Lloyd Henry "Bummy" Bumstead (March 17, 1915 – May 24, 2006) was an American cinematic art director and

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

. In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, Bumstead began as a draftsman in RKO Pictures' art department and later served as an art director or production designer on more than 90 feature films. He won

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Art Direction for ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'' (1962) and ''

The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw).'' Variety'' film review; December 12, 1973, pag ...

'' (1973). He was also nominated for Academy Awards for his work on ''

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

'' (1958) and ''

Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...

'' (1992). After attending the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

, he began working at RKO Pictures in 1937. His career was interrupted by military service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He worked at Paramount Pictures in the 1940s and 1950s and at

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

in the 1960s and 1970s. He collaborated with

George Roy Hill George Roy Hill (December 20, 1921 – December 27, 2002) was an American film director. He is most noted for directing such films as ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969) and ''The Sting'' (1973), both starring Paul Newman and Robert Re ...

and Clint Eastwood on multiple films. His final work, at age 91, was on Eastwood's '' Flags of Our Fathers'' (2006).

Early years

Bumstead was born in 1915 in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...

, 35 miles east of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. His father operated L.G. Bumstead & Company, a sporting goods store, and his mother was a teacher. In high school, he was captain of the football, team, student body president, and class valedictorian. He received a scholarship to the

where he studied architecture. He also played football and ran hurdles for the track team.

Film career

RKO and Paramount

Bumstead interned with RKO Pictures in 1935 while still a student at USC. In 1937, he went to work as a draftsman RKO's art department. He received his first screen credit for set design for the 1944 feature '' The Story of Dr. Wassell''. Bumstead's career was interrupted by service in the Navy during

. After the war, he joined Paramount Pictures where he worked and studied under the noted art directors, Hans Dreier and

Roland Anderson Roland Anderson (November 18, 1903 – October 29, 1989) was an American movie art director. He received 15 Academy Award nominations but never won an Oscar. Anderson's first Oscar nomination was for his first film in 1933, ''A Farewell to Arms ...

. Bumtead's first film as an art director was the 1948 feature '' Saigon''. Early works also included '' Come Back, Little Sheba'' (1952 film) and '' The Bridges at Toko-Ri'' (1952). Later in the 1950s, Bumstead worked on two Alfred Hitchcock features: '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) and ''

'' (1958). He received his first Academy Award nomination for ''Vertigo''. In a tribute to Bumstead, the Art Directors Guild said of his work on ''Vertigo'': "Though shot in Technicolor, the film's settings masterfully captured a film-noir style and atmosphere." He again collaborated with Hitchcock on '' Topaz'' (1969) and '' Family Plot'' (1976).

Universal

Bumstead left Paramount for

in 1961. He won the Academy Award for art direction for his work on ''

'' (1962). Film historian Michael Stephens wrote: "Bumstead's sets not only captured the style of a small town in the South, but also the atmosphere of repression and danger that hovers over the story." Other significant works during Bumstead's years at Universal included '' Father Goose'' (1964), '' The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' (1968), and ''

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema several times. Plot T ...

'' (1974).

Hill collaboration

In the 1970s, Bumstead began a lengthy collaboration with director

that was highlighted by ''

'' (1973). The film won the Academy Award for best picture, and Bumstead and Hill also received Academy Awards for best director and best art direction. Bumstead's relationship with Hill extended into the late 1980s and included ''

Slaughterhouse-Five ''Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death'' is a 1969 semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows the life and experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years, to h ...

'' (1972), '' The Great Waldo Pepper'' (1975), '' Slap Shot'' (1977), ''

A Little Romance ''A Little Romance'' is a 1979 American romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Laurence Olivier, Thelonious Bernard, and Diane Lane in her film debut. The screenplay was written by Allan Burns and George Roy Hill, based on ...

'' (1979), ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Natio ...

'' (1982), '' The Little Drummer Girl'' (1984), and '' Funny Farm''.

Eastwood collaboration

Bumstead began a long professional relationship with Clint Eastwood on the 1972 western ''

Joe Kidd ''Joe Kidd'' is a 1972 American Western film starring Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, written by Elmore Leonard and directed by John Sturges. The film is about an ex-bounty hunter hired by a wealthy landowner named Frank Harlan to track down ...

''. The following year, Eastwood hired Bumstead for his directorial debut in ''

High Plains Drifter ''High Plains Drifter'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who ...

'' (1973). The two worked together on a total of 13 films, including ''

'' (1992), ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (film) ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a 1997 American mystery thriller film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood and starring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. The screenplay by John Lee Hancock was based on John Berendt's 1994 book of ...

'' (1997), ''

Space Cowboys ''Space Cowboys'' is a 2000 American adventure drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. It stars Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four older "ex-test pilots" who are sent into space to repair an old ...

'' (2000), ' Blood Work'' (2002), ''

Mystic River The Mystic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in Massachusetts, in the United States. In Massachusett, means "large estuary," alluding to t ...

