Anton Grot (18 January 1884 – 21 March 1974) was a Polish art director long active in Hollywood. He was known for his prolific output with

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, contributing, in such films as '' Little Caesar'' (1931), and ''

Gold Diggers of 1933 ''Gold Diggers of 1933'' is a pre-Code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics), staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley. It stars Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline M ...

'' to the distinctive Warners look. According to a TCM profile, he showed a "flair for harsh realism, Expressionistic horror and ornate romantic moods alike".

Biography

He was born Antoni Franciszek Groszewski in Kiełbasin,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and died in

Stanton, California Stanton is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The population was 37,962 at the 2020 United States Census. The city was incorporated in 1956 and operates under the council–manager form o ...

. He studied at the Krakow art academy and at technical school in

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, majoring in interior decoration, illustration, and design. He changed his name and emigrated to the U.S. in 1909. The Lubin Company hired him to paint and design sets in 1913, in Philadelphia; and he also worked on films for

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

and Pathé. At the Pathé company, he developed his innovative techniques, along with

William Cameron Menzies William Cameron Menzies (July 29, 1896 – March 5, 1957) was an American film production designer (a job title he invented) and art director as well as a film director and producer during a career spanning five decades. He began his career ...

, in the way of using continuity sketches. His method of presenting a series of sketches of all the film’s sets would later become standard practice among Art Directors, particularly with Menzies (his assistant in 1917, on '' The Naulahka''). The cinematographer

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

remembered Anton Grot:

"a gifted and talented artist who made beautiful charcoal drawings...of the set before it was completed. All his compositions showed a full shot of each set, with all the delicate tones and shadings that suggested ideas for lighting and, in general, were of great help to me as a cameraman."

Grot arrived in Hollywood to assist Wilfred Buckland with the sets for the

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

'' (1922); and stayed on, to work with

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

and William K. Howard. He was eventually signed by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, as “art director, artist, and designer", and designed 80 films before his retirement in 1948. Grot collaborated with fellow

émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled France followin ...

, director

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

, on 15 films. Beginning with the biblical epic Noah’s Ark (1928), these included ''

Mystery of the Wax Museum ''Mystery of the Wax Museum'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery- horror film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, and Frank McHugh. It was produced and released by Warner Bros. and filmed in two-col ...

'' (1933), ''

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the play '' Elizabeth the Queen'' by Maxwell Anders ...

'' (1939), '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940), and '' Mildred Pierce'' (1945). Grot is credited with contributing significantly to Curtiz’ personal style.

Awards

Grot was nominated for five

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Art Direction: * '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) * ''

'' (1939) * ''

The Life of Emile Zola ''The Life of Emile Zola'' is a 1937 American biographical film about the 19th-century French author Émile Zola starring Paul Muni and directed by William Dieterle. It premiered at the Los Angeles Carthay Circle Theatre to great critical and ...

'' (1937) * ''

Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic film, epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books i ...

'' (1936) * ''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...

'' (1931)

He received a special Oscar in 1941 for inventing a water ripple and wave-illusion machine, first used in '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940).

Filmography

* '' The Light at Dusk'' (1916) * ''

Arms and the Woman ''Arms and the Woman'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Mary Nash, Lumsden Hare and H. Cooper Cliffe. It has been described as Edward G. Robinson's film debut, but the AFI Catalog of Feature F ...

'' (1916) * '' Sylvia of the Secret Service'' (1917) * '' The Naulahka'' (1918) * '' Rogues and Romance'' (1920) * ''

'' (1922) * '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924) * ''

The Road to Yesterday ''The Road to Yesterday'' is a 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is significant because it was Cecil B. DeMille's first release from his new production company, DeMille Pictures Corporation. It wa ...

'' (1925) * '' The Volga Boatman'' (1926) * '' Young April'' (1926) * '' The King of Kings'' (1927) * ''

Fighting Love ''Fighting Love'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Nils Olaf Chrisander and starring Jetta Goudal, Victor Varconi and Henry B. Walthall. The film survives complete. It is based on the 1925 novel '' If the Gods Laugh'' by the B ...

'' (1927) * ''

White Gold Pure gold is slightly reddish yellow in color, but colored gold in various other colors can be produced by alloying gold with other elements. Colored golds can be classified in three groups: * Alloys with silver and copper in various proportions ...

'' (1927) * '' The Little Adventuress'' (1927) * ''

Vanity Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant ''futility''. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic ...

'' (1927) * '' The Country Doctor'' (1927) * '' A Ship Comes In'' (1928) * '' Stand and Deliver'' (1928) * ''

The Blue Danube "The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februa ...

'' (1928) * ''

Hold 'Em Yale ''Hold 'Em Yale'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by Damon Runyon, Paul Gerard Smith, and Eddie Welch. The film stars Patricia Ellis, Cesar Romero, Buster Crabbe, William Frawley, Andy Devine, and Georg ...

'' (1928) * '' Walking Back'' (1928) * ''

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Squall ''The Squall'' is a 1929 American pre-Code drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Myrna Loy, Richard Tucker, Alice Joyce and Loretta Young, and based on the 1926 play ''The Squall'' by Jean Bart. Plot In Hungary, a beautiful, young ...

