Paul Sylbert (April 16, 1928 – November 19, 2016) was an American

Academy Award 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 ...

-winning

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 ...

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

, and

set designer Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trained ...

who

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

on occasion. Born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, the son of a dressmaker, Sylbert grew up in the borough's Flatbush neighborhood and graduated from

Erasmus Hall High School Erasmus Hall High School was a four-year public high school located at 899–925 Flatbush Avenue between Church and Snyder Avenues in the Flatbush neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It was founded in 1786 as Erasmus Hall Ac ...

in 1946. He fought in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

and attended the

Tyler School of Art The Tyler School of Art and Architecture is based at Temple University, a large, urban, public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tyler currently enrolls about 1,350 undergraduate students and about 200 graduate students in a wid ...

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

Elkins Park, Pennsylvania Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs outside of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly from Cent ...

with his identical twin brother

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

. Early in their careers, they collaborated on ''

Baby Doll ''Baby Doll'' is a 1956 American dramatic black comedy film directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play '' ...

'' and '' A Face in the Crowd''. Sylbert also attended the Hans Hoffman School of Art and The Actors Studio. He is a veteran of the United States Army and served in Korea. Sylbert was a member of the faculty at the Film and Media Arts department of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught courses in film studies. He also taught a course called Film: The Creative Process at

in the Spring of 2014. Sylbert died on November 19, 2016, at the age of 88.

Filmography

Television (as designer)

* '' The Big Story ''(1951) * '' The Home Show ''(1954) * ''The Ira Hayes Story'' * ''John Brown'' (1960) * ''Songs for Sale'' * '' Molly Goldberg'' * ''

Ford Theater ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'' * ''Danger'' * ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...

'' * '' Studio One''

Feature films (as designer)

*''

Roogie's Bump ''Roogie's Bump'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Harold Young and written by Jack Hanley and Dan Totheroh. The film stars Robert Marriott, Ruth Warrick, Olive Blakeney, Robert F. Simon, William Harrigan and David Winters. The film w ...

'' (1954) *''

'' (1956) *''

The Wrong Man ''The Wrong Man'' is a 1956 American docudrama film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film was drawn from the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the book ''The True Sto ...

'' (1956) *'' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957) *''

Country Music Holiday ''Country Music Holiday'' is a 1958 American musical film directed by Alvin Ganzer and written by Harry Spalding. The film stars Ferlin Husky, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Rocky Graziano, Faron Young, Al Fisher, Lou Marks and June Carter Cash. The film was re ...

'' (1958) *''

The Teenage Millionaire ''Teenage Millionaire'' is a 1961 American comedy film directed by Lawrence Doheny and written by Lawrence Doheny and Harry Spalding. The film stars Jimmy Clanton, Rocky Graziano, ZaSu Pitts, Diane Jergens, Valerie Ziegler, Cheyenne Boyer, Ga ...

'' (1961) *''Without Each Other'' (1962) *''

The Tiger Makes Out ''The Tiger Makes Out'' is a 1967 American black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller, and starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. The plot concerns a kidnapper and his unintended victim. It marked Dustin Hoffman's film debut. Plot Loser Ben Ha ...

'' (1967) *''The Riot'' (1969) *'' Bad Company'''' (1972) *'' The Drowning Pool'' (1975) *'' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975) *''

Mikey and Nicky Mikey is a masculine given name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Michael. It may also refer to: People * Mikey Ambrose (born 1993), American Major League Soccer player * Mikey Arroyo (born 1969), Filipino actor and politician, son of Phili ...

'' (1976) *'' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) *''

Hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

'' (1979) *''

Kramer vs. Kramer ''Kramer vs. Kramer'' is a 1979 American legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel of the same name. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, and Justin Henry. It tells the stor ...

'' (1979) *''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

'' (1980) *'' Wolfen'' (1981) *''

Blow Out ''Blow Out'' is a 1981 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma. The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budget sl ...

'' (1981) *''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'' (1983) *'' Gorky Park'' (1983) *''

Firstborn A firstborn (also known as an eldest child or sometimes firstling) is the first child born to in the birth order of a couple through childbirth. Historically, the role of the firstborn child has been socially significant, particularly for a firstb ...

'' (1984) *''

The Journey of Natty Gann ''The Journey of Natty Gann'' is a 1985 American adventure film directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The film introduced Meredith Salenger and also starred John Cusack, Lainie Ka ...

'' (1985) *''

Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in S ...

''(1987) *'' Nadine'' (1987) *'' The Pick-up Artist'' (1987) *''

Biloxi Blues ''Biloxi Blues'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon. It portrays the conflict of Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey and Arnold Epstein, one of many privates enlisted in the military stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi, seen through the eyes of E ...

