Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1533577
6 4 P E R S P E C T I V E | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 5 RESHOOTS B Y B A R B A R A H A L L , A D G A R C H I V I S T S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E A D G A R C H I V E S C O U R T E S Y O F T H E A R T D I R E C T O R S G U I L D A R C H I V E S In the political comedy Dave (1993), a regular guy and part-time presidential impersonator is secretly recruited to pretend to be the President but ends up saving the country from corruption when his innate sense of fairness and decency win the day. Much of the film took place inside the White House, which was recreated on Stages 18 and 25 at the Warner Bros. lot. This hand-drafted plan for the West Wing, including the Oval Office, is not identical to the real thing, but is a close-enough approximation to allow the action to move smoothly from office to office and to take advantage of long corridors and outdoor space like the portico and walkway along the Rose Garden. According to publicity released at the time, Production Designer J. Michael Riva, Art Director David Klassen and their team did extensive research to make the movie version of the White House seem as believable as possible, while still adapting it for the demands of the story. For accuracy, scouting was done at the White House, as well as at the Reagan Presidential Library, which features a recreation of the Oval Office. This plan was drawn by Set Designer John Dexter, with additional drafting undertaken by Steve Arnold, Joseph Pacelli Jr. and Darrell Wight. According to a 1997 article in The New York Times, the Oval Office set built for Dave was considered such a success that it was reused in a number of White House movies, including The Pelican Brief, In the Line of Fire and Absolute Power. A. WEST WING SET PLAN FROM DAVE (1993), DRAWN BY JOHN DEXTER. A