In 1977 I started to work at Western Costume Company for the amazing salary of $2.30 an hour. If I worked a little overtime, I could take home a little over a $100.00 for the week! I began of course in stock. For a period of about 6 months I made the daily rounds through the building putting away, shoes, shirts, belts, suits, hats, accessories, all kinds of specialty period costumes, including Roman Gladiators, 1930’s Gangsters, Chinese Robes, Space Suits, Pirates. Renaissance Courtiers, and on and on. By the end of 6 months I was supposed to know where everything was, so I could be elevated to become a costumer on the floor, therefore being able to help designers find what they needed for their film, television show, or commercial.
However, there was one place on either the 3rd floor that housed a whole wall full of boxes labeled, “The Story of Ruth”. Now “The Story of Ruth” was a film made in 1960 starring Stuart Whitman and Tom Tryon, it was one of the big screen epics based on a story from The Bible, that was very popular in the 60’s. Anyway it was a common little secret among the stock boys and costumers on the floor that if you could not find the proper place to restock a costume or accessory, one would just throw it in one of “The Story of Ruth” boxes.
After about a year at Western I had indeed been elevated to being a costumer on the floor, and was given a small office facing the parking lot. At the time there was a very famous exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art that was all the rage. The exhibit was “Tutankhamen” featuring sculptures, and artifacts from the famous Egyptian Pharaoh,
In honor of this grand exhibit, the costumers on the floor decided to create our own Egyptian themed extravaganza, by decorating our offices with exotic fabrics and costumes and accessories and giving it the title “Notukamen”. So I gathered a few bits and pieces to decorate my office, and I was particularly proud of this one unique gold lame piece, beautifully lined, that I draped over my window. A few days later, Al Nickel who headed the women’s department passed by my office and stood staring at the window I had decorated in absolute shock! He asked me if I knew what the piece was, I confessed I did not know. He said “ Young Man !!!, Those are Elizabeth Taylor’s Wings from “Cleopatra” !!!, I have been looking for those for months !!!, Where did you get them?” I told him I found them peeking out of a box marked “The Story of Ruth”.