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A Saarinen Womb chair is featured in this ad for Ofoto in In
Style magazine, July 2000.
An Eero Aarnio Ball chair is featured in this article about
travelling, In Style magazine, July 2000.
What examples of modern furnishings have you seen in recent ads and sets
lately? There are new sightings all over the media these days! In fact, virtually
every magazine has ads with modern furnishings as props, and flipping tv channels will quickly
treat the aware eye with lots of eye candy of modern style. This can't be a comprehensive
documentary, but below is a list of many such examples, and if you've spotted modern furniture and
architecture in
movies, tv and print advertisements I'd love to hear
from you! The list includes new or old
movies/publications etc.
My list will not include references in interior
design books, product catalogs, textbooks, collector books, etc as there are
WAY too many references to try to list!
I am constantly adding to the list, scroll down, new
additions are at the bottom. I encourage you to tell me what you've seen so I
can add it! Please email me!.
Here goes!:
This ad for Target features an Arne Jacobsen Egg chair... one of
the hottest vintage designs being used by many advertisers lately.
2) many red Olivier Mourgue Djinn
chairs and stools are in the spaceship lobby in the movie called "2001: A
Space Odyssey". Check out the flatware the astronaut (Dave Bowman) is
eating his space-meal with, it is by Arne Jacobsen and was supposedly the only
prop not specifically designed for the movie (source: Joe Kunkel and Rey Ledda
and peavster@aol.com and ELLE magazine)
3) Swan chairs and many other
designer items, fashion and architecture in the 1968/9 movie by Peter Sellers
called "The Party". Terrible movie, fab designs! There is a lot of
Arne Jacobsen, of course the Swan chair from 1958 and the Egg chair from 1957
but also the Oxford chair (high back office chair designed for Oxford College,
it's the chairs the host and the hostess are sitting in during the dinner).
You'll also see the Swan sofa, which was only in production for two years,
1957-1958. Another Danish chair is Verner Pantonīs Cone chair from 1958. There
are also some great T chairs or no. 3lc from 1952 in transparent acrylic at the
dining table, designed by Katavolos, Ross Littell and Douglas Kelly (source:
Carlos Cardoza, carlosc@fults.com and Henrik Asbjorn Larsen,
asbjorn@post.tele.dk)
4) two Eero Aarnio Ball (Globe) chairs appear in the movie
"Mars Attacks", with wild black and white polkadots fabric. (sources:
Rey Ledda and Nina nvw@cekom.de)
5) I have a photo of Sandra
Bullock sitting in a chrome Bertoia diamond chair... anyone know what magazine
this came from? I think it may have been an airline's magazine (source: Joe
Kunkel)
6) Josie Bisset (from Melrose
Place) did a television commercial, maybe a year ago?, in which she advertises
lipstick while in a red swan chair. Does anyone know the details on this?
(source: Joe Kunkel)
7) Royal blue Arne Jacobsen egg
chair in the tv series "I Dream of Jeannie" Can anyone get me a video
copy? Does the chair appear in all episodes or just a few? The subject of at
least one episode in which it can be seen might be the one where Major Nelson
is going to the Astronaut's party to be the date of some starlet and Jeannie is
really upset about this. Also, Major Nelson has (in the first season) Charles
Eames shell dining chairs. (source: Joe Kunkel and Arielle Schechter and
peavster@aol.com)
8) The movie "Little Shop of
Horrors", the new version (musical remake), has the family eating off
chartruese dinnerware called American Modern, designed by Russel Wright. Shown
several times in a song that dreams about what a perfect life would be (it is
set in the '50s) (source: Paul Beedenbender and Chad Sutton)
9) Deckart's apartment in
Bladerunner was filmed in a Frank Lloyd Wright house in California (source: Rey
Ledda)
10) In the movie "It's My
Party", Eric Roberts is seen in a Saarinen womb chair with ottoman! (won't
tell you which scene as it would spoil the plot for you) His father (George
Segal) snoozes on a Corbusier lounge (complete with pony hide upholstery).
(sources: Rey Ledda and Joe Kunkel)
11) There was an early Star Trek:
Voyager episode that featured Russel Wright American Modern as the alien's
dinnerware.... The episode was called "Ex Post Facto" which is the
seventh episode of the first season. There is a nice, long shot where the camera
moves around the table showing those seated, and there is an abundance of AM
chartreuse shown. From memory there are dinner plates, lug soups, an open
vegetable bowl, and in an interesting twist, a large non-RW chartreuse pot with
a chartreuse small baker kind of suspended inside. There may have been a couple
more pieces as well. I'll have to watch the episode again for a complete list.
