American Cinematheque & the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame series tributing Production Designer William Cameron Menzies with a FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS July 29, 2007

The American Cinematheque and the Art Directors Guild will continue its year-long monthly screening series, heralding the work of The Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame’s legendary Production Designers and Art Directors with For Whom the Bell Tolls on Sunday, July 29h at 5:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, honoring the work of Production Designer William Cameron Menzies.

William Cameron Menzies (1896-1957), the first Art Director to gain the title of Production Designer as a result of his Academy-Award-winning work on Gone With the Wind (1939), was an independent Art Director working under non-exclusive short-term contracts. This allowed him to move from studio to studio. As an independent he was able to experiment with his artistic visions, making him one of the best Art Directors of his time. Menzies befriended famed Art Director Anton Grot, who taught Menzies his techniques of forced perspective and continuity sketching, which were very useful throughout both their careers. They eventually worked together on The Thief of Baghdad (1924), where, in a change of roles, Grot was an assistant to Menzies, a dominant force among Art Directors from silent films until the 1950’s. He was given an honorary Academy Award® for his work on Gone with the Wind, won Oscars® for The Dove (1927) and The Tempest (1928) and received nominations for his work on The Awakening (1928) [the very first Academy Award® for Art Direction], Alibi (1929), and Bulldog Drummond (1929). Menzies was inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame in 2005.

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943, Universal, 168 min), directed by Sam Wood, is a stunningly beautiful version of Ernest Hemingway’s classic about idealistic lone-wolf fighter, Robert Jordan (Gary Cooper) joining up to fight the fascist loyalists during the Spanish Civil War. The novel had been very controversial as it pitted socialists against fascists (who were equally evil to many in conservative Hollywood), so director Sam Wood and screenwriter Dudley Nichols had to heavily defang the political thrust of the saga. The film still works and features a heart-stopping performance by co-star Ingrid Bergman as Maria, one of the mountain rebels who falls in love with the American expatriate. Her final scene with Cooper is perhaps one of the most poignant, realistic romantic climaxes ever in a Hollywood picture. With a strong supporting cast that includes Katina Paxinou (who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), Akim Tamiroff, Arturo de Cordova. Besides winner Paxinou, the film was nominated for eight other Oscars including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Art Direction (Hans Dreier, Haldane Douglas, Bertram C. Granger). Convincing California locations, the Sierra Nevada Mountains amongst them, stand in convincingly for the rocky, imposing Spanish terrain.

General Admission is $10; $7 Cinematheque; $9 Seniors (65+ years) and students with valid ID card. For 24-Hour ticket information please call 323.466.FILM.

Official Website: http://www.artdirectors.org