John S. Detlie

John S. Detlie
Born
John Stewart Detlie

(1908-12-23)December 23, 1908
DiedNovember 30, 2005(2005-11-30) (aged 96)
OccupationArt director
Spouses
(m. 1940; div. 1943)
Virginia Crowell
(m. 1947)
Children4

John Stewart Detlie (December 23, 1908 – November 30, 2005) was an American motion picture art director and set designer in Hollywood from 1937 to 1942.

Background

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Detlie was born on December 23, 1908 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He received an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Alabama and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania.[1]

Career

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After graduation, Detlie spent a short time working in the office of Albert Kahn in Philadelphia.[1] Detlie then moved to Hollywood and spent seven years working for the movie industry. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1941 for Best Art Direction for the film Bitter Sweet.[1]

Detlie went on to serve in the Army in World War II, including directing the camouflage of Boeing Plant 2 in Seattle. He went on to a career in architecture, designing Temple de Hirsch Sinai in Seattle and a number of large churches and parts of downtown Honolulu. He was an accomplished artist in water colors, acrylics, and oils.

Personal life

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His brother, Stanley Detlie, was a set designer in the 1930s and 1940s.[2]

Detlie was the first husband of actress Veronica Lake; they had two children, one of whom died shortly after birth.

Detlie and his second wife, Virginia Crowell Detlie, with whom he also had two children, lived in La Quinta, California, for 48 years.

Death

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Detlie died of lung cancer in Westlake Village, California on November 30, 2005, aged 96.[1][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "John S. Detlie". Docomomo WEWA.
  2. ^ "John Stewart Detlie Sr. (Architect)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database.
  3. ^ Associated Press (December 3, 2005). "John S. Detlie, 96; Architect, Hollywood Movie-Set Designer". The Washington Post.
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