Henry Bumstead facts for kids

Lloyd Henry "Bummy" Bumstead (born March 17, 1915 – died May 24, 2006) was an American movie expert. He was known as an art director and production designer. These jobs mean he was in charge of how movies looked. He designed the sets, chose the colors, and made sure everything on screen fit the story.

Bumstead worked in movies for almost 70 years. He started as a draftsman, drawing plans for movie sets. Later, he became a top art director. He won two Academy Awards for his amazing work. These were for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and The Sting (1973). He was also nominated for his work on Vertigo (1958) and Unforgiven (1992).

He went to the University of Southern California. Then, he started working at RKO Pictures in 1937. His career was paused when he served in the Navy during World War II. After the war, he worked at Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios. He often worked with famous directors like George Roy Hill and Clint Eastwood. His last movie, Flags of Our Fathers (2006), was made when he was 91 years old.

Early Life and Education

Bumstead was born in 1915 in Ontario, California. This town is about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. His dad ran a sports store, and his mom was a teacher. In high school, he was a great student and athlete. He was the football team captain and student body president. He was also the best student in his class.

He earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California. There, he studied architecture, which is the design of buildings. He also played football and ran track for the school.

A Career in Film

Starting Out: RKO and Paramount

Bumstead first worked at RKO Pictures in 1935. He was still a student at USC then. In 1937, he got a full-time job drawing plans for movie sets. His first official credit for set design was for the movie The Story of Dr. Wassell in 1944.

His movie career stopped for a bit during World War II. He served in the Navy. After the war, he joined Paramount Pictures. There, he learned from famous art directors like Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson. His first movie as an art director was Saigon in 1948. He also worked on Come Back, Little Sheba (1952) and The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1952).

Later in the 1950s, Bumstead worked with the famous director Alfred Hitchcock. He helped create the look for The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and Vertigo (1958). He got his first Academy Award nomination for Vertigo. The Art Directors Guild said his work on Vertigo perfectly captured a dark and mysterious mood. He also worked with Hitchcock again on Topaz (1969) and Family Plot (1976).

Working at Universal Studios

In 1961, Bumstead moved to Universal Studios. He won his first Academy Award for art direction for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). A film historian named Michael Stephens said that Bumstead's sets for this movie showed what a small Southern town looked like. They also created the feeling of danger in the story. Other important movies he worked on at Universal include Father Goose (1964) and The Front Page (1974).

Working with Director George Roy Hill

In the 1970s, Bumstead started working a lot with director George Roy Hill. Their most famous movie together was The Sting (1973). This film won the Academy Award for best picture. Bumstead and Hill also won Academy Awards for best director and best art direction for it. Their partnership lasted until the late 1980s. They worked on many movies, including Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) and The World According to Garp (1982).

Working with Clint Eastwood

Bumstead also started a long working relationship with actor and director Clint Eastwood. Their first movie together was the western Joe Kidd in 1972. The next year, Eastwood hired Bumstead for his first movie as a director, High Plains Drifter (1973). They worked on 13 movies in total. These include Unforgiven (1992), Space Cowboys (2000), and Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Bumstead's last movies with Eastwood were Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. He was 91 years old when these movies were made. They were released after he passed away. Flags of Our Fathers even has a special message dedicated to "Bummy."

Family and Awards

Bumstead was married to his wife, Lena, for 23 years. They had three sons: Robert, Marty, and Steven.

In 1996, Bumstead received a special award from the Art Directors Guild. It was a lifetime achievement award, honoring his long and successful career. He was also added to the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame.

He passed away in May 2006 at the age of 91. In 2009, he was again honored by being added to the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame after his death.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of the movies Lloyd Bumstead worked on:

• The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944, set design)
• Saigon (1948, art director)
• My Friend Irma (1949, art director)
• Come Back, Little Sheba (1952, art director)
• The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1955, art director, production designer)
• The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, art director, production designer)
• Vertigo (1958, art director, production designer)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, art director, production designer)
• Father Goose (1964, art director)
• Topaz (1969, production designer)
• Joe Kidd (1972, art director)
• Slaughterhouse-Five (1972, art director)
• The Sting (1973, art director)
• High Plains Drifter (1973, art director)
• The Front Page (1974, art director)
• Family Plot (1976, production designer)
• Slap Shot (1977, art director)
• The World According to Garp (1982, production designer)
• Unforgiven (1992, production designer)
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997, production designer)
• Space Cowboys (2000, production designer)
• Mystic River (2003, production designer)
• Million Dollar Baby (2004, production designer)
• Flags of Our Fathers (2006, production designer)

See also

• Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame