A Closer Look At Edwin B. Willis

If you read the credits to any MGM film, you are bound to see the regulars; Cedric Gibbons, Arthur Freed, Adrian. Keep looking, and one of these titles belongs to Edwin B. Willis. With over 600 films under his belt, and one of the busiest set designers for MGM during its prime, Willis decorated the sets of some of Hollywood's top films. 

The Women 1939

Set designers work with production designers, art directors, and prop masters to select anything that goes onto the set such as curtains, paint colors, decor, and lighting. You can get a good sense of Edwin's vision just by watching a few of his films. He is definitely my favorite set decorator.  

Ladies Who Meet 1941

Thrill of a Romance 1945

There isn't loads of information about the (mainly) men who did this line of work back in the day. It's a shame, since the outcome of a set decorator can make or break a scene. Imagine Wizard of Oz's Munchkinland without that swirly golden yellow path and raffia topped houses. This master of a film was one of 46 films Edwin worked on just that year! The Shop Around the Corner wouldn't have its ruffled curtain windows and Christmas decor, nor would Donald O'Connor be able to make us laugh in Singin' In the Rain without that infamous bottom fringed green couch.

The Long, Long Trailer 1953

Edwin Booth Willis was born on January 28, 1893 in Illinois. He worked mainly for MGM throughout his career. He was married and divorced and had one child. He was nominated for 32 Academy Awards, and won eight, most notably for art direction on films like Gaslight, The Yearling, Little Women, and The Bad and the Beautiful. His older sister Verna was a film editor during the silent era. He died of cancer in

Hollywood in 1963.

Designing Women 1957

While Cedric Gibbons led the team for MGM that made these images on screen a reality, Edwin contributed color, texture, and style that kept the studio on top for decades. His use of muted colors, stone work, and drapery could either give a set opulence, such as the glass bathtub with backlit perfume shelves in The Women, or a down to earth homey feel like a grey and pastel yellow living room for two in the Long, Long Trailer. The best way to enjoy his work is to see it for yourself. You are sure to want more!