Evening star., 1954-05-16


strictly modern story about q
strictly modern girl. AS a
result her background should
be as streamlined as her
boyish figure. Nothing tradi-
tional."
Thus the first of the mod
ern" sets was born.
"I'll never forget some of
those early reactions" Gibbons
chuckled. "Some of my best
friends took me aside to say
that what appeared on the
screen might be a house-but
never a home by any stretch of
the imagination. Since that
time. I'm happy to say, this
basic design has gained re-
spectability."
Gibbons feels that the women
Of today are rapidly realizing
that their homes should be
suitable backgrounds for their
own personalities. They are no
longer willing to compete for
attention with a lamp, a rug,
drapes or a cornice.
Actually the type Of house is
Of little consequence" he said.
1T can be contemporary, Early
American, Provincial, contrib
uted by France. or any other
general period so long as it
remains simple in both color
and design.
Everything today is COM
plex. There's great pressure in
the world outside. Everything
assumes a dizzy pattern. II for
no other reason than this. the
home should be plain with no
distracting conflict of design,
color or pattern to further con-
fuse"
None of Gibbons creations
struck the popular chord with
such a bang as the Early
American house he created for
the film, when Ladies Meet"
This started a whirlwind trend.
Gibbons has no explanation
other than the fact that
women were ready for some
thing different in home de-
sign and the reconverted
farmhouse of the picture
spanked tn cir imaginations.
Thousands of letters request
ing specifications and eleva-
tions of that house poured in
on MGM at the time and have
been reappearing spasmodi-
cally ever since.
In his own studio Office, Glib
bons maintains the severity Of
the modern. This serves the
better to show off his parade
of Oscars Gibbons prefers to
call them Academy Awards)
which glisten on a TERED book
case.
"It's my conceit that keeps
them there" he confessed.
Most people take them home.
I like mine in the office"
Ask Gibbons to name the
films they represent and he
shakes his head.
Il can only remember the
first and the last, he added.
The first was The Bridge OF
San Luis Rey' and the last,
Julius Caesar
He has a special spot in his
heart for these little men Of
gold. He designed them.
He's A Veteron
THE Academy was Just be-
ing formed" he reminisced.
There was a discussion as to
whether recognition should be
given in the form of a certifi-
cate. a scroll, or a citation.
We finally agreed that it
should be none of these but
instead an object the winner
could display on a desk or a
mantle. How many persons
bother to walk around a room
reading framed certificates on
the wall?"
Born in New York, Gibbons
cast his lot with the infant
tilm industry in 1912, seeing
in it possible opportunity for
developing a new form of art.
He became art director for the
old Thomas Edison Studio at
Bedford Park. N. Y, later
joined the original Goldwyn
organization in New York and
was with it four years before
moving to California in 1915.
Following the MGM merger
he remained on as art director
and has been head of the STU
dlo's art department ever
since.
Like all true artists. Glib
bons is never completely salts
fled with his own work. He
has his special favorites among
pictures he has done and is a
little disappointed that his
choice didn't always coincide
with those of the others.
He's still carrying the torch.
as it were. for his own two
all-time favorites, Marie An
toinette" and Romeo and
Juliet"
II never won an Oscar I
deserved. or deserved an Oscar
I won." he said sadly.
released by NANA.)