| In matters of style, scholars dealing with American classical films most frequently assign credit to the director, screenwriter, or less often to the studio or the cinematographer. Rarely is mention made of the role played by the art director. This study focuses on the role played by certain of these film artists whose input strongly shaped the look of particular films. The designs of Richard Day, Hans Dreier, and Anton Grot bear the imprint of a distinctive style which is consistent across their work with various directors. Consequently, in certain films where it is clear that the style of these exceptional art directors dominates, might it not be possible to designate them as auteurs?;Chapters Two to Four deal with specific designs of Day, Dreier, and Grot as seen in their sketches and in the settings in specific films. Here, attention is given to the way that both their collaborators and the censors altered their concepts. Despite these constraints, the strong visual style of these men remained remarkably intact, and for the most part these particular designers were able to go forward with their designs for a project.;Day, Dreier, and Grot were often assigned to films early in pre-production. Thus they were more deeply involved with the project at that point than the director who was frequently working on another film, or assigned later like the cinematographer. Consequently, their sketches and continuity work, which often detailed figure placement, lighting, and camera placement and angle, shaped the final shot set-up. Because of this, Day, Dreier, and Grot might be designated auteurs in the matter of a film's style.;To place their careers in a historical and theoretical context, Chapter One examines how the role of the art director evolved in the period before 1920. In this chapter also, art directors from all periods and countries discuss their concepts for designing film settings. Their comments provide a comprehensive theory for the design of film settings. |
