Lyle Wheeler - Setting the Scene

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIe5q7H0cWe8TzRT4wj4XrqH1prqnuteYLHQdL1HTjnAF-v1JBiXXl5k3FzPin8Uw2zt8Wio6zwplPXoWAt884nytk0OEtHMxOR9IJlbYN3TaOWSiSjeqiElqe7-fCXwPJGSiZwF3IK7Q/s1600/Lyle+Wheeler-GWTW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIe5q7H0cWe8TzRT4wj4XrqH1prqnuteYLHQdL1HTjnAF-v1JBiXXl5k3FzPin8Uw2zt8Wio6zwplPXoWAt884nytk0OEtHMxOR9IJlbYN3TaOWSiSjeqiElqe7-fCXwPJGSiZwF3IK7Q/s400/Lyle+Wheeler-GWTW.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor pre-production painting of Tara for <i>Gone with the Wind </i>(1939)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by guest author Captain Gregg </i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The art director is one of the most important artists in the film industry for it is his talent and skill that bring a script to visual life. Lyle Wheeler was a master craftsman in this field of production design. In his career, he created the environments to over 350 films. From their initial sketches on paper to the purchasing of the props and furnishings, to the costumes of the characters, to the construction of the studio and outdoor sets, his eye oversaw each and every process.</span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everything that surrounded the action in front of the camera, in the foreground as well as the background, was his responsibility and Lyle Wheeler knew how to interpret a script to set it to its best advantage. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Born on February 12, 1905 in Woburn, Massachusetts, Lyle Reynolds Wheeler began his career as a magazine illustrator and went on to become an industrial designer before joining MGM in 1931 as a layout artist. His skill in this new field was evident, and it was not long before he worked his way up to assistant art director under Cedric Gibbons (head of the MGM art department ). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1936 a new Technicolor dye transfer process was created and as his first assignment as a full-fledged art director Lyle worked with David O. Selznick in making <i>The Garden of Allah</i>, a visually stunning vehicle to showcase this new development in filmmaking. He worked on several more Technicolor films and acquired a skill in the medium that was later justly rewarded with a 1939 Academy Award for his work on “Gone with The Wind”, where – working with William Cameron Menzies – he created two of the most magnificent motion picture settings of all time - the beautiful plantation and surrounding grounds of Tara, and the burning of Atlanta.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKhk01KOwt8SpOAV-uc2PEV0B-rGVcjLS0TpqBj3Ky65W8LKLML02M9UI1rUWRUtU5K9eOQQnnNUiz-TGTEKAFXmsFNNkuJCWAirHLskp8OmW19b1f5aNaxn0TJmLAyQzxrzdo2oPcdHL/s1600/Lyle-Tara-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKhk01KOwt8SpOAV-uc2PEV0B-rGVcjLS0TpqBj3Ky65W8LKLML02M9UI1rUWRUtU5K9eOQQnnNUiz-TGTEKAFXmsFNNkuJCWAirHLskp8OmW19b1f5aNaxn0TJmLAyQzxrzdo2oPcdHL/s400/Lyle-Tara-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara<i> - Gone with the Wind</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Wheeler’s talent for creating historically accurate sets was exercised in many other period films of the 1940s and 50s including <i>That Hamilton Woman</i> (London, 1799 ), <i>Anna and the King of Siam</i> and its remake <i>The King and I</i> (Siam, 1870s ), <i>The Foxes of Harrow</i> (America, 1821), <i>Dragonwyck</i> (1844 ), <i>Titanic</i> (1915 ) and the numerous Biblical-era films he designed sets for, such as, <i>The Robe</i>, <i>Demetrius and the Gladiators</i>, <i>David and Bathsheba</i> and <i>The Egyptian</i>.