palm Springs but moved to Cleveland to be closer to your wife’s family. How did moving to Ohio in 2005 change your career?
HC:
Actors fly in from everywhere in the country, and I thought, why don’t I do that? The move gave me a whole new perspective on my life and my career. It enabled me to reinvent myself. I flew back and forth, continued to work on several movies and in television, spending six months in Los Angeles and six months at home for several years.
I also connected with Karamu Theatre in Cleveland and then-artistic director Terrence Spivey, who invited me to be a costumer at Karamu, discovered me. I did theater in LA including “Phantom of the Opera” with Robert Guillaume in 1990. After moving to Cleveland, I’m now doing theater and film. Costuming is still my passion, watching costumes come to life on screen and now also on stage.
Q. What advice would you give to a young person interested in pursuing a career in costuming?
HC:
I encourage them to explore a school of fashion like Kent State University or a theater program such as Cleveland State University. There are a lot of small production movies being made out here. Work on those as a costumer apprentice. Approach a professional theater such as the Cleveland Play House and ask to work in their wardrobe department. Understand that when studios are on hiatus, so are you. Just know you may go on unemployment between jobs.
If you work at this craft, money will follow. Sometimes it will be a lot of money, sometimes a little money. But keep working the craft because the more you get your work out there, the more you build your resume. Make it your passion; that’s what matters. Without that, you won’t make it. It is a craft and it requires commitment and it isn’t always about the money.
Q. After 55 years as a costume professional, are you still working?
HC:
Yeah, I’m still here. I just finished working on an independent film (“The Last Shop on Walnut”) and I’m working with the Cleveland History Center on their upcoming exhibit, “Hollywood on the Cuyahoga.” It’s an honor and a privilege to be setting costume displays for exciting projects. I consider myself a fortunate man to still be active in this industry.
