David Addison Helms California-born scenic artist David Addison Helms (1908–1981) spent approximately forty-five years at MGM Studios, where he worked under Scenic Art Supervisor George Gibson during Hollywood’s Golden Age. A member of the Painters and Sculptors of Los Angeles, Helms specialized in painting skies and atmospheric effects for motion More »
F. Wayne Hill at MGM F. Wayne Hill (1906–1975) belonged to the generation of scenic artists who established MGM’s reputation for painted backdrops during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Working under Scenic Art Supervisor George Gibson, Hill became one of the department’s principal colorists, determining the color relationships that established the overall More »
Bill Jekel’s Early Training Bill Jekel (1927–2000) was born in Pueblo, Colorado, and grew up in Los Angeles. He studied art at UCLA and the Art Center School before entering the United States Navy in 1944. Jekel worked as a scenic artist at MGM both before and after his naval More »
Albert Joseph Londraville’s Early Life and Artistic Training A native of Los Angeles, Albert Joseph Londraville began his formal art training after returning from World War II. He first studied with Romanian American portrait and landscape painter Theodore Lukits, whose early career included portraits of silent film stars and who More »
Hollywood Scenic Artist Andy MacPhee is a Hollywood scenic artist whose career spans motion pictures, television, themed entertainment, and scenic finishes. He studied at Western Washington University before entering the entertainment industry. Over more than three decades, he has developed expertise in scenic painting and decorative finishes for film, television, More »
Early Career Born into a theatrical scenic artist’s family in Chicago, Bob Oberbeck began working at MGM in 1937. During World War II, he served as a mapmaker in George Gibson’s Marine Unit. Fellow scenic artist Chris Coakley recalled that “Oberbeck was a layer technician, and he liked to get More »
Early Career Idaho-born oil painter, watercolorist, and scenic artist Clark Provins painted at MGM for decades. He became one of the studio’s leading scenic artists and worked on productions including The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Student Prince (1954), and Oklahoma! (1955). MGM Scenic Artist In 1968, MGM recreated a More »
Walter “Wally” Reid’s Career Walter “Wally” Reid served in the United States Navy during World War II before beginning a career as a Hollywood scenic artist. He created painted backdrops and props for motion pictures, television, and stage productions, building a career that spanned multiple areas of the entertainment industry. More »