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGX7U-AKi-hILYPk16fTTEhV1FURk4nrBJ5phbu6PmCKV6XF19Tf2Mwnn-y9jbmEEL48kdwgRJ6c04o_LNCYGO-6zaDnOWGMH17vwCeraCI9b8wJMcwmpRLs6PhjFVrdACbsQZ5njm_0A/s1600/Lyle+Hamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGX7U-AKi-hILYPk16fTTEhV1FURk4nrBJ5phbu6PmCKV6XF19Tf2Mwnn-y9jbmEEL48kdwgRJ6c04o_LNCYGO-6zaDnOWGMH17vwCeraCI9b8wJMcwmpRLs6PhjFVrdACbsQZ5njm_0A/s400/Lyle+Hamilton.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That Hamilton Woman</i> (1941)<i> </i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bAPp6XJi3fx9D8JwyZDPCfRycQenj0Y0UA_r5bUZCaP4FSbEf_0Bx7FRouOvpL8w_T8WNErb6CT6IqzezT9h4uNIxunZwpsJCaahvb90G5afsR92EOPvx7dhRMthj8J6uQpUCgV2z2fc/s1600/Lyle+Manderley+Rebecca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bAPp6XJi3fx9D8JwyZDPCfRycQenj0Y0UA_r5bUZCaP4FSbEf_0Bx7FRouOvpL8w_T8WNErb6CT6IqzezT9h4uNIxunZwpsJCaahvb90G5afsR92EOPvx7dhRMthj8J6uQpUCgV2z2fc/s400/Lyle+Manderley+Rebecca.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance of Manderley in <i>Rebecca</i> (1940) - note impressive wood carvings</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmvwfJaxNqUmJfVvtMB2Gzo2fHwzy7OhZCpBFh31yy4xlI1YOghmoRSba4YptvMrvGxR1jgT5TKZrPacjWo1erbWenZ0tuj70YlwGUHxlQOiZSqVLv_FKxWxoe2uFPZm9sSpFF9rSj8PY/s1600/Lyle+Manderley+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmvwfJaxNqUmJfVvtMB2Gzo2fHwzy7OhZCpBFh31yy4xlI1YOghmoRSba4YptvMrvGxR1jgT5TKZrPacjWo1erbWenZ0tuj70YlwGUHxlQOiZSqVLv_FKxWxoe2uFPZm9sSpFF9rSj8PY/s400/Lyle+Manderley+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Room of Manderley in <i>Rebecca</i>...yes, it's quite graahnd</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2s5PPktEJzGB7iL3f3Acu2Dma7rLMaE1SZcw6jwSWUWLwYUjSlEjY4PrSZlFjzwRA0Ono-w3ux_X_PqzgTocjCmZLzw-aGLa5q23wYXLu72V4QDqF_g-e5upxkzMWQDSvmu5JLeoqkii/s1600/Lyle+Rebecca+cottage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2s5PPktEJzGB7iL3f3Acu2Dma7rLMaE1SZcw6jwSWUWLwYUjSlEjY4PrSZlFjzwRA0Ono-w3ux_X_PqzgTocjCmZLzw-aGLa5q23wYXLu72V4QDqF_g-e5upxkzMWQDSvmu5JLeoqkii/s400/Lyle+Rebecca+cottage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The quaint seaside cottage in <i>Rebecca</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">A Lyle Wheeler setting is always characterized by its extreme clarity and sharpness of lines. Why, his scenes look so crisp and real you almost feel like you’re transported into the setting along with the characters! This is especially evident in his black-and-white productions. Through varying tones of shade and the accentuation of shadows, Manderley estate (<i>Rebecca </i>) comes alive for us as much as it does for Mrs. de Winter. And in <i>Laura</i> we come to know the characters<i> primarily</i> through their personal environments. Decorated sweet and simply, Laura’s apartment reveals the kind and innocent girl behind the painting that Mark comes to love, whereas Waldo Lydecker’s place of abode is modern, aesthetic and although pleasing to the eye, it’s as cold as his marble bath.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7PW2Al2Rrk9Msas-8Vc1KkfHQaH2nMQYwvHHUpnlaViOZzrUIkxVE_EQmJFS8oFAosD3W_LP9Un0FDouCbdmT937NhC7MbvXuJ1UyvIWkowurBL2y69-oeFxsgKYmywaz26iDTtSRbqh/s1600/Laura+with+portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7PW2Al2Rrk9Msas-8Vc1KkfHQaH2nMQYwvHHUpnlaViOZzrUIkxVE_EQmJFS8oFAosD3W_LP9Un0FDouCbdmT937NhC7MbvXuJ1UyvIWkowurBL2y69-oeFxsgKYmywaz26iDTtSRbqh/s400/Laura+with+portrait.