American Cinematheque & the Art Directos Guild Hall of Fame Series - Tributing Art Director Boris Leven with a Screening of 'New York New York' June 24, 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 Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York on Sunday, June 24h at 7:30 PM at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
Boris Leven’s (1908-1986) career as an Art Director started in 1933 as a sketch artist for Paramount, where he learned the craft from the legendary Hans Dreier. He stayed there for three years, believing this was just temporary work until he could start a career in architecture. But moving to 20th Century Fox, he finally found his calling as an Art Director. His first film for the studio, Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938) earned him his first of nine Oscar nominations. Other nominations included The Shanghai Gesture (1941), Giant (1956), The Sound of Music (1965), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Star! (1968), The Andromeda Strain (1971) and The Color of Money (1986). He frequently worked with Martin Scorsese and Robert Wise. His assignments ranged widely from westerns to science fiction to musicals. He won an Academy Award for his Production Design work on West Side Story (1961). He was a master colorist and achieved his finest work on Technicolor dramas and musicals. He became a freelancer in the early fifties and in 1956 worked on George Stevens’ Giant, one of the first Hollywood epics to shoot primarily on location.
New York, New York (1977, MGM Repertory, 163 min.). Director Martin Scorsese called it a "film noir musical." A powerful and misunderstood tribute to musical forefathers Vincente Minelli and Stanley Donen, it melds larger-than-life soundstage musicals and kitchen sink realism. Scorsese mainstay Robert DeNiro stars as Jimmy Doyle, a WWII veteran who returns home on V-Day and attempts to pick up Francine Evans (Liza Minnelli) at a huge party. Her career as a singer is on the rise while his inventive saxophone style has not yet caught on. Often improvised, DeNiro's performance comes off like a more musical cousin of Travis Bickle while Minelli soars in the final act. The breathtaking production design is by the legendary Boris Leven, art director of numerous noir films such as Criss Cross and Sudden Fear and the classic musicals West Side Story and The Sound of Music. Cinematography by Laszlo Kovacs (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces). Also features Mary Kay Place, Barry Primus, and Dick Miller.
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.