# Anna Hill Johnstone

Anna Hill Johnstone (April 7, 1913 – October 16, 1992) was an American costume designer. Known for her collaborations with directors Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet and Frank Perry, she received two Academy Award nominations for her work on The Godfather (1972) and Ragtime (1981).
Johnstone's credits include East of Eden (1955), Baby Doll (1956), David and Lisa (1962), The Group (1966), The Godfather (1972), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Stepford Wives (1975), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and Running on Empty (1988).

## Early life

Johnstone was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. She studied at St. Catherine's School. In 1934, she graduated from Barnard College.

## Career

Johnstone got her start working on student productions at Barnard College, later becoming a seamstress for summer stock stage shows. Her first full credit for costume design was for the 1937 Broadway hit Having Wonderful Time. Her other stage productions included Bell, Book and Candle, Tea and Sympathy, and A Streetcar Named Desire.
In 1948, Johnstone made the move to working in films, obtaining her first costume design credit on Portrait of Jennie. She has been nominated for an Oscar twice for her work in costume design.

## Personal life

Johnstone was married to mechanical engineer Curville Jones Robinson from 1937 until his death in 1989.

## Death

Johnstone died on October 19, 1992, in a nursing home in Lenox, Massachusetts, after a long illness. She was 79 years old.

## Selected filmography

| Title | Year | Director | Notes |
| Portrait of Jennie | 1948 | William Dieterle | Assistant Costume Designer |
| On the Waterfront | 1954 | Elia Kazan | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| East of Eden | 1955 | Elia Kazan | Wardrobe Designed by |
| Baby Doll | 1956 | Elia Kazan | Wardrobe Designed by |
| A Face in the Crowd | 1957 | Elia Kazan | Costume Designer |
| Splendor in the Grass | 1961 | Elia Kazan | Costume Designer |
| David and Lisa | 1961 | Frank Perry | Costume Designer |
| America America | 1963 | Elia Kazan | Costume Designer |
| Ladybug, Ladybug | 1963 | Frank Perry | Costume Designer |
| Fail Safe | 1964 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Designer |
| Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster | 1965 | Robert Gaffney | Costume Designer |
| A Christmas Memory | 1966 | Frank Perry | Costume Designer |
| The Swimmer | 1968 | Frank Perry | Costume Designer |
| Alice's Restaurant | 1969 | Arthur Penn | Costume Designer |
| The Godfather | 1972 | Francis Ford Coppola | Costume Designer |
| Serpico | 1973 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Designer |
| The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | 1974 | Joseph Sargent | Costume Designer |
| The Stepford Wives | 1975 | Bryan Forbes | Costume Designer |
| Dog Day Afternoon | 1975 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Designer |
| The Last Tycoon | 1976 | Elia Kazan | Costume Designer |
| The Wiz | 1978 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Coordinator |
| King of the Gypsies | 1978 | Frank Pierson | Costume Designer |
| Ragtime | 1981 | Miloš Forman | Costume Designer |
| The Verdict | 1982 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Designer |
| Garbo Talks | 1984 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Designer |
| Running on Empty | 1988 | Sidney Lumet | Costume Designer |

## Awards and nominations

| Institution | Category | Year | Work | Result |
| Academy Awards | Best Costume Design | 1973 | The Godfather | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Costume Design | 1982 | Ragtime | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | Best Costume Design | 1973 | The Godfather | Nominated |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | Hall of Fame | 2006 | — | Won |