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Harold Michelson, 2001
Harold Michelson during the production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Harold Michelson (15 February 1920 – 1 March 2007; age 87) was brought in by Robert Wise to work as production designer on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. His designs contributed both to the exterior and interior look of the refit USS Enterprise as seen in that film. His work on the film earned him an Academy Award nomination, shared with art directors Joe Jennings, Leon Harris, and John Vallone and set decorator Linda DeScenna.
Many of his distinctive set elements remained when the motion picture sets were revamped to become that of the USS Enterprise-D of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
A native of New York City, Michelson worked with the Bureau of Printing in Washington, DC after graduation. He went on to join the US Air Force and became a bombardier during World War II, flying more than 40 missions over Germany. After the war, he became an illustrator for magazines and later for movie posters.
He began his career on Hollywood films as an illustrator and storyboard artist. The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Spartacus, The Birds, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate are just a few of the classic films on which Michelson worked throughout the 1950s and '60s. He was also an illustrator on the acclaimed musical West Side Story, his first collaboration with Star Trek: The Motion Picture director Robert Wise.
Michelson eventually became an art director, first for television productions like The Andy Griffith Show and later for films, such as Two People (his second project for Robert Wise), Mommie Dearest, Spaceballs, Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Dick Tracy. He shared an Academy Award nomination (his second) for his art direction on the 1983 film Terms of Endearment.
He first worked as a production designer on the 1971 Cannes Film Festival Jury Grand Prize winning film Johnny Got His Gun. In 1981 he was production designer on the Mel Brooks-directed comedy History of the World: Part 1. His last film as a production designer was 1994's Intersection, which marked the film debut of Jennifer Morrison.
Throughout this time, Michelson continued working as an illustrator, artist or visual consultant for films, including Firestarter, The Fly, The Two Jakes, Hoffa and Death to Smoochy. In 1999 he received the Art Directors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2002 he was given Outstanding Achievement in Production Design Award from the Hollywood Film Festival.
Michelson died at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home following a long illness. He was 87 years old.
External Links
- Template:IMDb-link
- Harold Michelson obituary