Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/859699
P E R S P E C T I V E | S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 37 reason was never seen, so my next idea was to call the series "The One That Got Away." Repeating the title in my mind, I realized it sounded like a fishing show, so I stayed with Art Directors Guild Film Society, but the notion of running films that had been little seen, neglected, judged unfairly or were simply forgotten examples of good design, remained my intention for the Society...and it still is today. First of all, I didn't want to run films that were seen constantly on cable and in film school. No Citizen Kane (1941) or Blade Runner (1982), although at every screening, someone seriously suggested one or the other, always very pleased with himself for having had such a unique idea. Next, I wanted shows that put the work, the achievements themselves first, personalities later. I didn't want to get into orgies of hero worship, with all the traditional questions. I knew we'd always get into the war stories, but I hoped to keep it to a reasonable minimum. Finally, no "résumé shows," no screenings in which the guest designer's agenda was drumming up work. To avoid that, I planned to feature only retired or semi-retired designers for as long as we possibly could. We eventually did shows with contemporary designers—some little-seen projects are just too good to pass up. Luckily, the selected designers were so successful, they didn't need to look for work, anyhow. For the first show, I wanted to find an Art Director who had done a landmark picture that had been all but forgotten. I turned to my friend and secret weapon, Rick Mitchell, a film historian and editor, one of those remarkable guys who literally knew it all when it came to American film in the 20th century. He listened to my notion and instantly said, "You want Nathan Juran." Juran was also the director of many wonderful vintage adventure films like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and First Men in the Moon (1964). Being a semi-know-it-all myself, I was disappointed in Rick. "No, no," I said, "we don't want a director, we want an Art Director." Rick patiently explained that Juran had started out as an Art Director, and had won an Oscar ® for Art Direction, for How Green Was My Valley (1941), Above: Multiple Oscar winner Richard Sylbert, also a member of the ADG Hall of Fame, screened CATCH-22 (1970) for the Film Society, another anti-war film—this time a black comedy chronicling Army Air Corps Capt. Yossarian's (played by Alan Arkin) attempts to escape from the madness of the war.