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Laura </i>(1944)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It was Wheeler’s decision to have <i>Leave her to Heaven</i> filmed in color. While all film noirs of the era were being shot in black-and-white ( to emphasis their dark storyline), this tale of deception is vividly contrasted against bright country lawns, sunny skies of New Mexico and peaceful blue waters of a private lake in Maine.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlF4XC2EbhP91WeiYFeaH2EpbEHKHULaHwaNTJ9WpkQ_IdoWdrmuNvV2n4Pav5FmKgHmmRlmgD9ih0RDK8GzxsEcyXr2KDOQtQ5q3xfppXOy-uReaWrqHI3BdIhGNQzAfrrj3Z1Wq2bD84/s1600/Lyle+Heaven+decor+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlF4XC2EbhP91WeiYFeaH2EpbEHKHULaHwaNTJ9WpkQ_IdoWdrmuNvV2n4Pav5FmKgHmmRlmgD9ih0RDK8GzxsEcyXr2KDOQtQ5q3xfppXOy-uReaWrqHI3BdIhGNQzAfrrj3Z1Wq2bD84/s400/Lyle+Heaven+decor+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional New England=style furniture in the Maine House in <i>Leave Her to Heaven </i>(1945)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjzYCOumGQfAgioO-t6v_7d4hEMvqJ9uTXTHb7oijGj1Fmp3nIVe_Sq8A5XJdJx2RZd1LvcpAl3GVkeOtKy38JV5BCuNq71F9tMplKo0ITWldWtVG5HZ65uNm3dTBDkd_BRhz7p-lduqJ/s1600/Lyle+Heaven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjzYCOumGQfAgioO-t6v_7d4hEMvqJ9uTXTHb7oijGj1Fmp3nIVe_Sq8A5XJdJx2RZd1LvcpAl3GVkeOtKy38JV5BCuNq71F9tMplKo0ITWldWtVG5HZ65uNm3dTBDkd_BRhz7p-lduqJ/s400/Lyle+Heaven+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Leave Her to Heaven</i> included many sumptuous sets, but this is my favorite. What marvelous wood flooring and beams!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> In 1953 he created another masterpiece in <i>color noir</i> by effectively utilizing a carillon tower as a scene for murder in Otto Preminger’s <i>Niagara</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">From 1947-1960 Lyle Wheeler was head of 20^th Century Fox’s art department and during his tenure at the studio he worked on a broad range of productions which required sets of all sorts of different styles and themes. <i>In The Diary of Anne Frank</i> there is the confined quarters of a family in hiding; in <i>Come to the Stable</i> a songwriter’s Pennsylvanian country retreat; in <i>The Best of Everything</i>, the stylish living and working domains of a group of New York secretaries. The post-war buildings of Hong Kong were beautifully created for our eye’s entertainment in <i>Love is a Many-Splendored Thing</i>; the opulent interiors of a Parisian nightclub for <i>Can-Can</i> and with a giant leap into the future, we are given a glimpse of the sleek interior of an alien messenger’s private spaceship in <i>The Day the Earth Stood Still</i>.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjcYwjM3YRB64TJIaBjurIsL3UyiskzYBrH4LPoNZYgaRnci5xYlTvKANgJINF1QqBQZ3wW_Pvl2zrHgVgScQzhJf-Lem7VSjHZ6NR6Y8KmNl8z9T5GW8nNI70VuIT8w6zC-QLBTMpwRR/s1600/Lyle+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjcYwjM3YRB64TJIaBjurIsL3UyiskzYBrH4LPoNZYgaRnci5xYlTvKANgJINF1QqBQZ3wW_Pvl2zrHgVgScQzhJf-Lem7VSjHZ6NR6Y8KmNl8z9T5GW8nNI70VuIT8w6zC-QLBTMpwRR/s400/Lyle+King.