STYLE : FASHION : A Fitting Tribute

For years, movie buffs have tried--and failed--to build a monument to the clothes their favorite stars wore on screen. This summer, two Los Angeles makeup artists finally succeeded. Ken Horn and Don Ling opened the Hollywood Movie Costume Museum, featuring Horn’s personal collection of 50 costumes and pieces borrowed from other collectors.

Although the museum at 6630 Hollywood Blvd. isn’t the definitive exhibition--Debbie Reynolds would earn that distinction if she ever puts her collection on display--it’s definitely a spunky assemblage of old and new movie costumes and accessories. “I began collecting old costumes because I loved the way things were made in the ‘20s and ‘30s,” says Horn, who buys garments at auctions and from resale shops that can document authenticity.

Visitors, however, relate better to modern memorabilia. “The public is young, and they’re driven by the new movies,” Horn says. “Hollywood Boulevard tourists know Jason better than Bette Davis.” So Horn accommodates them with Jason’s mask from a “Friday the 13th” sequel; Freddy Krueger’s sweater, hat and glove from a “Nightmare on Elm Street” sequel, and items from “Dick Tracy,” “Ghost,” “Die Hard 2” and “Thelma & Louise.”

Most magnificent is the rhinestone-studded silk satin gown Luise Rainer wore in the 1936 musical “The Great Ziegfeld,” shown here. But it isn’t the most expensive piece. That honor goes to the rather plain tunic and robe Charlton Heston wore in--what else?--”Ben Hur.”