Eugene Lourie

Production Designer

About

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Birth Place

Russia

Born

April 08, 1903

Died

May 26, 1991

Cause of Death

Complications From Stroke

Biography

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This former extra and scenery painter began designing sets for the Parisian theater in the early 1930s before moving to the USA in 1941. Lourie did notable work for Max Ophuls, Robert Siodmak, Samuel Fuller and Charlie Chaplin ("Limelight" 1951). He is best known, however, for his many collaborations in France and America with Jean Renoir, most notably the art direction for "Grand Illusi...

Filmography

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The Giant Behemoth (1959)

The Colossus of New York (1958)

Breathless (1983)

The Giant Behemoth (1959)

Photos & Videos

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Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The -- (Movie Clip) The Meat Still Edible

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The -- (Movie Clip) What's Your Reading?

Family & Companions

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Laure Lourie

Wife

Bibliography

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"My Work in Films"

Eugene Lourie (1985)

Biography

This former extra and scenery painter began designing sets for the Parisian theater in the early 1930s before moving to the USA in 1941. Lourie did notable work for Max Ophuls, Robert Siodmak, Samuel Fuller and Charlie Chaplin ("Limelight" 1951). He is best known, however, for his many collaborations in France and America with Jean Renoir, most notably the art direction for "Grand Illusion" (1937) and "The Rules of the Game" (1939). Lourie's directorial work was confined to a handful of films including "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) and "The Colossus of New York" (1958).

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

The Giant Behemoth (1959)

The Colossus of New York (1958)

Cast (Feature Film)

Breathless (1983)

Writer (Feature Film)

The Giant Behemoth (1959)

Revolt in the Big House (1958)

Producer (Feature Film)

Confessions of an Opium Eater (1962)

Associate prod (see note)

Art Director (Feature Film)

Bronco Billy (1980)

Lacy and the Mississippi Queen (1978)

The Amazing Captain Nemo (1978)

Time Travelers (1976)

What Are Best Friends For? (1973)

Eliza's Horoscope (1972)

Haunts of the Very Rich (1972)

The Delphi Bureau (1972)

What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

Death Takes a Holiday (1971)

Custer of the West (1968)

Bikini Paradise (1967)

Crack in the World (1965)

The Strangler (1964)

Shock Corridor (1963)

Confessions of an Opium Eater (1962)

So This Is Paris (1955)

The Diamond Queen (1953)

Production Design

Limelight (1953)

The River (1951)

Production Design

A Woman's Vengeance (1948)

Song of Scheherazade (1947)

The Long Night (1947)

Production Design

The House of Fear (1945)

The Southerner (1945)

Production Design

The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945)

This Love of Ours (1945)

The French Way (1945)

Three Russian Girls (1944)

The Impostor (1944)

In Society (1944)

This Land Is Mine (1943)

Production Design

Associate (Art Direction)

The Rules of the Game (1939)

La Bete Humaine (1938)

Grand Illusion (1937)

Le Messager (1937)

Sous les yeux de l'Occident (1936)

Aventure a Paris (1936)

The Lower Depths (1936)

Hommes nouveaux, Les (1936)

La Petite Sauvage (1934)

Costume-Wardrobe (Feature Film)

La Petite Sauvage (1934)

Visual Effects (Feature Film)

Crack in the World (1965)

Special Effects Director

Art Department (Feature Film)

Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951)

Production Designer (Feature Film)

A Whale For The Killing (1981)

Production Designer

An Enemy Of The People (1978)

Production Designer

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Production Designer

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Napoleon (1955)

Technical Advisor

The Desert Song (1943)

Technical Advisor

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

If Paris Were Told To Us (1956)

Art Director (Special)

Chaplin Today: Limelight (2003)

The Return of Captain Nemo (1978)

Life Events

1919

Appeared as an extra in some Russian films

1920

Moved to Istanbul where he designed publicity material for the cinema

1921

Settled in Paris; became scenery painter and assistant to art director Lochakoff at Albatros studios

1923

First film as set painter, "Le brasier ardent", directed by Ivan Mosjoukine

1932

First film as art director, "Pan!...Pan!..."

1941

Moved to USA; designed sets for San Francisco Ballet's "Mephisto Waltz" (1947), "Persephone" (1948) and the Los Angeles production of "House of Bernarda Alba" (1948)

1943

Served as production designer on "This Land is Mine", directed by Jean Renoir; first US film

Photo Collections

The Giant Behemoth - Lobby Cards

Here are several lobby cards from The Giant Behemoth (1959), featuring stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The -- (Movie Clip) The Meat Still Edible Shared billing on the office door introducing Prof. Elson (Cecil Kellaway) and assistant Lee (Paula Raymond) in paleontology, receiving nuclear scientist Nesbitt (Paul Christian), who thinks he saw a dinosaur, in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, 1953.

