Robert Fletcher obit

Robert Fletcher, ‘Star Trek’ Film Costume Designer, Dies at 98

Three-time Tony nominee also worked as a producer with Noel Coward, Orson Welles and Liza Minnelli

 He was not on the list.

Robert Fletcher, a prolific costume designer who worked on the original four “Star Trek” films and had a long career in theater, has died. He was 98.

Fletcher died peacefully in Kansas City, Mo., on April 5. No cause of death was provided.

Robert “Bob” Fletcher worked as a costume designer for over six decades, crafting the iconic look of the Klingons and the Vulcans in the original “Star Trek” movies, starting with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979. His last feature film was “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” in 1986, and he’s credited with imagining the “monster maroon” Starfleet uniforms worn by William Shatner and company.

Fletcher was born in August 1922 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His father was actor Leon Ames. As of 2018, Fletcher lived in Kansas City, Missouri with his husband Broadway dancer Jack Kauflin. He died there in April 2021 at the age of 98. Kauflin predeceased him.

After the semester in Iowa, Fletcher moved to New York City and worked as an actor, appearing in Ethel Barrymore's last show, Embezzled Heaven. He lived in a cold-water flat with artist Ruth Russell. They had an active social life Fletcher described as "an almost constant state of party", entertaining figures including novelists Gore Vidal and Anais Nin, dramatist Tennessee Williams, and musician Lead Belly.

In 1960, Fletcher designed costumes for The Tempest in Stratford, Connecticut starring Katharine Hepburn at the American Shakespeare Theatre.

His work in New York extended into television; in the 1950s he was NBC's "general designer". In 1989, Fletcher moved to Taos, New Mexico, intending to retire, but ended up staying active doing design for Bollywood movies and other projects in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including taking on commissions from one of his former assistants to do design work for HBO's Rome and the Game of Thrones television series. Fletcher's design archives have been donated to Harvard.

Fletcher had a long association with the science fiction franchise Star Trek. He served as costume designer for the first four Star Trek feature films — Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home.

Costume Designer

Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

7.3

Costume Designer

1986

 

North & South: Book 2, Love & War (1986)

North & South: Book 2, Love & War

8.0

TV Mini Series

Costume Designer

1986

6 episodes

 

Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, Chris Sarandon, Stephen Geoffreys, William Ragsdale, and Jonathan Stark in Fright Night (1985)

Fright Night

7.1

Costume Designer

1985

 

Lance Guest in The Last Starfighter (1984)

The Last Starfighter

6.7

Costume Designer

1984

 

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Merritt Butrick, and Robin Curtis in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

6.6

Costume Designer

1984

 

The Powers of Matthew Star (1982)

The Powers of Matthew Star

6.1

TV Series

Costume Designer (as Bob Fletcher)

1983

1 episode

 

Kirstie Alley, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

7.7

Costume Designer

1982

 

Dennis Quaid, Barbara Bach, Shelley Long, John Matuszak, and Ringo Starr in Caveman (1981)

Caveman

5.8

Costume Designer

1981

 

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and Persis Khambatta in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

6.4

Costume Designer (as Bob Fletcher)

1979

 

Best of the Dean Martin Show (1979)

Best of the Dean Martin Show

7.8

TV Special

Costume Designer

1979

 

The Taming of the Shrew (1976)

The Taming of the Shrew

8.8

TV Movie

Costume Designer

1976

 

Dean Martin in Dean's Place (1976)

Dean's Place

TV Special

Costume Designer

1976

 

Dean's Place (1975)

Dean's Place

6.4

TV Special

Costume Designer

1975

 

The Lady's Not for Burning (1974)

The Lady's Not for Burning

8.6

TV Movie

Costume Designer

1974

 

The Dean Martin Show (1965)

The Dean Martin Show

8.1

TV Series

Costume Designer

1971–1974

5 episodes

 

The Scarecrow (1972)

The Scarecrow

7.0

TV Movie

Costume Designer

1972

 

Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase in The Hollywood Palace (1964)

The Hollywood Palace

8.1

TV Series

Costume Designer

1967–1969

43 episodes

 

The Second Bill Cosby Special

TV Special

Costume Designer (as Bob Fletcher)

1969

 

A Family Thing (1968)

A Family Thing

9.1

TV Special

Costume Designer

1968

 

The Bing Crosby Show (1968)

The Bing Crosby Show

7.2

TV Special

Costume Designer

1968

 

ABC Stage 67 (1966)

