There’s a nice short piece in the Los Angeles Times today, by Paul Davidson, which focuses on costume designer Bernie Pollack (yes, brother of multi-hyphenate Sydney) and his work for the forthcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Not surprisingly, the film presented some unique challenges. “The last film was made 18 years ago,” says Pollack. “Everybody that worked on it was out of business. The hat maker was gone. The costumer was gone. So I had to start from scratch. I had to find fabric, find people who could make it. I mean, I’m making an iconic movie. He has got to look as good or better than in the other films in the series. If he looks less than that, I’m an ass.”
All’s well that ends well, of course, and eventually Pollack found his perfectly distressed archaeologist gear, he claims. Of course, as insurance against damage from water, fire, dirt, blood (fake and otherwise), stunts and anything else that might happen, Pollack wanted to play it safe and order in bulk, and the not-quite-cash-strapped production was happy to oblige. The final tally for Harrison Ford’s character: 30 identical fedoras, 30 leather jackets, 60 pairs of khaki pants and 72 shirts.