Introduction Verne Edward Strang (1907–1978) was a Hollywood scenic artist who worked at Warner Bros. for more than three decades. He joined the studio in 1931 and later led its scenic painting department. His career connected the early studio era with a family tradition that continued through several generations of More »
Bill Anderson’s Career As a scenic artist at J.C. Backings, Bill Anderson contributed to the creation of large-scale painted backdrops for motion pictures. His documented work includes surviving backdrops associated with The Sound of Music and scenic painting for Beneath the Planet of the Apes. These productions required artists to create More »
Don MacDonald Born in Hollywood and raised in Downey, California, Don MacDonald knew from an early age that he wanted to become an artist. He studied art throughout high school before attending Cerritos College. At twenty-three, 20th Century Fox scenic artist Gavin Cowie introduced him to J.C. Backings, where he More »
Like his father, John H. Coakley, John Gary Coakley was both an artist and businessman. He learned scenic art primarily through hands-on experience, working with his father, then Scenic Art Supervisor at 20th Century Fox, after hours and on weekends during his early teens. While still in high school, he More »
Peter Stetzenko Born in Kvitky, in central Ukraine, in 1886, Peter Stetzenko demonstrated artistic ability from an early age. Recognizing his talent, his sister Marushya helped finance his artistic education. Stetzenko studied at the Stroganov School of Art in Moscow before continuing his training in Italy. Around 1913, he immigrated More »
Leo Atkinson Leo Franklin Atkinson (1896–1978) was one of the three scenic artists with whom George Gibson built the foundation of MGM’s Scenic Art Department, alongside the Chicago-trained scenic artists Art Rider and William J. Smart. Originally employed as a decorator, Atkinson became active in scenic art during the late More »
Gordon Butcher Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Gordon Butcher experienced one of the defining disasters of early twentieth-century Canada when his family relocated to Boston after the Halifax Explosion of 1917. He began his career designing retail displays for Sears, creating installations in stores throughout New England. A transfer to More »
Early Career Born in Paris, Ben Carré began his career designing and painting theatrical backdrops and stage sets. He later worked in film production in Paris, Fort Lee, New Jersey, and eventually Hollywood. Carré has been described by film historians as one of the first true visual artists of American More »