By Dennis McCaslin -Today in Fort Smith
Archie Bunker's hat, Edith's signature sweater and Gloria Stivic's mini skirts were all the brainchild of an Arkansas-born woman who made her way to California with her family as a child and became one of the most costumers in the world of television and movies.
Rita Riggs was born September 2, 1930, in Lead Hill, then a booming mining town in a rural section of Boone County close to the Arkansas/Missouri border. Her parents were Almus Riggs and Ida V. Keeling Riggs, both Arkansas-born and bred. James was born in White County in 1902 and his wife, six years his senior, was born in 1896 in Lead Hill.
The couple had their first child in 1924, the year they were married, but the boy was stillborn. Theye waited six years before attempting to have another child and a daughter, Rita. was the result.
In 1941, while hundreds of Arkansans were making the trek to the Promised Land of California, James, tired of digging out a living from the bottom of a lead mine and buying all his goods from the company store, moved his small family to Los Angeles in 1943.
After graduating from Santa Ana High School in 1948, Rita attended Santa Ana College and the University of Arizona. It was at the University of Arizona where she honed her skills under the guidance of costumer Fairfax Proudfit Walkup in the drama department.
Riggs’ career took off when she landed a job at CBS Studios in 1954. She received a one-week internship and at the end of that week, she had impressed studio officials to the point they offered her a job. Her first assignment was for the variety show "Shower of Stars". This opportunity opened doors for her to work on other shows for CBS.
She worked on on “Climax!,” the live anthology show “Playhouse 90,” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Her association with Hitchcock resulted in her contributions to “Psycho” (1960), “The Birds” (1963), and “Marnie” (1964), often working under the legendary costume designer Edith Head.
Riggs’ impressive filmography includes collaborations with renowned directors such as John Frankenheimer (“Seconds,” 1966), Richard Lester (“Petulia,” 1968), Jacques Demy (“Model Shop,” 1969), Richard Brooks (“The Happy Ending,” 1969), William Friedkin (“Deal of the Century,” 1983), Peter Bogdanovich (“Texasville,” 1990), Franklin Schaffner (“Yes, Giorgio,” 1982), Mark Rydell (“Cinderella Liberty,” 1973), and Norman Lear (“Cold Turkey,” 1971).
For Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, Riggs also designed costumes for “Maude,” “Sanford & Son,” “Good Times,” “One Day at a Time,” and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” at her studio, The Loft, in Hollywood.
She famously transformed Sherman Hemsley’s character on “The Jeffersons” into a “dandy,” dressing him in conservative three-piece suits in unique colors.
Riggs also contributed to the sepia-toned “photo album” look of “All in the Family.”
Throughout her career, Riggs received numerous accolades. In 2003, she was honored with the Career Achievement Award in Television from the Costume Designers Guild2.
Her contributions to the industry were celebrated, and she left an indelible mark on Hollywood.
Rita Riggs passed away on June 5, 2017, in Los Angeles. She was buried in Olive Lawn Memorial Park, La Mirada, Los Angeles in a family plot next to her parents.
Riggs’ work continues to inspire and influence costume designers today, and her legacy in Hollywood remains unparalleled.
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