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Royal Palace of Siam in <i>The King and I </i>(1956)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3LfQzwT2m1YX8bbLjRtxgHQXso2u0tQNMq8ZKWizyTioTnVNHnygZxJI80UNik5bdAJsVdrbV8m0R_WbZgPp7xvByE1Mdbt51zC-dTlew395qlwC8DZ-48QnHuTQFKMAkQhY4kSW-k7C/s1600/Lyle+Robe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3LfQzwT2m1YX8bbLjRtxgHQXso2u0tQNMq8ZKWizyTioTnVNHnygZxJI80UNik5bdAJsVdrbV8m0R_WbZgPp7xvByE1Mdbt51zC-dTlew395qlwC8DZ-48QnHuTQFKMAkQhY4kSW-k7C/s400/Lyle+Robe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Robe</i> (1953) - Caligula's throne</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of my favorite of his settings is his highly imaginative creation of the center of the earth <i>in Journey to the Center of the Earth</i>. Luminescent cavern walls, pillars of salt, the lost city of Atlantis, rainbow colored waters, and giant mushrooms abound in this under-the-mantle world of adventure.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56Z-6U40lTcq4Zu0JxV01A8TMpMO2ECLp9lRWoIqcTXRo0gNxNT1riijXl3X6NDQAGpU7xA98ru2SX-VOD0rsB3c7O1kKoT24NlCjdG0JOu68ZMHY5iOkU_8oT-3oZQNQY6xIhFqfjJq5/s1600/Lyle+Journey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56Z-6U40lTcq4Zu0JxV01A8TMpMO2ECLp9lRWoIqcTXRo0gNxNT1riijXl3X6NDQAGpU7xA98ru2SX-VOD0rsB3c7O1kKoT24NlCjdG0JOu68ZMHY5iOkU_8oT-3oZQNQY6xIhFqfjJq5/s400/Lyle+Journey.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professor Lindenbrook's library in <i>Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) </i>- a heaven for book lovers!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B6xmKlh98PRQwDw939E-Q-GxKkJYENi6QYM1xS1UcEPWoH0Cg4NppjqK9x2HgVLOX7cEtEZdBwZHqbYVq5VAuiH8RSqHtF5F4QMP9A-orcHSy8ghg8jpEFhT8RLfjz3hkFzRTNNU1OxZ/s1600/Lyle+Journey+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B6xmKlh98PRQwDw939E-Q-GxKkJYENi6QYM1xS1UcEPWoH0Cg4NppjqK9x2HgVLOX7cEtEZdBwZHqbYVq5VAuiH8RSqHtF5F4QMP9A-orcHSy8ghg8jpEFhT8RLfjz3hkFzRTNNU1OxZ/s400/Lyle+Journey+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushrooms galore are discovered beneath the earth in <i>Journey to the Center of the Earth</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">After he left 20^th Century Fox, Wheeler worked for several years on <i>Perry Mason</i>. Here, the sets were made with the same attention to detail as on a feature film. Mason’s rich clients were surrounded with rare antiques, hand-carved furniture and priceless oil paintings in their posh apartment pads or elaborate Beverly Hills mansions – a very fitting setting for the high-end nail-biting drama that would take place within their walls.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">In all, Lyle Wheeler was nominated for 29 Academy Awards (!) winning five which, unfortunately, were lost to him when they were accidently auctioned off in 1982.  He passed away in 1990 in Los Angeles. I wonder whatever became of his golden statuettes?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10pt;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Guest author "Captain Gregg" is a young (early 20s) classic film enthusiast who is also a member of the Turner Classic Movies fan site, the Classic Film Union (CFU). She recently entered a giveaway here at "Eve's Reel Life" - and won the <b>Errol Flynn Adventures</b> boxed set from Warner Bros. Which is how we met.  Not long after, she posted this very fine piece on Lyle Wheeler at CFU and I asked if I could republish it here. She kindly agreed.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>

Captain Gregg Gone with the Wind Journey to the Center of the Earth Laura Leave Her to Heaven Lyle Wheeler Rebecca That Hamilton Woman The King and I The Robe Lyle Wheeler - Setting the Scene

Watercolor pre-production painting of Tara for Gone with the Wind (1939) by guest author Captain Gregg   The art director is one of the most...

