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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,222
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

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@spiderw  brought up the terrific art direction and sets in the movie "Laura".   Reminded me of how important the sets are to overall enjoyment of a film or TV show.

 

Example:  Everyone goes mad for the "Christmas in Connecticut" house.  And the "North by Northwest" house. 

 

I have too many to list, but the interiors from "The Fountainhead" rank way up there:

 

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Insane!  But I love these rooms, the way they dwarf the puny maveuvrings of all the characters, except Howard Roark, (Gary Cooper) of course.

 

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Fountainhead interior crop_1949_1.jpg

 

Late Forties' Modern.  That lighting, those shadows! 

 

Fabulous art direction can strike in any decade, of course. Remember Faye Dunaway's creamy latte apartment in "The Eyes of Laura Mars"?  So Halston-esque and the hushed, urban sophistication seemed a perfect expression of the movie's very Seventies' luxe and isolating angst:

 

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Anybody else have favorite set design from films?

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,268
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

The finished house in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (Cary Grant and Mryna Loy) and the Connecticut country house in "Pillow Talk"(Rock Hudson and Doris Day). 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,783
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Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

Image result for house from something's gotta give

 

It's not that old, but the beach house from Something's Gotta Give.

~The only difference between this place and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band.~
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Registered: ‎08-08-2013

Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

I mentioned in some post around here, that I met Van Johnson in an elevator and he wasn't the big, tall buy I dreamed about when I was very young and had such a crush on him.  I looked his height up and it says 6'1" and other places 6'2"..... Not true.  He wasn't even 6 ft.  Maybe about 5'9".....  The only really tall guy was Rock Hudson.

 

When my hubby was in the Air Force, he was stationed at a base where they were filming a movie with Rock Hudson.  Hubby was cast to play in it because they were looking for a tall guy (he's 6'5") to be a gatekeeper, or some such.  The movie was called "A Gathering of Eagles".....

 

He said they build the sets to accommodate the height of the actors.  Remember Alan Ladd?  Well, he was only 5'6" but looked much taller in pictures.  They reduced the sizes of furniture, made doorways smaller.    Van Johnson stood on boxes or platforms when he walked, to look about a foot taller than June Allyson, etc.  They usually cast the females who were shorter, too.

 

I learned a lot but don't remember too much.  

Honored Contributor
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Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

"Desk Set" and "Philadelphia Story".

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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

@sophiamarie  - Wow - that is interesting!  I've seen A Gathering of Eagles.  Was your husband in more than one scene?  That movie is rarely shown on TV.

 

@Oznell - my favorite sets are Doris Day's apartment in Pillow Talk, Mr. Blandings Connecticut home and Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn's home in Guess Who is Coming to Dinner.

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Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

I liked both the houses in Leave Her to Heaven. The one at Back of the Moon  and the more traditional one where the tragedy happened.

 

And the one in Father of the Bride-the real one with Spencer Tracy.

 

And the one in State Fair. I particularly remember Jeanne Crain leaning out her bedroom window singing It Might as Well Be Spring  and the window had Priscilla curtains on it, lol. 

 

I loved the movies where the windows in the houses all had windows that opened inward and never had screens-tried to get them when we built, but just not practical. Probably had to be special made!

 

Trying to recall the house in The Enchanted Cottage-it was charming I think, but not certain.

 

LOVED the Mrs. Miniver house.

 

And the house in My Friend Flicka I found was not even a house but built for the movie-only the front I think. How disheartening.

 

I could go on but I would have to think on it!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,222
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

I knew people would jog my memory of great sets.

 

Oh, yeah, the "Mrs. Miniver" house.  Of course, Joan Crawford's beach house in "Mildred Pierce".  "Blandings".  All these other ones you all have mentioned.

 

Doris's transformed country "white elephant" in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"...  So cozy and charming afterwards.

 

That "Something's Gotta Give" set has been wildly influential-- I'm told people tell decorators, "do that for me"!

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Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

@Oznell  - I forgot to mention that I have never seen The Fountainhead with Gary Cooper, but after seeing those sets, I want to see it!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,222
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: FAVORITE OLD MOVIE SETS?

Of slightly lesser known ones, I've always admired Ingrid's London apartment (and all the sets) in "Indiscreet":

 

 

 

Now, with my somewhat more "spare" preferences, I might like it a little less "full", but nevertheless it is so well done.

 

I was thrilled and felt vindicated when Dennis Miller, who is a huge movie hound on the order of Eddie Muller, said on his radio show that that is his favorite apartment in movies, ha.