Biography
Leah Rhodes (1902–1986) was an American costume designer. Born Leah Margaret Montgomery in Port Arthur, Texas, she began her career as a window dresser before moving to California in 1926. She joined the Warner Bros. wardrobe department, where she worked as a buyer and shopper and later became chief assistant to Orry-Kelly.
When Orry-Kelly enlisted in the army during the Second World War, Rhodes took over design duties on several productions, including Bette Davis’s wardrobe for Old Acquaintance. She received solo or shared screen credit on Warner Bros. films such as The Big Sleep (1946), Key Largo (1948) and White Heat (1949). In 1950 she shared the Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Colour) for Adventures of Don Juan (1949) with Marjorie Best and Travilla.
Rhodes remained at Warners until the early 1950s, then worked at Universal and Paramount and designed for television and stage productions, including a Broadway collaboration with Edith Head. Her final film credit was Rio Lobo (1970).