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JOHN M. STAHL...a reappraisal and a reaffirmation

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U82ludouBXMb4xTJ8Se8r086J4KsWLeSstz0Qt8mF1_mmOTAERKbKY5HOTnpuTV5ZDX9JhxMx6R1uWq15yvC5NVZYlGhxfBIrUlRiGsi64sqcjcgEQ5SjNlQbDm-rjalxZd_DUdtRzqn/s1600/1+stahl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U82ludouBXMb4xTJ8Se8r086J4KsWLeSstz0Qt8mF1_mmOTAERKbKY5HOTnpuTV5ZDX9JhxMx6R1uWq15yvC5NVZYlGhxfBIrUlRiGsi64sqcjcgEQ5SjNlQbDm-rjalxZd_DUdtRzqn/s320/1+stahl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gene Tierney in <b>Leave Her to Heaven</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><i><b>by guest contributor doctor sabelotodo</b></i><br /><br /><b><u>Author's Disclaimer</u></b><br /><br />Not until I started researching and reading did I realize the extent of the tremendous amount of heresay, recyled disinformation and vague references that exists in the written media about director John M. Stahl - both online and in book form. I prefer to write (cryptically) off the top of my head but felt lacking in sufficient details concerning the film legacy of Mr. Stahl. I love film but dislike film criticism...trust me...you will not see <i>mise en scene </i>mentioned...<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoBy5-LF9ZZAfk1yxvwbn0S4uiNdF9iL6CfIph26aaAu3Q-JRD_emLwGTRoeDptoR1CpmLh3sNKGxHFlCWgyDk798mfWzsSVbyy4BXunwAsf4EMhPalxKxCHfaId780OPXDt9ThNwWXTP/s1600/4+stahl+stahl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoBy5-LF9ZZAfk1yxvwbn0S4uiNdF9iL6CfIph26aaAu3Q-JRD_emLwGTRoeDptoR1CpmLh3sNKGxHFlCWgyDk798mfWzsSVbyy4BXunwAsf4EMhPalxKxCHfaId780OPXDt9ThNwWXTP/s200/4+stahl+stahl.jpg" width="116" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><u>A Brief Biography</u></b></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>John Malcolm Stahl was born unceremoniuosly in New York City on January 21, 1886...attended public schools until 1901, when he left to become an actor...he worked in this vein on stage and film until joining Vitagraph Studios in 1914 and then the newly founded MGM/Meyer studios in 1917...throughout his tenure, he directed numerous films of little consequence (most have been lost or forgotten). He founded Tiffany-Stahl Pictures in 1927, but sold his interest in 1930. His "big break" came in 1930 when he joined Universal Studios and began making a number of successful and quality films.<br /><br />Stahl married Roxana Wray in 1930 (his wife until death)..then came the disaster of <b>Parnell</b> (1937), which ended his work with Universal. He he continued on working for Fox Studios and free-lancing, his sole success being <b>Leave Her to Heaven </b>along with some minor films...he retired in 1949 and died the following year. John Stahl was one of the founders of AMPAS (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for whatever that is worth)...<br /><br /><b><u>Introduction</u></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TZ7_MkqPqcYz_1zI6AWOUT2l2VKCYBFUnbJMVCEMn40_NSMT9ZdG9hrnVA-8KxXIwlvRRva_VA61TxhCwJk-kp9niEnnVmgYrYotOl973W3flx9EP7-p2_zXghhWnzi_NF-0SwAFiYcj/s1600/2+stahl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TZ7_MkqPqcYz_1zI6AWOUT2l2VKCYBFUnbJMVCEMn40_NSMT9ZdG9hrnVA-8KxXIwlvRRva_VA61TxhCwJk-kp9niEnnVmgYrYotOl973W3flx9EP7-p2_zXghhWnzi_NF-0SwAFiYcj/s200/2+stahl.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>The first time that I heard a reference to John Stahl was in the 1970s. It was a direct quote claiming that "he had been out-Sirked by Douglas Sirk." I found this interesting (knowing the films of Douglas Sirk) but like most, I was not familiar with the name John Stahl, despite having seen his <b>Imitation of Life (</b>1934) and <b>Magnificent Obsession</b> (1935). I became aware of the full impact of this statement over the years, i.e., in remaking three of John Stahl's films as a tribute, Douglas Sirk had unwittingly buried the former in the tomb of obscurity.