1949—William Wyler, director—starring Olivia de Haviland, Montgomery Clift
The legendary Edith Head won her first Academy Award for Best Costume Design for The Heiress, the superlative 1949 adaptation of Henry James’s novel Washington Square. Head’s record eight Best Costume Design wins came out of a record 35 nominations, making her the most honoured woman, for both Oscar wins and nominations, in Academy history. She also holds the Guinness world record for the most credits for costume design: 432. The Oscar wins for The Heiress also included Best Actress (Olivia de Havilland—her second award) and Best Scoring (Aaron Copland).