ABC Stage 67

7.3

TV Series

Costume Designer

1966

1 episode

 

Music with Mary Martin

TV Special

Costume Designer

1959

 

Eddie Bracken, Alice Ghostley, Dennis Olivieri, and Tirrell Barbery in General Motors 50th Anniversary Show (1957)

General Motors 50th Anniversary Show

TV Special

Costume Designer

1957

 

Producers' Showcase (1954)

Producers' Showcase

7.2

TV Series

Costume Designer

1957

2 episodes

 

Buddy Hackett in Stanley (1956)

Stanley

4.3

TV Series

Costume Designer

1956

2 episodes

 

NBC Television Opera Theatre (1949)

NBC Television Opera Theatre

4.7

TV Series

Costume Designer

1955

1 episode

 

Art Director

Dean Martin in The Dean Martin Christmas Special (1980)

The Dean Martin Christmas Special

9.3

TV Special

Art Director

1980

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Joe Namath (1979)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Joe Namath

5.8

TV Special

Art Director

1979

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Suzanne Somers (1978)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Suzanne Somers

6.9

TV Special

Art Director

1978

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Betty White (1978)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Betty White

7.5

TV Special

Art Director

1978

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: George Burns (1978)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: George Burns

8.0

TV Special

Art Director

1978

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jimmy Stewart (1978)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jimmy Stewart

8.3

TV Special

Art Director

1978

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jack Klugman (1978)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jack Klugman

7.9

TV Special

Art Director

1978

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dan Haggerty

7.0

TV Special

Art Director

1977

 

Dean Martin and Peter Marshall in Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Peter Marshall (1977)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Peter Marshall

7.2

TV Special

Art Director

1977

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Ted Knight

7.3

TV Special

Art Director

1977

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Angie Dickinson (1977)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Angie Dickinson

7.6

TV Special

Art Director

1977

 

Dean Martin and Redd Foxx in Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Redd Foxx (1976)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Redd Foxx

7.7

TV Special

Art Director

1976

 

NBC: The First Fifty Years (1976)

NBC: The First Fifty Years

7.8

TV Movie

Art Director

1976

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Joe Garagiola

6.8

TV Special

Art Director

1976

 

Dennis Weaver in Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dennis Weaver (1976)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dennis Weaver

7.5

TV Special

Art Director

1976

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dean Martin (1976)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Dean Martin

8.7

TV Special

Art Director

1976

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Muhammad Ali (1976)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Muhammad Ali

8.1

TV Special

Art Director

1976

 

Dean Martin in Dean's Place (1976)

Dean's Place

TV Special

Art Director

1976

 

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Valerie Harper (1975)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Valerie Harper

7.9

TV Special

Art Director

1975

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Evel Knievel (1975)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Evel Knievel

7.6

TV Special

Art Director

1975

 

Dean's Place (1975)

Dean's Place

6.4

TV Special

Art Director

1975

 

Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. in Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Sammy Davis Jr. (1975)

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Sammy Davis Jr.

8.1

TV Special

Art Director

1975

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jackie Gleason (1975)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jackie Gleason

8.1

TV Special

Art Director

1975

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Lucille Ball (1975)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Lucille Ball

8.4

TV Special

Art Director

1975

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Telly Savalas (1974)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Telly Savalas

8.0

TV Special

Art Director

1974

 

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Bob Hope (1974)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Bob Hope

8.2

TV Special

Art Director

1974

 

Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1948)

Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall

7.5

TV Series

Art Director

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

Costume Department

George Takei, James Cawley, and John M. Kelley in Star Trek Phase II (2004)

Star Trek Phase II

6.8

TV Series

costume designer: movie era uniforms

2007

1 episode

 

Space (1985)

Space

7.3

TV Mini Series

spacesuits reproduced by

1985

2 episodes

 

a.k.a. Pablo (1984)

a.k.a. Pablo

6.2

TV Series

costumer

1984

2 episodes

 

Jason Robards and Stella Stevens in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

The Ballad of Cable Hogue

7.2

costumes: Miss Stevens

1970

 

The Bell Telephone Hour (1959)

The Bell Telephone Hour

8.0

TV Series

costumes

costumer

1964–1966

9 episodes

 

Once Upon a Christmas Time

6.8

TV Movie

costumer (as Bob Fletcher)

1959

 

Startime (1959)

Startime

6.3

TV Series

costumer

1959

1 episode

 

Buddy Hackett in Stanley (1956)

Stanley

4.3

TV Series

costumer

costumes

1956

4 episodes