<br /><br />Prior to 1936, I think Stahl enjoyed a good reputation as a reliable, competent, focused studio director. <b>Parnell</b> was his undoing (as director and producer he was solely responsible), and the critics and wags began to pile up the negatives: "studio director,""unoriginal,""a woman's director," "a one medium director," director of "weepies," "tearjerkers" and "soapers." Negative criticism led to neglect which was in full force by the time he made <b>Leave Her to Heaven</b> (1945). To the above I say...<br /><br />1. William Wyler was criticized for being a "studio director" (I would like anyone try to do a better job on <b>Ben-Hur</b>).<br />2. George Cukoor was also called a "woman's director"...so what? He was a good director period...<br />3. John Ford directed mostly westerns.<br />4. Being "maverick" and "original" does not guarantee quality or success...<br /><br />I also think that part of the public and critical neglect of Stahl was due to his reputation - he was a real nice guy, not a womanizaer or a drunk...got along well with the studio brass...actors and actresses loved him (especially Greer Garson)...he was pleasant to work with...productive...responsible.<br /><br />Yes, he directed melodramas...yes, he addressed strong issues on the social and sexual mores of women...yes, he featured independent (sometimes driven) characters...but this hardly justifies criticism or neglect.<br /><br />The following is a quote from Hal Erickson at All-Movie Guide: "<i>it was during this time that Stahl developed his directorial "signature"; hot house melodramas and baroque romanticisims with emphasis on strong, self reliant female characters"..</i>this was the kind of blather that I waded through.<br /><br />1. <i>Hot house...</i>What does that mean? over-the-top...yes...sauna, no!<br />2. <i>Baroque...</i>I think that he is referring to Douglas Sirk!<br />3. <i>Self reliant females...</i>that smells of Ayn Rand...<br /><br /><b><u>Selected Films </u></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTlxJL8P8SDWd6rNv0wnrsHLP3ND31uhO0AsUsCF6l-fZy1J9VJmTdCqXLiP5HBb3tQx0BtL4irYb4TKSD-KuAdl7DCt_MAllivCZcMNOn-NO9_-IKuoko2hf4q4TNjOHnAa7abh1oK5x/s1600/5+stahl+backstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTlxJL8P8SDWd6rNv0wnrsHLP3ND31uhO0AsUsCF6l-fZy1J9VJmTdCqXLiP5HBb3tQx0BtL4irYb4TKSD-KuAdl7DCt_MAllivCZcMNOn-NO9_-IKuoko2hf4q4TNjOHnAa7abh1oK5x/s200/5+stahl+backstreet.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>1. <b>Back Street</b> (1932)...from the Fannie Hurstbest seller. The story of unrequited/star-crossed/ill-fated love, as Rae (Irene Dunne) chooses to be the mistress of Walter (John Boles) for 30 years. Good performances in a rather convoluted story. With ZaSu Pitts, cinematography by Karl Freund...remade poorly in 1941 and 1961...<br /><br />2. <b>Only Yesterday</b> (1933)...again featuring John Boles and the screen debut of Margaret Sullavan. In 1929, a once wealthy businessman reflects on his past and an affair in 1917 that produced an illegimate child...he had ignored the woman who had his child and now feels remorse when he finds her dying. With a chilling montage of images of the Great Depression. As with <b>Back Street</b>, a definite pre-coder...featuring a strong supporting cast including Edna May Oliver and Billie Burke.<br /><br />3. <b>Imitation of Life</b> (1933)... from Fannie Hurst once again...perfect cast with Claudette Colbert as Bea Pullman, Louise Beavers as Delilah Johnson, Warren William as Stephen Archer, and Rochelle Hudson and Fredi Washington as the daughters. Storyline...widow hires maid whose recipe becomes "Aunt Delilah" pancake formula = $$$ and disappointment. This film tackled real issues of segregation, the position of women, class structure, passing for white and the destructive power of wealth. Often described as dated, this version of <b>Imitation of Life</b> is superior to the flamboyant/unbelievable/vapid 1959 remake with Lana Turner...