'' (1929) * ''

Smiling Irish Eyes ''Smiling Irish Eyes'' (1929) is a Vitaphone American pre-Code musical film with Technicolor sequences. The film is now considered a lost film. However, the Vitaphone discs still exist. Plot Rory O'More leaves his sweetheart Kathleen O'Connor ba ...

'' (1929) * '' Top Speed'' (1930) * '' Bright Lights'' (1930) * ''

The Widow from Chicago ''The Widow from Chicago'' is a 1930 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Edward F. Cline and starring Alice White, Edward G. Robinson, Neil Hamilton, and Frank McHugh. It was released by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of War ...

'' (1930) * ''

Mothers Cry ''Mothers Cry'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film released by First National Pictures, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., and directed by Hobart Henley. The movie stars Dorothy Peterson, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Evalyn Knapp and Sidney ...

'' (1930) * ''

Going Wild ''Going Wild'' is a 1930 Warner Brothers pre-Code comedy film based on the 1910 play ''The Aviator'' by James Montgomery and directed by William A. Seiter. The film stars many musical stars along with Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh and Johnny Arth ...

'' (1930) * ''

The Song of the Flame ''Song of the Flame'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was produced and distributed by First National Pictures. It was the first color film to feature a widescreen sequence, using a process called ...

'' (1930) * '' A Notorious Affair'' (1930) * '' Kiss Me Again'' (1931) * '' Little Caesar'' (1931) * '' Body and Soul'' (1931) * ''

The Lady Who Dared ''The Lady Who Dared'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Beaudine and starring Billie Dove, Sidney Blackmer and Conway Tearle. Print survival, Library of Congress and Turner.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Inst ...

'' (1931) * ''

'' (1931) * '' Broadminded'' (1931) * '' Side Show'' (1931) * ''

The Road to Singapore ''The Road to Singapore'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring William Powell and Doris Kenyon, who play two thirds of a romantic triangle, along with Louis Calhern. It was produced and dis ...

'' (1931) * '' The Mad Genius'' (1931) * ''

Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

'' (1931) * ''

High Pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...

'' (1932) * '' The Hatchet Man'' (1932) * '' Alias the Doctor'' (1932) * '' 20,000 Years in Sing Sing'' (1932) * '' The Heart of New York'' (1932) * '' Beauty and the Boss'' (1932) * '' Man Wanted'' (1932) * ''

Two Seconds ''Two Seconds'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Vivienne Osborne and Preston Foster. It was based on a successful Broadway play of the same name by Elliott Lester. The title ...

'' (1932) * '' Street of Women'' (1932) * '' Doctor X'' (1932) * '' Two Against the World'' (1932) * '' Big City Blues'' (1932) * ''

A Successful Calamity ''A Successful Calamity'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring George Arliss, supported by Mary Astor and Evelyn Knapp. Based on the 1917 play ''A Successful Calamity'' by Clare Kummer, the film is ab ...

'' (1932) * ''

One Way Passage ''One Way Passage'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic film starring William Powell and Kay Francis as star-crossed lovers, directed by Tay Garnett and released by Warner Bros. The screenplay by Robert Lord won the Academy Award for Best St ...

'' (1932) * '' Scarlet Dawn'' (1932) * '' The Match King'' (1932) * ''

The King's Vacation ''The King's Vacation'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romance film starring George Arliss and Marjorie Gateson and directed by John G. Adolfi. The supporting cast features Dick Powell, Patricia Ellis, Florence Arliss, Dudley Digges and O. P. Hegg ...

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' The Keyhole'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * ''

Baby Face Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

'' (1933) * ''

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

'' (1933) * ''

Footlight Parade ''Footlight Parade'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell and featuring Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert and Ruth Donnelly. The film was written by Manuel Seff and Ja ...

'' (1933) * ''

Ever in My Heart ''Ever in My Heart'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Otto Kruger, and Ralph Bellamy. It portrays the tragic consequences of the virulent propaganda that spread false stories of atroci ...

'' (1933) * '' From Headquarters'' (1933) * '' Son of a Sailor'' (1933) * '' Easy to Love'' (1934) * '' Mandalay'' (1934) * '' Gambling Lady'' (1934) * '' Upper World'' (1934) * '' He Was Her Man'' (1934) * ''

Dr. Monica ''Dr. Monica'' is a 1934 American pre-Code melodrama film produced by Warner Bros. starring Kay Francis, Warren William, and Jean Muir. An obstetrician, who is unable to have children, discovers that the baby she is about to deliver was fathe ...

'' (1934) * '' Side Streets'' (1934) * ''

6 Day Bike Rider ''6 Day Bike Rider'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon, written by Earl Baldwin, and starring Joe E. Brown, Maxine Doyle, Frank McHugh, Gordon Westcott, Arthur Aylesworth and Lottie Williams. The film's production lasted for ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev' ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Secret Bride ''The Secret Bride'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Warren William. Based on the play ''Concealment'' by Leonard Ide, the film is about governor's daughter and a state attorney genera ...