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The -- (Movie Clip) What's Your Reading? Nuclear scientists Nesbitt (Paul Christian) and Ritchie (Ross Elliott) gathering data after their Arctic nuclear test, the latter of whom gets into trouble after sighting Ray Harryhausen's monster, in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, 1953.

Giant Behemoth, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) From Fish To Bigger Fish Nice alacrity, opening with the nukes and a lecture from Gene Evans in academic mode, as California marine biologist Steve Karnes at a conferenc in London, with brief interruptions, by Leonard Sachs then Andre Morrell as Brit professor Bickford, in The Giant Behemoth, 1959.

Giant Behemoth, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) The Best Fisherman In All Cornwall Writer-director Eugene Lourie banks on folksy Cornish charm, with Henry Vidon and Leigh Madison as fisherman Tom and daughter Jean, unrelated, as far as we know, to worried nuclear scientists back in London, parting on the coast before something odd transpires, turning to townsman John (John Turner), early in The Giant Behemoth, 1959.

Giant Behemoth, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Ferry Approach, SE18 Entirely real setting, after weird nuclear events all along the southern coast of England and assurances that the Thames estuary is at no risk, shooting at the Woolwich Ferry in East London, just past Greenwich, the monster, in miniature, looking like a legit aquatic dinosaur, finally appears, supervised by Willis O’Brien but under-financed, with no dialogue and none of the principal actors, in The Giant Behemoth, 1959.

Rules Of The Game (1939) -- (Movie Clip) I Did All This For Her Opening scenes, radio reporter (Lise Eline) chasing Lindbergh-y hero Andre' (Roland Toutain) on his landing in Paris, greeted by friend Octave (Jean Renoir, the director), his beloved Christine (Nora Gregor) listening, with her maid (Paulette Dubost), from Rules Of The Game, 1939.

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The -- (Movie Clip) No Second Chance Following the credits, narrated portent and loud Arctic nuclear experiment, from the Cold War Sci-Fi thriller The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, featuring Ray Harryhausen effects.

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The -- (Movie Clip) Throughout History Shrink Ingersoll (King Donovan) is introduced to hospitalized Nesbitt (Paul Christian), whose commander Evans (Kenneth Tobey) then drops by, all convinced he's imagining Ray Harryhausen's Arctic monster, shortly seen, in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, 1953.

River, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) It Brought A Young Man Further exposition, June Hillman reading from Rumer Godden's novel, from the perspective of young Harriet (Patricia Walter), emphasis this time on Valerie (Adrienne Corri), the parents (Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight) and especially Nan (Suprova Mukerjee), early in Jean Renoir's The River, 1951.

River, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Hindus Believe In One God Narration by June Hillman, in the voice of author Rumer Godden and the character Harriet (Patricia Walters), continues, as director Jean Renoir depicts the Indian festival Diwali, Thomas E. Breen as visiting "Captain John," in The River, 1951.

River, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) The Story Of My First Love Narration by June Hillman, text from the novel by Rumer Godden, cinematography by the director's nephew Claude, shooting on location on the Hooghly river in West Bengal, north of Calcutta, India, opening Jean Renoir's celebrated The River, 1951.

Burnt Offerings (1976) -- (Movie Clip) Damn It I Won't! Marian (Karen Black) assures Aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis) that it's okay for her to take a nap, but leads to a surprise, in director Dan Curtis' Burnt Offerings, 1976.

Burnt Offerings - (Original Trailer) A family moves into a haunted house that seems to be stealing their lives in Burnt Offerings (1976) starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black and Bette Davis.

Giant Behemoth, The - (Original Trailer) The Giant Behemoth (1959), a dinosaur that shoots radiation, invades LoLondon.

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, The - (Original Trailer) A nuclear blast in the Arctic awakens The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).

Battle of the Bulge, The - (teaser trailer) The Battle of the Bulge (1965), a giant all-star movie of the tide-turning WWII battle.

Napoleon (1927) -- (Trailer) San Francisco Silent Film Festival The trailer promoting the exclusive screening of Abel Gance's Napoleon, 1927, at the 2012 San Francisco Silent Film Festival.

Family

Anita Bigelow

Daughter

Companions

Laure Lourie

Wife

Bibliography

"My Work in Films"

Eugene Lourie (1985)

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