Background
Michelson, Harold was born on February 15, 1920 in New York City. Son of Max and Gussie (Reichel) Michelson.
art director storyboard artist
Michelson, Harold was born on February 15, 1920 in New York City. Son of Max and Gussie (Reichel) Michelson.
Student, Pratt Institute, 1938; student, New York University, 1939; student, Art Students League, New York City, 1945-1947; student, California School Art, Los Angeles, 1947-1949.
In addition, he worked as an illustrator and/or storyboard artist on numerous films from the 1940s through the 1990s. A native of New York City, Michelson worked with the Bureau of Printing in Washington, District of Columbia after graduating high school. He then served as a bombardier-navigator in the United States. Air Force during World World War II, flying more than 40 missions over Germany.
After the war, Michelson became an illustrator.
He worked on magazines while attending the Art Students League of New York before moving on to Chicago and Los Angeles, where he illustrated movie posters. He ultimately became an illustrator for Columbia Pictures before being traded to Paramount Pictures, where he worked as illustrator and storyboard artist on The Ten Commandments, among other films.
He then worked as a storyboard artist on Ben-Hur for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Spartacus for Universal Pictures. Throughout the remainder of the 1960s, he worked as either illustrator or storyboard artist on such classic films as West Side Story, The Birds, Cleopatra, Who"s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate.
During the 1970s, he was an illustrator for films like Fiddler on the Roof and Cross of Iron.
In the 1980s, he worked on Firestarter and The Cotton Club and was a visual consultant on the 1986 remake of The Fly. His career as an art director started in television, beginning with National Broadcasting Company"s Matinee Theatre and moving on to such programs as Gomer Pyle, United States Marine Corps and The Andy Griffith Show. He would go on to serve as art director on several films, and also began working as production designer with the 1971 Cannes Film Festival Jury Grand Prize-winning film Johnny Got His Gun, all the while continuing his career as an illustrator and storyboard artist.
He shared a second nomination for his art direction on the 1983 film Terms of Endearment.
He also worked on two films for Mel Brooks, first as production designer on History of the World: Participant I and later as art director for Spaceballs. Michelson"s other art direction credits include the films Mommie Dearest, Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Dick Tracy.
In more recent years, Michelson served as a consultant for producer Danny DeVito on films such as Hoffa and Death to Smoochy. Michelson died at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in 2007 following a long illness.
First lieutenant United States Army Air Force, 1941-1945, European Theatre of Operations. Member Society Motion Picture Art Dirs. (Executive Board 1985-1995), Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (membership board since 1975, 2 Academy award nominations 1978, 84). M C.
Married Lillian Farber, December 14, 1947. Children: Alan Bruce, Eric Neil, Dennis Paul.