(2003), and '' Million Dollar Baby'' (2004). Bumstead's final collaboration with Eastwood was on '' Flags of Our Fathers'' and '' Letters from Iwo Jima''. Bumstead was 91 years old during the production, and the films were released after Bumstead's death. ''Flags of Our Fathers'' includes a dedication to "Bummy" in tribute to Bumstead.

Family and honors

Bumstead was married to his wife, Lena, for 23 years. He had three sons: Robert, Marty, and Steven. In 1996, Bumstead received the

Art Directors Guild The Art Directors Guild (ADG; IATSE Local 800) is a labor union and local of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) representing 2,979 motion picture and television professionals in the United States and Canada. T ...

's lifetime achievement award. He was also inducted into the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame. He died in May 2006 at age 91. He was posthumously inducted into the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame in 2009.

Filmography

All entries are sourced to the American Film Institute's Henry Bumstead Filmography unless otherwise noted. * '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944, set design) * '' Saigon'' (1948, art director) * '' The Sainted Sisters'' (1948, art director) * ''

My Friend Irma ''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...

'' (1949, art director) * '' My Own True Love'' (1949, art director) * '' Song of Surrender'' (1949, art director) * '' Streets of Laredo'' (1949, art director) * '' Top o' the Morning'' (1949, art director) * ''

The Furies The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...

'' (1950, art director) * ''

My Friend Irma Goes West ''My Friend Irma Goes West'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Hal Walker and based on the radio show ''My Friend Irma.'' It stars the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film is a sequel to ''My Friend Irma'' (1949) and was ...

'' (1950, art director) * '' No Man of Her Own'' (1950, art director) * '' Dear Brat'' (1951, art director) * '' Rhubarg'' (1951, art director) * ''

The Redhead and the Cowboy ''The Redhead and the Cowboy'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Leslie Fenton and starring Glenn Ford and Rhonda Fleming. Plot Late in the American Civil War, the New Mexico Territory is full of spies and guerrillas for both sides. ...

'' (1951, art director) * '' Submarine Command'' (1951, art director) * ''

Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick ''Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick'' (also known as ''Marshmallow Moon'' in the U.K. and the Philippines and ''Härkiä, heiniä ja hakkailua'' in Finland) is a 1952 Paramount Pictures hillbilly musical film directed by Claude Binyon and produced b ...

'' (1952, art director) * '' Come Back, Little Sheba'' (1952, art director) * '' Jumping Jacks'' (1952, art director) * '' Sailor Beware'' (1952, art director) * '' Little Boy Lost'' (1953, art director) * '' Money from Home'' (1953, art director) * ''

The Stars Are Singing ''The Stars Are Singing'' is a 1953 Paramount Pictures musical directed by Norman Taurog and starring Rosemary Clooney, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Lauritz Melchior. Plot The screenplay concerns a 15-year-old Polish girl (played by Alberghetti) ...

'' (1953, art director) * '' Knock on Wood'' (1954, art director) * ''

Lucy Gallant ''Lucy Gallant'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Robert Parrish and written by John Lee Mahin and Winston Miller. The film stars Jane Wyman, Charlton Heston, Claire Trevor, Thelma Ritter, William Demarest and Wallace Ford. The film wa ...

'' (1955, art director) * '' Run for Cover'' (1955, art director) * '' The Bridges at Toko-Ri'' (1955, art director, production designer) * '' Hollywood or Bust'' (1956, art director) * '' The Leather Saint'' (1956, art director) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956, art director, production designer) * '' That Certain Feeling'' (1956, art director) * ''

The Vagabond King ''The Vagabond King'' is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic novel and play ''If I Were King''. The story is a fictionali ...

'' (1956, art director) * '' As Young as We Are'' (1958, art director) * ''

I Married a Monster from Outer Space ''I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' is a 1958 American horror science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced and directed by Gene Fowler Jr., that stars Tom Tryon and Gloria Talbott. Paramount released the film as a double feature ...

'' (1958, art director) * ''

'' (1958, art director,production designer) * '' The Hangman'' (1959, art director) * '' The Trap'' (1959, art director) * ''

The Bellboy ''The Bellboy'' is a 1960 American comedy film written, produced, directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on July 20, 1960 by Paramount Pictures and marked Lewis's directorial debut. Plot In a prologue sequence, fictitious executi ...

'' (1960, art director) * ''

Cinderfella ''Cinderfella'' is a 1960 American semi-musical comedy film adaptation of the classic ''Cinderella'' story, with most characters changed in gender from female to male and starring Jerry Lewis as Fella. It was released on November 22, 1960 by P ...

'' (1960, art director) * ''

Come September ''Come September'' is a 1961 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin. Plot Wealthy American businessman Robert Talbot owns a villa on the Ligurian coast, ...

'' (1961, art director) * '' The Great Impostor'' (1961, art director) * '' The Spiral Road'' (1962, art director) * ''

'' (1962, art director, production designer) * '' A Gathering of Eagles'' (1963, art director) * '' The Brass Bottle'' (1964, art director) * ''

Bullet for a Badman ''Bullet for a Badman'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Audie Murphy and Darren McGavin. The film is based on the 1958 novel ''Renegade Posse'', the working title of the film by Marvin H. Albert. The f ...