'' (1934) * ''

British Agent ''British Agent'' is a 1934 American romantic espionage film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Leslie Howard and Kay Francis. It is based on ''Memoirs of a British Agent'', the 1932 autobiography of R. H. Bruce Lockhart, who worked for ...

'' (1934) * '' Racing Luck'' (1935) * ''

Traveling Saleslady ''Traveling Saleslady'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell. It was released by Warner Bros. on March 28, 1935. It is one of five films by Warner Bros. where Farrell and Blondell ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Florentine Dagger ''The Florentine Dagger '' is a 1935 American film noir mystery film directed by Robert Florey. The film numbers among the first Hollywood movies in which psychoanalysis is a significant factor in the story.Smith, Richard Harland"The Florentin ...

'' (1935) * '' Stranded'' (1935) * ''

Gold Diggers of 1935 ''Gold Diggers of 1935'' is an American musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart and Alice Brady. Winifred Shaw, Hugh Herbert and Glenda Farrell are also featured. The son ...

'' (1935) * '' Bright Lights'' (1935) * ''

Broadway Gondolier ''Broadway Gondolier '' ( 1935) is a musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film was released by Warner Bros., and featured Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and Adolphe Menjou. Plot Richard "Dick" Purcell ( Dick Powell), a taxi driver, aspires to ...

'' (1935) * '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935) * '' Dr. Socrates'' (1935) * '' Captain Blood'' (1935) * '' The Golden Arrow'' (1936) * '' The White Angel'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

Sing Me a Love Song ''Sing Me a Love Song'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by Ray Enright and written by Sig Herzig and Jerry Wald. The film stars James Melton, Patricia Ellis, Hugh Herbert, ZaSu Pitts, Allen Jenkins and Nat Pendleton. The Warner Bro ...

'' (1936) * ''

Stolen Holiday ''Stolen Holiday'' is a 1937 film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Kay Francis, Claude Rains and Ian Hunter. It is loosely based on the Stavisky Affair, a French political scandal. A Russian con artist worms his way into the upper reach ...

'' (1937) * ''

Confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of persons – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information th ...

'' (1937) * '' Tovarich'' (1937) * ''

The Great Garrick ''The Great Garrick'' is a 1937 American historical comedy film directed by James Whale and starring Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, and Edward Everett Horton. The film also features Lionel Atwill, Luis Alberni, Melville Cooper, and future sta ...

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1937) * '' Fools for Scandal'' (1938) * '' Hard to Get'' (1938) * '' Secrets of an Actress'' (1938) * ''

They Made Me a Criminal ''They Made Me a Criminal'' is a 1939 American crime drama film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, and The Dead End Kids. It is a remake of the film '' The Life of Jimmy Dolan'' (1933). The film was later featu ...

'' (1939) * '' Juarez'' (1939) * ''

'' (1939) * '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940) * '' A Dispatch from Reuters '' (1940) * ''

The Sea Wolf Seawolf, Sea wolf or Sea Wolves may refer to: Animals * Sea wolf, a wolf subspecies found in the Vancouver coastal islands * Seawolf (fish), a marine fish also known as wolffish or sea wolf * A nickname of the killer whale * South American sea ...

'' (1941) * ''

Affectionately Yours ''Affectionately Yours'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Merle Oberon, Dennis Morgan, and Rita Hayworth. Plot Foreign correspondent Rickey Mayberry (Dennis Morgan) hurriedly flies back from Portu ...

'' (1941) * '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943) * '' The Conspirators'' (1944) * ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' (1945) * '' Mildred Pierce'' (1945) * '' One More Tomorrow'' (1946) * ''

My Reputation ''My Reputation'' is a 1946 American romantic drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. Barbara Stanwyck portrays an upper-class widow whose romance with an army officer causes trouble for her gossiping friends, domineering mother and young sons. ...

'' (1946) * '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) * '' Deception'' (1946) * '' Nora Prentiss'' (1947) * '' The Two Mrs. Carrolls'' (1947) * '' Possessed'' (1947) * ''

The Unsuspected ''The Unsuspected'' is a 1947 American mystery film, mystery film noir directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Claude Rains, Audrey Totter, Ted North, Constance Bennett, Joan Caulfield, and Hurd Hatfield. The film was based on a novel by Charlott ...

'' (1947) * ''

Romance on the High Seas ''Romance on the High Seas'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''It's Magic'') is a 1948 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starred Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don DeFore and Doris Day in her film debut. Busby Be ...

'' (1948) * ''

June Bride ''June Bride'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Bretaigne Windust. The screenplay, which was based on the unproduced play ''Feature for June'' by Eileen Tighe and Graeme Lorimer, was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for ...

'' (1948) * '' One Sunday Afternoon'' (1948) * '' Backfire'' (1950)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grot, Anton Polish art directors 1884 births 1974 deaths American production designers People from Toruń County Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners Polish emigrants to the United States

Biography

Awards

Filmography

See also

References

External links