Chuck Keehne(1914-2001)
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Costume Designer
St. Louis-born Chuck Keehne was the son of a railroad telegrapher, who
moved the family to Missouri when Chuck was about 10. After graduating
high school he moved to California, and soon found work on a
construction crew building movie sets. He was eventually hired by
Western Costume Co. as a costumer, and became an expert on historical
dress and costuming. He left Western Costume and went out on his own,
being hired as a costumer for such films as
The Fighting 69th (1940) and
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
His career was interrupted by a hitch in the Army Air Corps during World War II, where he served as a combat cameraman in the Pacific Theatre. After his discharge in 1946 he returned to the film business, and the following year he was hired by Walt Disney as a costumer. He also freelanced as a costumer on such films as Captain from Castile (1947) and Fort Apache (1948).
In 1955 he was made Chief of the Wardrobe Department at Disney. Up to that time Disney didn't have a Wardrobe Department, so Keehne had to set up the entire operation himself. He was assigned to create costumes for the studio's new childrens show, The Mickey Mouse Club (1955), and it was he who came up with the final design for the famous "ears" on the Mousketeers' caps.
Keehe stayed as head of Disney's Wardrobe Department until his retirement in 1979, during which time he created and designed costumes for such Disney series as Zorro (1957) and more than 70 feature films.
He died in Los Angeles, California, on February 24, 2001.
His career was interrupted by a hitch in the Army Air Corps during World War II, where he served as a combat cameraman in the Pacific Theatre. After his discharge in 1946 he returned to the film business, and the following year he was hired by Walt Disney as a costumer. He also freelanced as a costumer on such films as Captain from Castile (1947) and Fort Apache (1948).
In 1955 he was made Chief of the Wardrobe Department at Disney. Up to that time Disney didn't have a Wardrobe Department, so Keehne had to set up the entire operation himself. He was assigned to create costumes for the studio's new childrens show, The Mickey Mouse Club (1955), and it was he who came up with the final design for the famous "ears" on the Mousketeers' caps.
Keehe stayed as head of Disney's Wardrobe Department until his retirement in 1979, during which time he created and designed costumes for such Disney series as Zorro (1957) and more than 70 feature films.
He died in Los Angeles, California, on February 24, 2001.
