The Collection

Week-End at the Waldorf Hotel Interior

Interior hotel lobby scene designed for use near the elevators in Week-End at the Waldorf (1945), painted as a translucent day/night backdrop for MGM.

Painted hotel interior backdrop with marble columns and an upper balcony
Painted detail of an ornate decorative column capital in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of an ornate metal railing with drapery and window in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of decorative molding and Ionic capitals in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of drapery, window, and potted greenery in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of an ornate decorative railing in a hotel interior backdrop
Film still from Week-End at the Waldorf showing hotel guests and staff in a corridor
Painted hotel interior backdrop with marble columns and an upper balcony
Painted detail of an ornate decorative column capital in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of an ornate metal railing with drapery and window in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of decorative molding and Ionic capitals in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of drapery, window, and potted greenery in a hotel interior backdrop
Painted detail of an ornate decorative railing in a hotel interior backdrop
Film still from Week-End at the Waldorf showing hotel guests and staff in a corridor
Director
Robert Z. Leonard
Studio
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Art Direction
Daniel B. Cathcart, Cedric Gibbons
Scenic Art Supervisor
George Gibson
Description
Created for Week-End at the Waldorf (1945), this backdrop depicts an elegant hotel lobby designed for scenes near the building's elevators. Painted as a translucent day/night backdrop, it allowed lighting crews to simulate changing times of day while maintaining the architectural details of the interior. George Gibson supervised MGM's scenic art department during the period when this backdrop was produced. The painting demonstrates the studio's emphasis on carefully organized color relationships, atmospheric perspective, and architectural realism that helped transform soundstage interiors into convincing luxury spaces. Details including decorative columns, marble wall panels, ornamental metalwork, and drapery illustrate the craftsmanship required to create large-scale scenic environments for motion pictures. The surviving backdrop provides insight into the collaborative work of scenic artists whose paintings formed an essential part of Hollywood's visual storytelling. Today the backdrop is preserved in the Texas Performing Arts Hollywood Backdrop Collection, where it documents the artistry, materials, and techniques behind MGM's studio-era scenic painting.
Place
Montmartre District, Paris, France, 1945
Date
1945
Dimensions
20’-0” x 15’-0”
Medium
Dry color and gelatin binder on cotton muslin
Style
Interior Architecture
Credit
Gift of J.C. Backings Corporation
Photo Credit
Texas Performing Arts, Sandy Carson

Comedy film following the adventures Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria hotel guests.

Movie poster for Week-End at the Waldorf