Gene Allen, Former President of the Film Academy, Dies at 97

Gene Allen, Former President of the Film Academy, Dies at 97, He was a assembly artisan and art administrator who won an Oscar for his his plan on 'My Fair Lady,' one of several films on which he collaborated with administrator George Cukor.

Gene Allen, a three-term admiral of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and an Oscar-winning art director, died Wednesday from accustomed causes, arranger Leonard Morpurgo announced. He was 97.

Allen, who lived in Newport Beach, Calif., accustomed his Oscar for his plan as an art administrator on My Fair Lady (1964), administrator George Cukor's adjustment of the Broadway agreeable that starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison on the big screen, and he acceptable added nominations for A Star Is Born (1954) and Les Girls (1957) — two added Cukor musicals. In fact, he collaborated abounding times with the acclaimed director.

In 1997, Allen accustomed a Special Achievement Award from the Art Directors Guild, area he served as controlling administrator from 1970 admitting 1997.

Allen headed the Academy from 1983-85; he succeeded Robert Wise and was replaced by Fay Kanin.

“Gene Allen displayed action and action in his 27 years arch the Art Directors Guild,” said ADG controlling administrator Scott Roth, who succeeded Allen at the guild. “Add to this his account as an IATSE carnality president, admiral of the Motion Picture Academy and his assorted Oscar nominations (and wins) for art direction, and you’re searching at a capricious career absurd anon to be matched.”

Added ADG admiral Mimi Gramatky: “Painting until about the endure day of his life, Gene was a able artist, baton and award-winner who fabricated an astronomic addition to the acreage of assembly architecture and art Direction, for which we are always grateful.”

Allen aswell served as second-unit administrator and assembly artisan for Cukor on A Star Is Born, the adaptation that starred Judy Garland and James Mason.Allen’s added assembly artisan credits cover The Chapman Report (1962), The Cheyenne Social Club (1970) and At Continued Endure Love (1975). He aswell wrote the cine for Chapman.

His art administrator résumé sports the 1956 films Aback From Eternity and Bhowani Junction; Merry Andrew (1958); and the 1960 pictures Let’s Make Love, A Breath of Scandal and Heller in Pink Tights.

Chapman Report, Bhowani Junction, Let's Make Love and Heller in Pink Tights were all directed by Cukor.

Allen was assassin by the Warner Bros. art administration in 1936 as an amateur but was laid off. He followed his ancestor by acceptable a cop in the Los Angeles Police Department, again enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the alpha of World War II.

After the war, he accomplished at art colleges and got aback into Hollywood if he was rehired by Warner Bros. as a account artist.

“As continued as I can bethink I admired the feel of a soft-leaded pencil activated to a cartoon pad,” he afresh said.

Allen was a accustomed water-color painter whose plan was apparent in abounding galleries, including at the ADG’s Gallery 800 in North Hollywood endure year. He aswell was an ardent sailor, owning assorted boats.
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