Art of the Hollywood Backdrop at Boca Raton Museum of Art

Stephenie with a backdrop from North by Northwest (1959)

For a movie to be successful, the audience has to collectively engage in a willing suspension of disbelief. Scenic designers and painters play a crucial role in making that happen. Their work, however, has often gone unrecognized. "Art of the Hollywood Backdrop" is the first museum show to celebrate the talent of the people who brought some of the most iconic movie settings -- circa 1938 to 1968 -- to life. 

The show made its world premiere at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in April. Appropriately, film critic Leonard Maltin got a sneak peek. He said of the exhibit: "These monumental paintings were essential to moviemaking for almost a century and were never meant to be seen by the public with the naked eye. Having this rare opportunity to experience these American masterpieces up close is long overdue." How could we resist?  

Our gang (plus one) on the set of Singin' in the Rain (1959)

The exhibit was inspired by a segment on the CBS Sunday Morning show with Jane Pauley that aired in 2020. The piece highlighted the craft of creating backdrops and the Backdrop Recovery Project, an ongoing effort to preserve historic backdrops otherwise destined for the dump. The segment featured Karen L. Maness, an artist and educator who co-authored a beautiful coffee table book entitled "The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop." Also included were Thomas Walsh from the Backdrop Recovery Project and Lynne Coakley, the latest generation in a family that's long made its living in the backdrop business. Maness, Walsh and Coakley were all involved in the creation of the exhibit. It's no wonder it's so glorious. 

The backdrops -- or backings -- in the exhibit were often paired with video from the related movie. We gleefully watched a scene from Singin' in the Rain in which Donald O'Connor engaged in his acrobatics with our new pal. (Click here to watch "Make 'Em Laugh." The entire number is a joy; O'Connor's encounter with the dummy appears approximately two minutes in.) The reason movie clips weren't included for all the backdrops is because the history of some of the backings has been lost. It's kind of sad. 

From The Sound of Music

The exhibit included multiple backings from one of my family's favorite movies -- The Sound of Music. The scene pictured here was a recreation of a movie location to be viewed through a window of the Von Trapp home. All of the backdrops for this classic were painted by Lynne Coakley's father and grandfather. Her great grandfather was also a scenic artist who made his living in the 1930s working for MGM. In the CBS Morning Show segment, Coakley noted that many people have a painting done by a family member hanging on a wall; her family heirloom just happens to be 90' wide. Coakley is making her own contributions to the industry as President of JC Backings, a company that rents painted and digital backdrops. Some of the works created by Lynne's family are included in the company's inventory. Very cool.   

Linda and Judy show off the backdrop from an unknown film 

The exhibit introduces museumgoers to the work of George Gibson, a scenic designer who worked for MGM for more than 30 years. Gibson created the backdrops for many beloved movies, including The Wizard of Oz, An American in Paris and North by Northwest. Despite his contributions, Gibson was never mentioned when the credits rolled. That was just the practice of the day. Backdrop artists were considered mere technicians and, as such, were invisible. In this regard, they are likened to the nameless apprentices of Renaissance masters who had a hand in painting some of the world's greatest masterpieces. 

Judy on the street of an unknown film

Notwithstanding the lack of public acknowledgement, Gibson's talent was recognized at the highest levels within MGM. When the studio decided to expand its footprint, Gibson successfully lobbied for a new building to be dedicated to scenic design. For the artists to have their own workspace instead of creating in the midst of the chaos of a soundstage was a great advance. But the real kicker was Gibson's innovations to the way the backdrops were physically painted. Historically, canvases were hung on walls and painted by artists from their perch on a scaffold. In the new facility, the canvases were stretched and mounted in frames 100' wide by 40' tall. Slots in the floor allowed the works in progress to be raised and lowered so artists could work on different sections while standing in a more traditional painterly position. 

"The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop" will be on display at the Boca Raton Museum of Art through January 22, 2023. If you're in the area, don't miss it. It is seriously fun. For more information, click here. To watch the CBS Morning Show segment that provided the spark for the exhibit, click here. And click here to check out the beautiful tome of a coffee table book "The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop" by Richard Isackes and Karen Maness. If you go to the preview feature, you can scroll through pages and pages of images of backdrops. They are sure to make you recall some time sitting in a dark theater (or on your couch!) immersed in a bit of movie magic. Enjoy!