Cedric Gibbons

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Austin Cedric Gibbons (born March 23, 1893 in Dublin , Ireland , † July 26, 1960 in Hollywood , Los Angeles ) was one of the most famous American art directors . As a founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , he designed the Oscar sculpture . Between 1929 and 1956 he was awarded this prize a total of eleven times.

Career

Cedric Gibbons studied architecture at New York's Art Students League and then worked for his father, who was also an architect. In 1915 he began his film career as an art director as an assistant to Hugo Ballin at Edison Studios . In 1918 he switched to Metro, which merged with two other studios to form MGM in 1924. He stayed at MGM until the end of his career, where he became one of the most important production designers in the entire film industry.

In 1924 he became the studio's senior art director, a position he held for 32 years. During this time he was involved in over 1,500 MGM films. His contract promised him that he would be named as chief art director on every film, regardless of how large his involvement in the film was. Over the years he was largely responsible for the MGM look with opulent decorations. For costume films, original furnishings from the respective epochs were often used. In 1934, Gibbons also directed the adventure film Tarzan's Retaliation .

His brother Eliot Gibbons was a screenwriter and his wife Irene was head of MGM's costume department after Gilbert Adrian left . Cedric Gibbons was first married to the Mexican actress Dolores del Río . His second wife Hazel Brooks was also an actress.

Filmography (selection)

Awards

Cedric Gibbons had a special relationship with the Oscar. Not only was he one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that awards the prizes, but he was also the one who designed the sculpture. He himself was nominated 39 times for an Oscar during his career, which means a record in his category ( Best Production Design ). He has won the trophy eleven times.

Multiple nominations in one year are partly due to the distinction made since 1941 between production design for black and white film and for color films. Very often a whole team worked on the nominated films, so that several art directors, including Gibbons, were nominated for their joint work at the same time.

Won for his work on the following films:

  • 1929: The Bridge of San Luis Rey ( The Bridge of San Luis Rey )
  • 1934: The Merry Widow ( The Merry Widow )
  • 1940: Pride and Prejudice (Best Black and White Film Design)
  • 1941: Blossoms In the Dust (Best Color Film Production Design)
  • 1944: The House of Lady Alquist ( Gaslight ) (Best Black and White Film Design)
  • 1946: The Yearling ( The Yearling ) (Best Production Design for Color Film)
  • 1949: Little Brave Jo ( Little Women ) (Best Production Design for Color Film)
  • 1951: An American in Paris ( An American in Paris ) (Best Art Direction color film)
  • 1952: City of Illusions ( The Bad and the Beautiful ) (Best Black and White Film Design)
  • 1953: Julius Caesar (best black and white film set designer)
  • 1956: Somebody Up There Likes Me (Best Black and White Film Production Design)

Nominated for his work on the following films:

  • 1933: When Ladies Meet
  • 1936: Romeo and Juliet ( Romeo and Juliet )
  • 1936: The Great Ziegfeld ( The Great Ziegfeld )
  • 1937: Maria Walewska ( Conquest )
  • 1938: Marie-Antoinette ( Marie Antoinette )
  • 1939: The Wizard of Oz ( The Wizard of Oz )
  • 1940: Bitter Sweet
  • 1941: When Ladies Meet (Best Black and White Film Production Design)
  • 1942: Found Years ( Random Harvest ) (Best Black and White Film Design)
  • 1943: Madame Curie (best black and white film production designer)
  • 1943: Thousands Cheer (Best Color Film Production Design)
  • 1944: The Caliph of Baghdad ( Kismet ) (Best Color Film Production Design)
  • 1944: Little Girl, Big Heart ( National Velvet ) (best production design for color film)
  • 1945: The Picture of Dorian Gray (Best Black and White Film Production Design)
  • 1949: Madame Bovary and her lovers ( Madame Bovary ) (best black and white film design)
  • 1950: Schicksal in Wien ( The Red Danube ) (best black and white film design)
  • 1950: Duel in der Manege ( Annie Get Your Gun ) (Best Production Design Color Film)
  • 1951: Too Young to Kiss (Best Color Film Production Design)
  • 1951: Quo Vadis? ( Quo Vadis ) (Best Production Design Color Film)
  • 1952: The Merry Widow ( The Merry Widow ) (Best Art Direction color film)
  • 1953: Lili (best production design color film)
  • 1953: was it great love? ( The Story of Three Loves ) (Best Production Design for Color Film)
  • 1953: The Heir to the Throne ( Young Bess ) (Best Color Film Production Design)
  • 1954: Brigadoon (best production design color film)
  • 1954: Die Intriganten ( Executive Suite ) (Best color film, black and white film)
  • 1955: And tomorrow I'll cry ( I'll Cry Tomorrow ) (Best production design color film)
  • 1955: The Seed of Violence ( Blackboard Jungle ) (Best Black and White Film Design)
  • 1956: Vincent van Gogh - A life in passion ( Lust for Life ) (Best production design for color film)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gibbons, Cedric
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gibbons, Austin Cedric (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American art director
DATE OF BIRTH March 23, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Dublin , Ireland
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1960
Place of death Hollywood , Los Angeles