Designs on Film

A Century of Hollywood Art Direction

by Cathy Whitlock

On Sale: 11/30/2010

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Designs on Film

A Century of Hollywood Art Direction

by Cathy Whitlock

On Sale: 11/30/2010

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Amazon Indigo

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About the Book

With hundreds of rare photographs, set sketches, and original renderings showcasing films of every era and genre—many shown here for the very first time—author Cathy Whitlock offers movie fans a backstage pass to 100 years of Hollywood’s most memorable film sets. In the vein of Deborah Landis’s Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design, Whitlock’s Designs on Film delivers a fascinating tour through Hollywood’s back lots, including the stories of how numerous movies came to their final on-screen looks—whether by collaboration, conflict, or divine chance. Movie enthusiasts, set designers, and fans of classic and modern Hollywood will thrill for this look behind the scenes of Tinsel Town’s greatest triumphs.

Critical Praise

“[Designs on Film] traces the art of building pretend worlds. Starting back in the pre-talkie years, and moving through Hollywood’s golden age and the epic-crazy ‘60s, right up to contemporary Hollywood, the book is packed with insider tidbits about the wildly inventive—and improvisational—business of movie-making.” — Wall Street Journal

“Whitlock makes a major contribution to movie literature by saluting undersung production designers, set decorators and art directors.” — Los Angeles Times

“An amazing glimpse into art direction.” — The New Yorker

“This lush book of pictures and drawings showcases big-screen glamour over the decades, from the opulence of Cleopatra to the more modern majesty of Batman. — Entertainment Weekly

“A compendium of images celebrating iconic interiors and architecture….[Whitlock] sifted through decades of archival photographs to assemble this rare glimpse into the world of Hollywood art direction and set design. ” — Dwell