Mr. Blackwell
| Richard Blackwell | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Richard Sylvan Selzer August 29, 1922 Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York United States |
| Died | October 19, 2008 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation | Journalist, fashion critic, actor |
| Years active | 1938–1998 |
| Partner(s) | Robert Spencer |
Richard Blackwell (August 29, 1922 – October 19, 2008) was an American fashion critic, journalist, television and radio personality, artist, former child actor and former fashion designer, sometimes known just as Mr. Blackwell. He was the creator of the "Ten Worst Dressed Women List", an annual awards presentation he unveiled in January of each year. He published the "Fabulous Fashion Independents" list and an annual Academy Awards fashion review, both of which receive somewhat less media attention. His longtime companion, former Beverly Hills hairdresser Robert Spencer, managed him. He wrote two books, Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos and an autobiography, From Rags to Bitches.
Blackwell was born Richard Sylvan Selzer in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn to Henry Selzer, a working-class printer, and Eva Selzer, who were the American-born children of Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. He had one older brother. He claimed he was severely beaten by a stepfather, often sleeping in the alley beneath a fire escape with a broken bottle for protection rather than face further abuse. He told Howard Stern that as a 7-year-old boy, he had once had to beg for a quarter on the street so he could buy something to eat. His mother was frequently absent or drunk, and men would take him to a nearby alley and abuse him. He was scared, hungry, and did whatever he could to stay alive. He only went as far as the third grade in school.
When he was 11, he was raped by an adult at a boys' camp.
Blackwell began acting in theaters in his teens, appearing in the original 1935 Broadway production of Sidney Kingsley's Dead End. Relocating to the West Coast (where he studied with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney) he adopted the professional name "Dick Ellis" and played small parts in the movies. Between acting parts, he worked as a messenger at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, California. Howard Hughes then signed him to RKO and changed his name to Richard Blackwell. He returned to Broadway in 1944 for Catherine Was Great, which starred Mae West, but left acting to become a Hollywood agent. He discovered his talent for fashion design while making stage costumes for his clients.
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