William Holden in The Towering Inferno (1974)
Vitals
William Holden as James Duncan, commercial real estate developer
San Francisco, Summer 1974
Film: The Towering Inferno
Release Date: December 14, 1974
Director: John Guillermin
Costume Designer: Paul Zastupnevich
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Born 107 years ago today on April 17, 1918, charismatic actor William Holden was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s with landmark performances in Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Sabrina (1954), and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).
Though his screen presence continued into the next decade, Holden revitalized his career as the grizzled lead in Sam Peckinpah’s violent revisionist Western The Wild Bunch (1969), which led to several prominent roles through the 1970s—including Clint Eastwood’s artful romance Breezy (1973) and his final Oscar-nominated turn in Sidney Lumet’s media satire Network (1976).
Between those films, Holden joined the star-studded ensemble of The Towering Inferno (1974), Irwin Allen’s fiery follow-up to The Poseidon Adventure that earned eight Academy Award nominations—including Best Picture. And what better way to celebrate this fire-sign icon’s April 17th birthday than spotlighting his standout wardrobe in a disaster epic that quite literally turns up the Aries heat?
Set on the Fourth of July in San Francisco, the action unfolds among the 138 stories of the fictional Glass Tower—billed as the tallest building in the world at nearly a third of a mile high.
Holden stars as James Duncan, the skyscraper’s ambitious developer, hosting a lavish dedication party on the 135th floor when the titular fire breaks out. Desperate to impress Senator Gary Parker (Robert Vaughn) for a new contract, Duncan initially resists evacuation after architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) warns him of the danger—until SFFD battalion chief Michael O’Halloran (Steve McQueen) makes the call for everyone to get out.
What’d He Wear?
Pittsburgh-born costume designer Paul Zastupnevich returned after his Oscar-nominated work on Irwin Allen’s The Poseidon Adventure to dress The Towering Inferno’s cast—outfitting everyone from gala guests to firefighters.
In step with the flashier trends of mid-1970s formalwear, most of the male characters wear creative spins on black tie—from Richard Chamberlain’s brown velvet jacket with a ruffled shirt to Robert Wagner’s bold blue tuxedo. Only Robert Vaughn’s Senator Parker and Fred Astaire’s Harlee Claiborne stick to classic black tuxedos, though even their looks are touched with distinguishing flair.
As James Duncan, William Holden commands the screen in a show-stopping and sharply tailored dinner jacket made from moiré silk in a rich crimson-red. Often described as “watered silk”, moiré is characterized by its rippling, wavy finish—a result of the calendering process that gives the fabric a flame-like sheen, in this case foreshadowing the predicament of Duncan and his guests. His wide Parisian-style cran necker lapels—including the collar—are fully faced in a contrasting black satin silk, matching the hip pocket flaps and button coverings. These fashionably broad lapels and the jacket’s long double vents concede to trends of 1970s tailoring without yielding to excess. The sleeves are finished with three cuff-buttons, also covered in black satin to match the two buttons on the front.
Though the fancy silk suiting and context clearly distinguish this as a dinner jacket, it follows the design of business tailoring with its two-button front, flapped hip pockets, and long double vents.
In contrast to the brash fabric of Duncan’s dinner jacket, Holden sports a more subdued evening shirt than the frills worn by his co-stars Chamberlain and Vaughn. The white cotton shirt has a narrow-pleated front, flanking the placket that Duncan wears with three black spherical studs showing above the waistline. He fastens the squared double (French) cuffs with ornate gold rectangular links that each frame a black center stone.
Only the shirt’s long point collar nods to ’70s fashion, though it harmonizes with the width of Duncan’s lapels and his oversized butterfly-shaped black satin bow tie.
Duncan anchors the look with solid black trousers, though these appear not to be traditional formal trousers as they lack the usual silk galon down each side seam. These flat-front trousers are otherwise appropriate for black tie with their self-suspended waistband (no belt) and plain-hemmed bottoms. The slight flare through the bottoms aligns with ’70s fashion and complements the overall silhouette. Black cotton lisle socks continue the leg-lines into Duncan’s plain black calf leather loafers. The lack of a waist covering like a cummerbund or waistcoat maintain the lessened formality of his creative approach to black tie.
Middle-aged though he may be, Duncan’s style proves he hasn’t lost touch with the times. This is evident not only in his evening wear but also in his accessories—particularly his eyeglasses: square-shaped with thick black plastic frames, detailed by two silver hinge pins on the front of each temple and three pins in a rearward “V” along the wide arms.
How to Get the Look
William Holden with Faye Dunaway and Jennifer Jones during a promotional shoot for The Towering Inferno (1974)
In The Towering Inferno, William Holden’s red moiré dinner jacket shows how to turn up the heat in black tie—daring but dignified, it’s ideal for anyone expanding beyond the basics with style still intact.
- Crimson-red moiré silk single-breasted 2-button dinner jacket with black satin silk-faced collar and cran necker lapels, black satin silk-flapped straight hip pockets, black silk-covered 3-button cuffs, and long double vents
- White cotton evening shirt with long point collar, narrow-pleated front and placket, and squared double/French cuffs
- Black studs
- Gold ornate rectangular cuff links with black center stones
- Black satin silk larger butterfly-shaped bow tie
- Black flat-front trousers with beltless waistband and subtly flared plain-hemmed bottoms
- Black calf leather loafers
- Black cotton lisle socks
- Black square-framed eyeglasses
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie.
The Quote
We’ve got a fire. And if it was caused by anything you did, I’m going to hang you out to dry and then I’m going to hang you!
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