Articles & Texticles

Continuing a series about Art Directors in the British film industry up to 1948, when the book containing these articles was published.

This chapter deals with Roger Furse (1903 - 1972)

IMDB reveals that Furse was the son of Lieutenant General Sir William Furse, and that he was educated at Eton and the Slade School of Art.

Hamlet Two Cities, 1948
(Click to enlarge the pictures)

Hamlet Two Cities, 1948

Hamlet Two Cities, 1948

Hamlet Two Cities, 1948

Roger Furse was the production designer on this film, and he shared the Oscar for Hamlet with his art director, Carmen Dillon. It’s odd that Dillon did not get her own entry in this book.

The text of the article carries on after the fold. >>

ROGER FURSE was already one of the best designers in the English Theatre before he was temporarily released from the Navy in 1944 to design the costumes and armour for Laurence Olivier’s film of ‘Henry V’.

Furse had long been associated with all the best Shakespearian productions at the Old Vic and he was therefore the obvious man for the job.

In 1946 Furse made his first essay into ‘production designing’ when he worked with Carol Reed on one of the best films of the year, ‘Odd Man Out’; in this case the art director was Ralph Brinton and together they made some of the most convincing impressionist pictures of an Irish City in troubled times.

As the production designer for Sir Laurence Olivier’s latest production of ‘Hamlet’ he has proved himself to be one of England’s most promising film designers. As his collaborator on this last production he has had Miss Carmen Dillon as art director.

Roger Furse has always been regarded as an artist of great talent, his colouring is very rich in tone, and his approach to costume design has always been realistic. His figures are full of beauty and are not distorted to conform to the usual formula.