Cedric Gibbons
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)
- 1924: Greed ( Greed )
- 1925: Ben Hur
- 1925: The Unholy Three ( The Unholy Three )
- 1926: Demon Woman ( The Temptress )
- 1926: It was ( Flesh and the Devil )
- 1927: The Heartbeat of the World ( The Enemy )
- 1928: A shameless woman ( A Woman of Affairs )
- 1928: Wild Orchids ( Wild Orchids )
- 1929: The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- 1930: Anna Christie
- 1931: Everything for your happiness ( Possessed )
- 1931: Mata Hari
- 1932: Tarzan the Ape Man ( Tarzan the Ape Man )
- 1932: People in the hotel ( Grand Hotel )
- 1932: Fire Head ( Red-Headed Woman )
- 1932: Jungle in a Storm ( Red Dust )
- 1932: The Mask of Fu Manchu ( The Mask of Fu Manchu )
- 1933: When Ladies Meet
- 1933: Today We Live
- 1934: The Thin Man ( The Thin Man )
- 1934: The Merry Widow ( The Merry Widow )
- 1934: The Painted Veil ( The Painted Veil )
- 1935: Adventures in the Yellow Sea ( China Seas )
- 1935: Anna Karenina
- 1935: Mutiny on the Bounty ( Mutiny on the Bounty )
- 1935: Scandal in the Opera ( A Night at the Opera )
- 1936: His secretary ( Wife vs. Secretary )
- 1936: The Great Ziegfeld ( The Great Ziegfeld )
- 1936: San Francisco
- 1936: Romeo and Juliet ( Romeo and Juliet )
- 1936: The Lady of the Camellias ( Camille )
- 1937: The Good Earth ( The Good Earth )
- 1937: Maria Walewska ( Conquest )
- 1938: Mannequin
- 1938: Of Human Hearts
- 1938: Marie-Antoinette ( Marie Antoinette )
- 1939: The Wizard of Oz ( The Wizard of Oz )
- 1939: The Women ( The Women )
- 1939: Ninotschka ( Ninotchka )
- 1939: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ( The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn )
- 1940: Rendezvous after closing time ( The Shop Around the Corner )
- 1940: Broadway Melody 1940 ( Broadway Melody of 1940 )
- 1940: Pride and Prejudice ( Pride and Prejudice )
- 1940: The Night Before the Wedding ( The Philadelphia Story )
- 1940: Comrade X
- 1940: Bitter Sweet
- 1941: The Woman with the Scar ( A Woman's Face )
- 1941: Blossoms in the Dust ( Blossoms in the Dust )
- 1941: When Ladies Meet
- 1942: The woman speaks of it ( Woman of the Year )
- 1942: Mrs. Miniver
- 1942: Years found ( Random Harvest )
- 1943: Thousands Cheer
- 1943: Homesickness ( Lassie Come Home )
- 1943: Madame Curie
- 1943: Fight in the Clouds ( A Guy Named Joe )
- 1944: The White Cliffs of Dover
- 1944: Lady Alquist's house ( Gaslight )
- 1944: The Canterville Ghost ( The Canterville Ghost )
- 1944: Diary of a woman ( Mrs. Parkington )
- 1944: Little Girl, Big Heart ( National Velvet )
- 1945: Broadway Melody 1950 (Ziegfeld Follies)
- 1945: The decision ( The Valley of Decision )
- 1945: Man without a Heart ( Adventure )
- 1946: The Postman Always Rings Twice ( The Postman Always Rings Twice )
- 1946: The Unknown Beloved ( Undercurrent )
- 1946: The Wilderness Calls ( The Yearling )
- 1947: Endless is the prairie ( The Sea of Grass )
- 1947: Good News
- 1948: The Three Musketeers ( The Three Musketeers )
- 1949: Little Brave Jo ( Little Women )
- 1949: Neptune's Daughter (Neptune's Daughter)
- 1950: The Asphalt Jungle ( The Asphalt Jungle )
- 1950: The bride's father ( Father of the Bride )
- 1950: King Solomon's Mines ( King Solomon's Mines )
- 1950: Duel in the ring ( Annie Get Your Gun )
- 1951: Royal Wedding ( Royal Wedding )
- 1951: An American in Paris ( An American in Paris )
- 1951: Quo vadis? ( Quo Vadis )
- 1952: Singin 'in the Rain
- 1952: In the shadow of the crown ( The Prisoner of Zenda )
- 1952: City of Illusions ( The Bad and the Beautiful )
- 1953: Arena
- 1953: Lili
- 1953: Theaterfieber ( The Actress )
- 1953: The Heir apparent ( Young Bess )
- 1954: Her Twelve Men ( Her Twelve Men )
- 1954: Brigadoon
- 1954: The Intriguers ( Executive Suite )
- 1954: Alt Heidelberg ( The Student Prince )
- 1955: Mostly cheerful ( It's Always Fair Weathe )
- 1955: The Seeds of Violence ( Blackboard Jungle )
- 1955: The Castle in the Shadow (Moonfleet)
- 1955: And tomorrow I'll cry ( I'll Cry Tomorrow )
- 1956: Somebody Up There Likes Me ( Somebody Up There Likes Me )
- 1956: The Fastest Gun Alive ( The Fastest Gun Alive )
- 1956: The Top Ten Thousand ( High Society )
- 1956: Vincent van Gogh - A life in passion ( Lust for Life )
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
- Cedric Gibbons in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Cedric Gibbons at All Movie Guide
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 |