The Hollywood Film Artistry (3/4)|1930s-1960s 

The 1930s marked a period of economic turmoil in American society—the Great Depression. As a "spiritual opium" offering an escape, Hollywood films entered a new era of prosperity.

Supervising Art Director at Columbia Pictures, Stephen Goodson commenced his architectural career in Detroit. His design of "Shangri-La" for the film "Lost Horizon" drew influence from Frank Lloyd Wright's style and Buddhist architecture.

Simultaneously, to evade reality, fantasy-themed novels and designs infiltrated the cinematic landscape. The 1936 film "Things to Come" delved into Futurism and underground city designs. Producer Alexandre Korda reportedly sought architectural maestro Le Corbusier for set design, who declined, leading to the engagement of Menzies.

Furthermore, in 1939, "The Wizard of Oz" experimented with visual effects in the early stages of color film technology. Illusions were crafted using cameras and physical props, including a giant windsock to mimic a tornado for the film. Films like "Frankenstein," representing Gothic horror, and Charlie Chaplin's silent comedies also dabbled in novel approaches to special effects.

By the late 1930s, William Cameron Menzies, the Art Director for "Gone with the Wind," earned the new title of Production Designer for his visual acumen and project management in the film. This title gradually transitioned to independent film teams after the decline of the major studio era, encompassing the head overseeing the significant art and creative departments under the term Production Designer. In contrast, the term Art Director began referring to the deputy to the Production Designer.

Hollywood faced the impact of World War II in the 1940s, focusing more on detective mysteries, war crimes, and similar themes. During this period, she heralded the birth of Film Noir, with Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca" making its mark and iconic movies like "Casablanca" and "Citizen Kane" taking center stage.

In the 1949 film "The Fountainhead," Gary Cooper portrayed the nonconformist architect Howard Roark as an ode to Frank Lloyd Wright and to celebrate a decade of new international architectural styles. Commissioned to design a structure representing the future, known as The Enright House, this building epitomized Wright's famous Fallingwater villa.

The 1950s saw a shift as antitrust laws began breaking the monopolies of the studio system. Hollywood studios faced a decline, and their lands and facilities were sold off. The film art departments transitioned to freelance status, and Production Designers started to replace Supervising Art Directors.

In the film noir of the 1950s, "Sunset Boulevard," the decline of Hollywood was prophesied, marking the formal advent of the Alfred Hitchcock era. Hitchcock, known for his architectural storytelling, showcased staircases, doorways, and handrails in "Vertigo" and "Rear Window" which were pivotal to the narrative.

Henry Bumstead, a protégé of Paramount's Supervising Art Director Hans Dreier, studied art and architecture at the University of California. This background laid the groundwork for his future role as the Production Designer for "Vertigo." Similarly, another apprentice of Hans Dreier, Robert F. Boyle, also studied art and architecture at the University of California and collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock in "North by Northwest" and "The Birds."

In "North by Northwest," one of the most spectacular scenes was Phillip Vandamm's house, portrayed by James Mason. To pay homage to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, Robert F. Boyle meticulously designed this residence, meeting specific shot requirements. Initially, the crew attempted to engage Wright for the design, but the cost was too high.

Additionally, Western films surged in popularity. "High Noon" (1952), "Shane" (1953), and "Giant" (1956) established the artistic design style of Western movies. However, the 1959 epic war film "Ben-Hur" stole the spotlight. Its influence not only impacted films like "Gladiator" and "The Lord of the Rings" but also claimed the Academy Award for Best Production Design the following year.

The influence of "Ben-Hur" transcended into the 1960s. The 1962 film "Lawrence of Arabia" redefined the opulence of epic war movies. John Box, a graduate of North London Polytechnic School (now London City University) with a major in architecture, served as the Production Designer for this film. He constructed the city of Aqaba, comprising 300 structures, on a desolate riverbed near Almería.

Of course, when it comes to lavish set designs, none quite matched the extravagance of the 1963 version of "Cleopatra." Despite both "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Cleopatra" clinching the Academy Award for Best Production Design within two years, the massive construction costs and lavish costumes nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox.

Some say the 1960s belonged to the master among masters in filmmaking, Stanley Kubrick. His film "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" set the tone for future Cold War-era James Bond series, and Ken Adam, a graduate of the Bartlett School of Architecture at the University of London, designed the acclaimed "war room," lauded by Steven Spielberg as "the best set ever designed." Meanwhile, "2001: A Space Odyssey" solidified the influence of science fiction in film.

The Hollywood studio system officially disintegrated in the 1960s, while the groundwork for the fantasy genre started brewing towards the decade's end. In 1968, "Planet of the Apes," despite its clumsy special effects, hinted to audiences that the gates of imagination were about to open. Are you ready?

• The Century-Long Evolution of Hollywood Film Artistry (1/4)
• The Hollywood Film Artistry (2/4)|1900s-1920s
• The Hollywood Film Artistry (4/4)|1970s-The Early 2000s