Jack Martin Smith
Jack Martin Smith ( born January 2, 1911 in Los Angeles, California, † November 7, 1993 in Santa Barbara, California ) was an American art director in the classic Hollywood entertainment cinema of the 1930s to the 1970s, a master of the magnificent studio perfectionism.
Life and work
Smith had studied at the University of California, Los Angeles ( UCLA) and worked after his first experience in the film industry (1937 at Universal Studios ) from 1938 for MGM. Initially employed as a draftsman, he was still taken in the same year, led by Cedric Gibbons architect team dedicated to Victor Fleming 's ambitious and equipment intensive fantasy material produced The Wizard of Oz the extensive Filmbauten. Smith remained in the next four years, initially with the work as a draftsman limited, later he also served as auxiliary or second architect (known as associate art director ).
In 1943 he began his work as art director. His early works were the execution of projects for multiple sweeping Technicolor musicals of Vincente Minnelli's hand. Under the direction of Gibbons Smith soon developed a strong sense of plush, equipment -intensive large-scale productions: musicals such as Broadway Melody in 1950, Easter Parade, The Pirate and An American in Paris.
1953 Smith moved to 20th Century Fox, whose chief architect, he was. With the equally expensive as expensive manufactured entertainment productions Can-Can and Cleopatra, their impact and flair in no small way based on Smith's decor joy, began at the beginning of the 60s of ' Centfox' chief Darryl F. Zanuck forced period of fiscal debauchery, the company should lead to the brink of bankruptcy eventually.
Since Smith ( 1960 ) and the overall supervision of all the design issues had the Centfox concerning some notable late benefits reach him: the science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, for which he earned an imaginative design of cell membranes, blood vessels and other body fluids in psychedelic pop Style colors and created the musical Hello, Dolly! was allowed to revel with Barbra Streisand, for Smith again, very luxurious, no cost shying classic Hollywood tradition, glorious Belle Époque scenes with which he tried to evoke the big bourgeoisie of the USA at the time of the turn of the century. For this work he received his third Oscar after Cleopatra and Fantastic Voyage.
In 1977, Jack Martin Smith withdrew from the theater design and was dedicated to the 80 years, only the TV: He was responsible for the construction of the extremely popular series Dynasty, as well as their spin-off The Colbys.