Harry Redmond Jr. (October 15, 1909 – May 23, 2011) was an American special effects artist and film producer whose career spanned decades in the

entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...

. Redmond was the husband of the late

production designer In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...

and illustrator,

Dorothea Holt Redmond Dorothea Holt Redmond (May 18, 1910 – February 27, 2009) was an illustrator and production designer noted for her work on Alfred Hitchcock films. Known as the first woman production designer, Redmond entered the industry in 1938. She worked ...

, who helped design Main Street in

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

and the

Seattle Space Needle The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center f ...

Biography

Early life

Born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, Redmond was the son of Harry Redmond Sr., an early special effects artist and film producer. Redmond Sr. operated the former Metropolitan Studios, located on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, New York. Redmond Jr. relocated to

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

in 1926, where Redmond began a career in film as well.

Career

Redmond began his career at

First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

department. He moved to

RKO Studios RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

, where he joined the special effects studio for four years. Redmond created special effects for some of RKO's highest profile films throughout the 1930s, including '' King Kong'' in 1933 and '' The Last Days of Pompeii'', ''

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

'' and the

comedic Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

film, ''

Top Hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...

'', which were all released in 1935, as well as RKO films starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Redmond left RKO after four years in order to create special effects for films on a

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

, independent basis. His film credits during this era included ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called ''Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...

'' for director

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

in 1937, ''

Only Angels Have Wings ''Only Angels Have Wings'' is a 1939 American Adventure film, adventure drama (film and television), drama film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, and is based on a story written by Hawks. Its plot follows the manager ...

'' for

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...

in 1939, the western film '' The Outlaw'' for

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

in 1943, '' The Woman in the Window'' for

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

in 1944 and '' The Stranger'' for

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

in 1946. Redmond moved briefly from Hollywood to Fort Monmouth, a United States Army base in Monmouth County, New Jersey, upon the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He oversaw the construction and design of a new

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

for the Army Film Training Lab at Fort Monmouth. He returned to Hollywood, and his special effects career, during the post-war years. Some of his credits immediately following World War II included '' A Night in Casablanca'' in 1946, '' Angel on My Shoulder'', which was also released in 1946, ''

The Bishop's Wife ''The Bishop's Wife'' (also known as ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'') is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his ...

'' in 1947, '' The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'' in 1947 and '' A Song Is Born'' in 1948. In 1952, Redmond teamed up with screenwriter and film producer Ivan Tors for the film, ''

Storm Over Tibet ''Storm Over Tibet'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Rex Reason and Diana Douglas. Plot During World War II, David Simms pilots supplies between India and China over the Himalaya Mountains. Cast * Rex Re ...

''. The film led to a series of long-term collaborations between Redmond and Tors, which included partnering on the science fiction films, ''

The Magnetic Monster ''The Magnetic Monster'' is a 1953 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Ivan Tors and George Van Marter, directed by Curt Siodmak and (uncredited) Herbert L. Strock. The film stars Richard Carlson, King ...

'' in 1953 and '' Gog'' in 1954, as well as the 1950s and 1960s television series ''

Science Fiction Theatre ''Science Fiction Theatre'' was an American science fiction anthology television series that was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv and originally aired in syndication. It premiered on April 9, 1955 and ended on April 6, 1957, with a total of ...

'', ''

Daktari ''Daktari'' ( Swahili for "doctor") is an American family drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series is an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television starring Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veter ...

'' and '' Sea Hunt''. Redmond also worked as associate film producer for '' Flipper'' in 1963, '' Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion'' in 1965 and ''

Zebra in the Kitchen ''Zebra in the Kitchen'' is a 1965 American children's film produced and directed by Ivan Tors and starring Jay North in his first leading feature-film role. It also stars Martin Milner and Andy Devine, with costars Joyce Meadows and Jim Davis (a ...

'', also in 1965. Redmond retired from films during the late 1960s after reportedly becoming disillusioned with the industry's budget woes. His finale credits included '' The Outer Limits'', a science fiction television series, and ''The Unknown'', a television movie. He never received any industry awards or nominations for his work, despite a career which spanned decades.

Personal life

Harry Redmond met his future wife, illustrator and

Dorothea Holt while working at Selznick International Pictures studio during the late 1930s. Redmond was working for

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. E ...

on the set of '' The Prisoner of Zenda'', while Holt was designing the pre-production interior sets for '' Gone with the Wind'' and ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' at the time of their meeting. The couple married in 1940. Holt Redmond would later help design Main Street USA in

, the

and the restaurant at

Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...

. Together, Redmond and Holt also designed their home in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...

. Dorothea Holt Redmond died on February 27, 2009, at the age of 98. Harry Redmond Jr. died at his home in the

neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 23, 2011, at the age of 101. He was survived by his son and daughter, Lee Redmond and Lynne Jackson, three granddaughters and three great-grandsons. His memorial service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale on June 21, 2011.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Redmond, Harry Jr. 1909 births 2011 deaths Special effects people Film producers from California American men centenarians Artists from Los Angeles Filmmakers from Brooklyn Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Film producers from New York (state)