With the alcohol fuelled fun of the Golden Globes behind them and the stiff old Oscars just a month away, the stars turned to the SAG Awards on Sunday night for another round of backslapping and merriment.

And while this poor cousin of the really glamorous events can’t lay claim to be the sexiest ceremony around, the 19th annual awards held at LA’s Shrine auditorium managed to at least plenty of red carpet inspiration.

Holding back the major frocks for the Oscars, the overriding trend was a wall of monochrome as seen on leading ladies Anne Hathaway, Julianne Moore and Claire Danes.

And it was a wise one to follow as the black and white gowns grabbed attention against the red carpet, while Jessica Chastain – who dressed in a similar red – almost disappeared.

Anne Hathaway and Nicole Kidman opted for dark and dramatic gowns; with the latter embracing the trend for midnight black.

Hathaway, who accepted the award for Best Supporting Actress, looked incredible in a prom style Giambattista Valli gown which used layers of diaphanous black material over a shorter skirt.

Pre-Raphaelite: Sofia Vergara sizzles in this stunning classic Donna Karan gown as she led the ladies in white

Whiter shade of pale: Naomi Watts in Marchesa, Kerry Washington in Rodarte, Jennifer Westfeldt and Jayma Mays in Georges Hobeika all opted for light dresses

Nicole’s embellished beauty was the handiwork of Vivienne Westwood, and added a punk edge to an otherwise polished look and used the now popular blue layering over black as its winning note.

The Australian looked like she was having a great time, larking around with director Tom Hooper on the red carpet and showing off her long slim legs in the split gown.

Meanwhile Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery flashed more flesh than her elegant on-screen alter ego with a gown which showed off a substantial amount of ‘side boob’.

Back to black: Naya Rivera in Donna Karan, Amy Poehler in Zuhair Murad, Elisabeth Moss in Dolce & Gabbana   and Clea DuVall in Gomez-Gracia all rocked obsidian dresses

Black magic: Julie Bowen gave texture to her noir Johanna Johnson number, while old school glamour pusses Jessica Lange in J. Mendel, Jane Lynch in David Meister Signature and Sigourney Weaver showed why black’s a flattering look for all ages; American Horror Story star Lange echoed Kidman’s midnight blue choice

Winter brights: Lea Michele in Valentino, Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco in Ramona Kaveeza and Freida Pinto in Roland Mouret all broke ranks with their Gothic sisters

Julianne Moore, who won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Movie Series for her portrayal of politician Sarah Palin in Game Change combined white, black and navy in her Chanel appliqué dress.

Looking stunning as always, the 52-year-old was one of the winners on the California carpet.

Combining the trend just as skilfully were January Jones, Julianna Margulies and Claire Danes, who won her award for Best Actress in a drama.

Blue for you: Jordin Sparks in Nicole Miller Atelier, Amanda Seyfried in Zac Posen and Marion Cotillard in Dior and Jennifer Lawrence in Dior all decided that blue is the colour

Funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler both stuck to classic black, Fey was outstanding in Oscar de la Renta.

And special mentions have to go out to Naomi Watts and Amanda Seyfried, who wore variations on the light and dark them by choosing lightest silver grey and a dark, dark blue.

Jessica Chastain looked stunning in a strapless scarlet Alexander McQueen dress which clashed with her long red hair.

However, she ended up leaving the ceremony empty handed after losing to Jennifer Lawrence for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Blonde ambition: Julia Stiles sported a stunning Amen Couture grey gown as she joined Jane Krakowski in KaufmanFranco peach and  Gretchen Mol in a simple forest green Calvin Klein frock

Different view: Danes, Washington and Dockery all showed off their svelte figures in their elegant dresses

Mary Poppins star Dick – who presented Mary Tyler Moore with the Lifetime Achievement award last year – was first married in 1948 to Margie Willett in a ceremony broadcast live on radio show ‘Bride and Groom’. They have four grown up children together, but divorced in 1984 after a long separation.

The actor also had a relationship with actress Michelle Triola from 1976 until her death from lung cancer in 2009.

Van Dyke and his new wife shared a chat and a photograph with Damian Lewis and his wife Helen McCrory on the carpet as they made their way into the ceremony.

 

Small screen stunners: Jessica Pare and Teyonnah Parris from Mad Men plumped for green and pink gowns, while Homeland star Morena Baccarin  and Glee’s Jenna Ushkowitz opted for black floor length dresses

 

The James Bond adventure Skyfall and the fantasy series Game of Thrones picked up prizes for best stunt work from the Screen Actors Guild.

The stunt honours were announced Sunday on the red carpet before the official SAG Awards ceremony, as stars were gathering for their guild’s big night.

JoBeth Williams and Scott Bakula announced the winners, noting the value of stunt players, who often are overlooked for their contributions to film and television.

Boys will boys: Bradley Cooper, Javier Bradem, Russell Crowe and Daniel Day-Lewis all scrubbed up nicely in black tie