John Clark Okey (June 3, 1889 – January 8, 1963) was an American art director.

Personal life

He was raised in Los Angeles and attended the Harvard School for Boys, where he excelled in sports. After leaving, he was given instruction in art by his uncle, the California artist, J. Bond Francisco. While he was in his early 20s, he spent several years in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

studying art. While in Paris, he met a pianist from Indiana, Marie Wilson, whom he married shortly after his return to Los Angeles in 1913. They had one son and two daughters and remained married until her death in October 1961. He was born and died in Los Angeles, California.

Career

Around the time of his marriage, he became involved in the nascent film industry in the Los Angeles area and was involved in the design and construction of some of the earliest studios there. He continued in the film industry as an art director until his retirement in 1959. In the mid-1930s he spent several years in England working for

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)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 ...

. He was nominated for two

Academy Award 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 ...

s for Best Art Direction for the films ''

Sally Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military * Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting na ...

'' (1929) and '' Experiment Perilous'' (1944).

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1929) * '' Experiment Perilous'' (1944) * ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loos ...

'' (1946)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Okey, Jack 1889 births 1963 deaths American art directors People from Los Angeles Harvard-Westlake School alumni