My sister recently sent me a link to this interesting website, it’s called ‘Recycled Movie Costumes’ and it’s dedicated to – you guessed it – documenting recycled movie costumes!
If you select the Tudor/Elizabethan period from the drop down menu then you will find photos of costumes that have appeared in one production and then went on to be used in another.
Genevieve Bujold in Anne of a Thousand Days
For example, this beautiful yellow gown that was created for the film Anne of a Thousand Days in 1969, and worn by Genevieve Bujold as Anne Boleyn, was later used in 1977 in a film called Crossed Swords and worn by the actress playing the role of Katherine Parr.
Another costume seen on Peter Jeffrey in his role as Phillip II of Spain in the 1971 film Elizabeth R. was later worn by Steve Waddington as the Duke of Buckingham in The Tudors!
According to the site’s owner, many of the gowns from the movie Shakespeare in Love were used in The Tudors.
There are many more interesting examples to look through and the owner is more than happy for readers to submit their recycled movie costume ‘sightings’.
Have you spotted any yet?
In The Virgin Queen with Anne-Marie Duff, the red dress she wears when she is dancing with Robert Dudley had been used in The Tudors, Anne wears it at one point and Joss Stone also wears it as Anne of Cleves.