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Norman G. Arnold

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Norman G. Arnold
Born19 September 1892
Leigh, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Died7 December 1963(1963-12-07) (aged 71)
Harrow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Other namesNorman Gregory Arnold
OccupationArt director
Years active1922-1963 (film)

Norman G. Arnold (19 September 1892 – 7 December 1963) was a British art director who designed the sets for over a hundred and twenty films.

Early life and World War I

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An aerial view of a dogfight between one British and three German aircraft. To the left one plane plummets streaming a trail of grey smoke behind. Below lies the faint outline of fields and lakes on the ground.
The Last Fight of Captain Ball, VC, DSO and 2 Bars, MC, 7 May 1917 by Norman G. Arnold, 1919

Arnold studied architecture, interior decoration & design. During the First World War, Arnold served in the Royal Flying Corps with the rank of Lieutenant and worked in the Armaments School. In 1918, Arnold was appointed to be an official war artist, tasked with portraying types of aircraft, methods of aerial fighting and specific famous air battles on the Western Front. He produced a number of water-colour paintings which are now housed in the Imperial War Museum in London, including the 24 x 36 inch painting The Last Flight of Albert Ball VC.[1]

Film career

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Arnold entered the film industry in 1920 in the silent era. His first employer was Famous Players Lasky Corporation for which he was the art designer on eight films before he began working for British producer Herbert Wilcox in 1922, working on films in Berlin such as Decameron Nights in 1924. Between 1927 and 1946, Arnold served as an Art Director for a number of film companies including British Lion, First National and Independent Companies. By 1948, Arnold had been art director on over 150 feature films.[2] In the early 1940s, he was employed by Warner Brothers at Teddington Studios. In 1947 he designed the sets for Hue and Cry, the first of the Ealing Comedies.[3] Much of his later career was spent designing for low-budget second features, particularly for the Danziger Brothers. His final work was on the Cold War thriller Ring of Spies, a more prestigious production, which was completed after his death.

His brother Wilfred Arnold was also an art director.

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Harries, Meirion & Susie. The War Artists. Michael Joseph Ltd, 1983. p-137.
  2. ^ Carrick, E. Art & Design in the British Film Industry. Denis Dobson, London, 1948. Chapter-3.
  3. ^ Barr p.197

Bibliography

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  • Barr, Charles. Ealing Studios. University of California Press, 1998.
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