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUyaaZysYKUDTDu8RWYJHilWXH3Hf828bh1ukTLAjQKN2Qlfz1QOb7y2fBXb1Ef0ouuepWu81aBlXgNwMG7jKlUBN1DtaErCcRQ7QbkPF7NLkwltF8_6SLgtN1qRKfiQVrotUh_pu91er/s1600/3+stahl+mag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUyaaZysYKUDTDu8RWYJHilWXH3Hf828bh1ukTLAjQKN2Qlfz1QOb7y2fBXb1Ef0ouuepWu81aBlXgNwMG7jKlUBN1DtaErCcRQ7QbkPF7NLkwltF8_6SLgtN1qRKfiQVrotUh_pu91er/s1600/3+stahl+mag.jpg" /></a></div>4. <b>Magnificent Obsession</b> (1935)...Yes, I know...from the over-the-top novel of Lloyd C. Douglas...rich/drunk playboy Bobby Merrick (Robert Taylor) causes death of the doctor husband of Helen Hudson (Irene Dunne). He feels bad, tries to apologize and as she leaves, she is struck by a car and is blinded. Merrick now feels <i>really</i> bad...tries to reform his ways...visits her...when she discovers his identity, she rebukes him once again...he mans up...becomes a physician and a renowned eye specialist and blah...blah...blah...I know it is hokey...Taylor is "stiff" as usual, but this film is so much better than the remake with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman.<br /><br />5.<b> Parnell </b>(1937)...the story of "the uncrowned king of Ireland"...a good pedigree...Myrna Loy and Clark Gable...cinematography by Karl Freund...screenplay by John Van Druten. Unfortunately, it was a giant flop with the public and critics...beautifully filmed but <i>schizophrenic</i>. Is it a bio-pic, a star vehicle or a costume drama? As producer/director, Stahl was completely responsible for this mess that led to his dismissal from MGM...please...do NOT see this film!<br /><br />6. <b>When Tomorrow Comes</b> (1939)...a minor comeback for Stahl, as Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne renew their screen chemistry from <b>Love Affair </b>(1939)...from a story by James M. Cain, of all people...good film...improbable plot...remade by Douglas Sirk as <b>Interlude</b> (1957).<br /><br />7. <b>The Keys of the Kingdom</b> (1945)...from the A. J. Cronin novel...screenplay by Nunnally Johnson...music by Alfred Newman..and a great cast headed by Gregory Peck in his first starring role..we really see the screen presence of Peck in this film...from his visage...mannerisms...and speech...this was 18 years before <b>To Kill a Mockingbird</b>.<br /><br />8. <b>Leave Her to Heaven</b> (1945)...flamboyant and morbid, to say the least...Gene Tierney is both stunning and creepy as Ellen Berent..Cornel Wilde is adequate as her hubby Richard Harland...with good support from Jeanne Crain and Vincent Price...how this movie got by the censors is beyond me: featuring a wrongful death (<span style="color: #fff2cc;">click below to view</span>)...a deliberate fall to cause a miscarriage and suicide to implicate a rival in homicide is enough plot for three movies...this is one unique movie and represents the mastery of Stahl...famous quote: "there's nothing wrong with Ellen, it's just that she loves too much..." <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tXHJqXyvJc0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tXHJqXyvJc0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><b><u>Summary</u></b><br /><br />Well, that is the best I can do...I have been a champion of John M. Stahl for 30 years...his fall from grace was multifactorial...the disaster of <b>Parnell</b>, benign neglect by critics...the ascendency of Douglas Sirk..and the unjust labelling as a studio director...I hope you will visit his films!

Back Street doctor sabelotodo (author) Douglas Sirk Imitation of Life John M. Stahl Keys to the Kingdom Leave Her to Heaven Magnificent Obsession melodrama Only Yesterday When Tomorrow Comes JOHN M. STAHL...a reappraisal and a reaffirmation

Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven by guest contributor doctor sabelotodo Author's Disclaimer Not until I started researching and readi...

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