'' (1964, art director) * '' Father Goose'' (1964, art director) * ''

The War Lord ''The War Lord'' is a 1965 American drama historical film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston. The film, which concerns medieval warfare and culture in 11th-century Normandy, is an adaptation of the play ''The Lovers ...

'' (1965, art director) * ''

Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...

'' (1966, art director) * ''

Blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a poorly tied or trick blindf ...

'' (1966, art director) * '' Gunpoint'' (1966, art director) * '' Banning'' (1967, art director) * '' The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' (1967, art director) * ''

Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...

'' (1967, art director) * '' What's So Bad About Feeling Good?'' (1968, art director) * ''

A Man Called Gannon ''A Man Called Gannon'' is a 1968 American Technicolor Western film directed by James Goldstone starring Tony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin and Judi West. The film is a remake of '' Man Without a Star'' (1955). Plot Cowboy Gannon (Tony Franci ...

'' (1969, art director) * ''

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here ''Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here'' is a 1969 American Western film based on the true story of a Chemehuevi–Paiute Native American named Willie Boy and his run-in with the law in 1909 in Banning, California, United States. The film is an adapt ...

'' (1969, art director) * '' Topaz'' (1969, production designer) * '' One More Train to Rob'' (1971, art director) * ''

Raid on Rommel ''Raid on Rommel'' is an American B movie in Technicolor from 1971, directed by Henry Hathaway and set in North Africa during the Second World War. It stars Richard Burton as a British commando attempting to destroy German gun emplacements in Tob ...

'' (1971, art director) * ''

'' (1972, art director) * ''

'' (1972, art director) * '' Showdown'' (1973, art director) * ''

'' (1973, art director) * ''

'' (1974, art director) * '' The Great Waldo Pepper'' (1975, art director) * '' Family Plot'' (1976, production designer) * ''

Rollercoaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

'' (1977, production designer) * '' Slap Shot'' (1977, art director) * ''

House Calls A house call is medical consultation performed by a doctor or other healthcare professionals visiting the home of a patient or client, instead of the patient visiting the doctor's clinic or hospital. In some locations, families used to pay due ...

'' (1978, production designer) * '' Same Time, Next Year'' (1978, production designer) * ''

'' (1979, production designer) * '' The Concorde ... Airport '79'' (1979, production designer) * ''

Smokey and the Bandit II ''Smokey and the Bandit II'' is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason and Dom DeLuise. The film is the sequel to the 1977 film ''Smokey and the Bandit''. ...

'' (1980, production designer) * ''

'' (1982, production designer) * '' Harry & Son'' (1984, production designer) * '' The Little Drummer Girl'' (1984, production designer) * ''

Warning Sign A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a potential hazard, obstacle, or condition requiring special attention. Some are traffic signs that indicate hazards on roads that may not be readily apparent to a driver. While warning traffi ...

'' (1985, production designer) * ''

Psycho III ''Psycho III'' is a 1986 American slasher film, and the third film in the ''Psycho'' franchise. It stars Anthony Perkins, who also directs the film, reprising the role of Norman Bates. It co-stars Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, and Roberta Maxwell. ...

'' (1986, production designer) * '' Funny Farm'' (1988, production designer) * '' A Time of Destiny'' (1988, production designer) * ''

Her Alibi ''Her Alibi'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Charlie Peters and starring Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, William Daniels, and James Farentino. Plot Phil Blackwood (Selleck) is an American mystery ...

'' (1989, production designer) * '' Almost an Angel'' (1990, production designer) * ''

Ghost Dad ''Ghost Dad'' is a 1990 American fantasy comedy film directed by Sidney Poitier (in his final directorial effort) and starring Bill Cosby, in which a widower's spirit is able to communicate with his children after his death. It was critically pa ...

'' (1990, production designer) * '' Cape Fear'' (1991, production designer) * ''

'' (1992 production designer) * ''

A Perfect World ''A Perfect World'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood. It stars Kevin Costner as an escaped convict who takes a young boy ( T. J. Lowther) hostage and attempts to escape on the road with the child. Eastwood co-stars ...

'' (1993, production designer) * '' The Stars Fell on Henrietta'' (1995, production designer) * '' Absolute Power'' (1997, production designer) * ''

Home Alone 3 ''Home Alone 3'' is a 1997 American family comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell in his directorial debut, produced by John Hughes, and starring Alex D. Linz and Haviland Morris. The film tells the story of an 8-year-old boy who defends his ho ...

'' (1997, production designer) * ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...

'' (1997, production designer) * ''

True Crime True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 pe ...

'' (1999, production designer) * ''

'' (2000) * '' Blood Work'' (2002, production designer) * ''

'' (2003, production designer) * '' Million Dollar Baby'' (2004, production designer) * '' Flags of Our Fathers'' (2006, production designer) * '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' (2006, production designer)

References

External links

*
Henry Bumstead papers
Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences {{DEFAULTSORT:Bumstead, Henry American art directors American production designers Best Art Direction Academy Award winners University of Southern California alumni Deaths from prostate cancer 1915 births 2006 deaths Deaths from cancer in California People from Ontario, California United States Navy personnel of World War II