Niagara (1953) was a Technicolor noir thriller directed by Henry Hathaway and filmed partly on location at Niagara Falls. It was one of Marilyn Monroe’s breakout starring roles, and the studio 20th Century Fox invested heavily in her screen presentation.
The wardrobe was designed by Dorothy Jeakins. Monroe’s most iconic look in the film is the form-fitting pink dress, which was deliberately chosen to emphasize her figure and establish her character (Rose Loomis) as a dangerous, sexually provocative woman. The costume tests show Monroe photographed in multiple dress options and colorways before the final selections were made, a standard studio practice to see how fabrics and colors read on Technicolor film stock.
Monroe’s platinum blonde hair was styled by studio hairdressers at Fox. The tests show slightly different styling approaches – waves, curl placement, and volume – to determine what would look best on camera and suit the character. Her look in Niagara is notably more overtly glamorous and “dangerous” than her earlier ingénue roles.
Niagara was a pivotal moment in Monroe’s career. Fox promoted the film heavily around her image, and the famous long walk scene, reportedly the longest walk ever filmed at the time, became iconic. The careful costume and hair testing reflects just how much the studio was beginning to recognize and cultivate her star power heading into Gentlemen Prefer Blondes later that same year.