'' (1988) *'' Fresh Horses'' (1988) *'' Career Opportunities'' (1989) *''

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

'' (1991) *''

The Prince of Tides ''The Prince of Tides'' is a 1991 American romantic drama film directed and co-produced by Barbra Streisand, from a screenplay written by Pat Conroy and Becky Johnston, based on Conroy's 1986 novel ''The Prince of Tides''. It stars Streisand a ...

'' (1991) *''

Sliver Sliver may refer to: Entertainment *Sliver (novel), ''Sliver'' (novel), a 1991 novel by Ira Levin **Sliver (film), ''Sliver'' (film), a 1993 film adaptation of the novel **Sliver (soundtrack), ''Sliver'' (soundtrack), the soundtrack to the 1993 fi ...

''(1992) *'' Milk Money'' (1994) *''

Free Willy 2 ''Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home'' (also known as ''Free Willy 2'') is a 1995 American family adventure drama film directed by Dwight Little from a screenplay by Karen Janszen, Corey Blechman and John Mattson. It is the sequel to the 1993 film '' ...

'' (1995) *''

The Grass Harp ''The Grass Harp'' is a novel by Truman Capote published on October 1, 1951Clarke, Gerald. ''Capote: A Biography'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988), page 224. It tells the story of an orphaned boy and two elderly ladies who observe life from a ...

'' (1995) *''

Rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...

'' (1997) *''

Conspiracy Theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

'' (1997) *''

To End All Wars ''To End All Wars'' is a 2001 war film starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and Sakae Kimura and was directed by David L. Cunningham. The film is based on '' Through the Valley of the Kwai'', an autobiography of Scottish captain Ernest G ...

'' (2001)

Stage (as designer)

* ''Susannah'' (1957) * ''Tale for a Deaf Ear'' (1958) * ''Street Scene'' (1958) * ''The Crucible'' (1959) * ''Carmina Buranna'' (1960) * ''Oedipus Rex'' (1960) * Festival of Two Worlds, Spoletto, Italy: The Angel of Fire (1959), Lulu (1974) * ''The Agon of Gross'' - Off-Broadway (1952) * ''The Making of Moo'' - Off-Broadway (1956) * ''The Four Poster'' - Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1957) * ''Two For The Seesaw''- Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1958) * ''The Miracle Worker'' - Theatron Dionysus, Athens, Greece (1961) * ''Night of the Iguana'' - Coconut Grove Playhouse (1961) * ''The Duchess of Malfi'' - The Mark Taper Forum (1974)

Stage direction

* ''Oedipus Rex'', New York City Opera Company (1960) * ''The Four Poster'' - Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1957) * ''Two for the Seesaw'' - Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1958) * ''The Miracle Worker'' - Theatron Dionysus, Athens, Greece (1961)

Television direction

* ''The Defenders'' (1963) * ''The Nurses'' (1963) * '' Mr. Broadway'' (1964) * ''The Reporter'' (1964)

Commercial direction

* Over 50 spots including Clairol, Dash, Burma Shave, Belvedere Cigarettes, Belmont Park, etc. * TV Graphics and Group Productions (1965-1968)

Industrial direction

* General Electric (1966) * New York Telephone Co. (1967)

Feature film direction

* ''Instant Love -'' Herbert Richards Productions, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1963) * ''

The Steagle ''The Steagle'' is a 1971 American comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Irvin Faust. The film was directed by Paul Sylbert and starred Richard Benjamin. The film concerns the personality change which overcomes the protagonist during ...

'' - Avco-Embassy Pictures, Inc. (1971)

Writer - film

* ''

'' - Avco-Embassy Pictures, Inc. (1971) * '' Nighthawks -'' Universal Studios (1981)

Writer - books

* ''Final Cut - The making and breaking of a film'', Seasbury Press/Continuum Books (1974) * ''100 Ways to Beat the Blues'' (contributor), Tanya Tucker, Simon & Schuster (2003) * ''Cows: A rumination'' (contributor), Carl Hileman, Emmis Books (2004)

Awards

* Academy Award - ''Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) * Academy Award Nominee - ''

'' (1992) * Lifetime Achievement Award - Art Directors Guild (2009)

References

Richard Sylbert bio at VH1.com
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External links

*
Paul Sylbert Temple University

The Miami News August 19, 1960
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylbert, Paul 1928 births 2016 deaths American television directors American male screenwriters Best Art Direction Academy Award winners People from Flatbush, Brooklyn American production designers Temple University faculty American art directors American twins Identical twins Erasmus Hall High School alumni Film directors from New York City Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Pennsylvania