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 George Provis.

After starting work in a solicitor’s office George Provis found that his heart wasn’t in it and so set out to learn architecture and the building trade.

(Please click these small thumbnails to enlarge them)

Day Break – Gainsborough Productions 1948.

Day Break – Gainsborough Productions 1948.

After starting work in a solicitor’s office George Provis found that his heart wasn’t in it and so set out to learn architecture and the building trade.

Carry on reading this post after the fold ->->

His earliest experience of the film business was at Stoll Studios in 1923 when he was working in the carpenters’ shop. Having been a student at the York Art School he spent his spare time working as a commercial artist.

George Provis is now one of the few designers in the country who carries the title of Supervising Art Director . . . at Gainsborough Studios.

He first started designing on his own in 1932 when he was Art Director on a picture with the title of ‘Cotton Queen’, directed by Vorhouse. Then came the interiors for Michael Powell’s film ‘The Edge of the World’, followed by numerous small films for Paramount and British National.

In 1940 he was Associate Art Director with Holmes Paul on some of the famous ‘Old Mother Riley’ pictures, ‘Penn of Pennsylvania’, followed by a number of films for Marcel Varnel for which he was Art Director.

In 1946 he made the designs for ‘The Brothers’ directed by David McDonald and produced by Sidney Box.

When Gainsborough embarked upon a programme that necessitated employing a number of designers to cope with their large programme, Provis assumed the over-all control as Supervising Art Director and, in that capacity, was associated with `Jassy’, ‘Holiday Camp’, ‘Snowbound’, ‘Dear Murderer’ and other films directed by Annakin and Crabtree.

George Provis is one of those conscientious people who know the correct way to set about all the problems of art direction.

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(Excerpted from: “Art & Design In The British Film” A Pictorial Directory of British Art Directors and their work. Compiled by Edward Carrick, 1947 )

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