Hans Dreier

The extraordinarily prolific and eclectic art director Hans Dreier studied at Munich University where he majored in engineering and architecture. Following military service during the First World War, he spent time working as a supervising architect in the Cameroons and South Africa. Between 1919 and 1923, he was employed by Germany's pre-eminent film company Ufa as an assistant designer. Along with Ernst Lubitsch and other talented compatriots seeking more lucrative opportunities within the emerging film industry, Dreier left Europe in the early 1920s and was recruited by Hollywood. Most of his lengthy tenure at Paramount (1923-50) was spent as supervising art director. In that capacity, he became as influential at determining the overall style of the studio's output as his counterpart Cedric Gibbons at MGM. The Paramount 'look' during the 20's and early 30's epitomised continental elegance and sophistication. Unlike Gibbons, Dreier was far less autocratic and gave the production desi