Richard Irvine

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Richard Fyfe Irvine (born April 5, 1910 in Salt Lake City , † March 30, 1976 in Los Angeles ) was an American production designer for film and Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering .

Life

Richard Irvine, who was born in Salt Lake City in 1910 to an ophthalmologist, relocated with his family to southern California in 1922 . He attended Stanford University , the University of Southern California and the Chouinard Art Institute. From the early 1930s he worked as a production designer for film in Hollywood . In 1939 he was first employed as a so-called art director . Three years later he was nominated together with Alexander Golitzen for an Oscar in the category Best Production Design for Arms Smugglers from Kenya ( Sundown , 1941). Initially he worked for small production companies on a tight budget, but new opportunities opened up when he got a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1945 . There he was responsible for the production design of films such as The Miracle of Manhattan ( Miracle on 34th Street , 1947) with Maureen O'Hara and The Sniper ( The Gunfighter , 1950) with Gregory Peck .

In 1952 he was hired by Walt Disney , whom he should help with the design and construction of Disneyland . Irvine had already worked for Disney in 1944 when he created the film structures for the real-life scenes of Drei Caballeros ( The Three Caballeros ). Both Irvine and Walt Disney came to the conclusion that Disney employees and experienced film architects would be best suited to the design of Disneyland. Walt Disney then founded Walt Disney Imagineering , a group of artists, architects and engineers who designed the Disney theme parks under Irvine's direction from then on. Marriage Irvine retired in 1973, he oversaw the designs of all the attractions of the Disney theme parks, as well as the the theme cruises " The Haunted Mansion " and " Pirates of the Caribbean ". He also managed the construction of attractions such as “ it's a small world ”, which were built for the New York World's Fair in 1964. In 1967 he was named vice president and manager of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Irvine died in Los Angeles in 1976 at the age of 65 , where he was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park . In 1990 he was posthumously honored with the title of " Disney Legend ".

Filmography (selection)

Awards

Web links