It was an episode where the character called "Paris" is accused of
murdering the alien ambassador or something like that. Are there more instances
in the various Star Trek series? (sources: Scot Rogers and Jeff Riemersma,
jriems@mindspring.com)
12) The movie "Dragon: the
Bruce Lee Story" has a scene in the home of his girlfriend's mother
(played by Micheal Learned(sp?) in which they have tea using Russel Wright
American Modern. Bruce becomes upset because the mother is saying that a
marriage between her daughter and a chinese wouldn't be proper. His hand
flexes, he breaks the cup (I don't think you actually SEE the break) and the mother
makes a comment about those being her favorite cups. Of course, you don't have
to have any more hand strength than the average 12-year-old to break an
American Modern cup, but hey, its only a movie. (source: Scot Rogers)
13) Eames and other great modernism
seen in "The Long walk home" the Whoopi Golberg, Sissy Spacak epic.
(source: XmasOnMars@aol.com and Rob, ArJayBee70@aol.com)
14) In the movie "Mighty
Aphrodite" there is a guest appearence of a Cherner chair in Woody Allen's
Apt. (source: XmasOnMars@aol.com)
15) A milk commercial shows
Franciscan Starburst coffee cups on a serving cart in an airplane. A pilot is
eating a cookie and he wants some milk, so he decides to nosedive the plane a bit
so the flight attendant's cart will roll towards the cockpit... in a quick
shot, you can see a stack of the cups for serving first class passengers. Now I
call that FIRST CLASS! (source: Elizabeth Pugh, epugh@origin.ea.com, and
Terri3060@aol.com)
16) Lots of deco can be seen in
any episode of the Hercules Poirot series that plays on public TV and the
A&E channel. The introduction is a wonderful example of art deco graphics,
and it goes on from there. He lives in a beautiful art deco apartment house, his
office is filled with art deco artifacts, etc. For example, on the mantle there
is a great small statue of a nude holding a glass ball over her head. The
stories take place in the 1930's and the settings are absolutely correct.
(source: Jerry Heiss, HEISS@UCONNVM.UCONN.EDU)
17) Current magazines which often
show midcentury modern items in homes: House Beautiful, Metropolitan Home, and
Martha Stewart's LIVING. For example: Nov'95 House Beautiful on page 88 has an
article titled "Made for modernity" and it shows
a. Paul V. Gardner Cystal intaglio panel for the Empire State Building 1931
b. Paul T. Frankel's lacquered birch Skyscraper bookcase, 1926
c. Gilbert Rohde's 1939 dressing vanity
d. Eva Zeisel's museum white dinnerware, 1943-46
e. William E. Artis's Michael, 1945
(source: Pat Stout, mstout@xnet.com)
18) In "Batman Returns",
Selena Kyle (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) carries around a tray that has Chase
"Kent" creamer and sugar. There are also many other Modern pieces in
the same movie. (can anyone list a few of them for me?) (source: Robert Morgan,
rem30@worldnet.att.net)
19) There are some Bertoia chairs
in the boardroom scene of Jacques Tati's 1967 classic Playtime (source:
XmasOnMars@aol.com)
20) in Harriet the Spy, they drink
soup out of Russel Wright lug soup bowls (source: CAMIDDLE@AOL.COM)
21) Hans Wegner papa bear chair on
Bewitched on Nickelodeon (from the first or second season when it is still in
black and white. They have a Papa chair and ottoman.... (source:
audiearn@mindspring.com (A. Schechter) and Terri3060@aol.com)
22) Frasier: Eames lounge chair
and ottoman (source: Terri3060@aol.com)
23) Soft and Dry Antiperspirant tv
commercial: Josie Bisset in a red Swan chair (source: Terri3060@aol.com)
24) Corrina, Corrina: A ton of
modern, Herman Miller, and Heywood-Wakefield (source: Terri3060@aol.com)
25) Friends: Heywood-Wakefield
wishbone table and bow-tie chairs. Just on one episode at parent's house with
Tom Selleck gueststarring (source: Terri3060@aol.com)
26) Stainmaster carpet. TV
commercial with remote control car zooming thru, brief flash of that
Heywood-Wakefield furniture again (source: Terri3060@aol.com)
27) Woody Allen movie, Sleepers,
has lots of cool stuff like JVC Videosphere tvs and white plastic mushroom
chairs and cool homes and clothes (plus an orgasmatron! Oh my!) (source: Joe
Kunkel, dalchicago@aol.com)
28) Hans Wegner OX Chair and
ottoman on Suddenly Susan, and they talked about Wassily Kandinsky (source:
Terri3060@aol.com)
29) Mary Tyler Moore has a small
Saarinen end table in her Minneapolis apartment on the MTM Show (source:
peavster@aol.com)
30) There is an incredible episode
of "The Odd Couple" wherein Felix redecorates the two gents'
apartment in modern. Did this show also have "hand" chairs--in which
Oscar feels "like an M&M" ? (source: peavster@aol.com)
31) The scene at Dr. Larabee's San
Francisco townhouse in What's Up, Doc? is worth a peek. All "mod" but
which of it is recognizably "modern"? Everything is stark black &
white. (source: peavster@aol.com)
32) studio apartment of Midge
(Barbara Bel Geddes), Jimmy Stewart's platonic girlfriend, in Vertigo. It
features Bertoia side chairs, and, in a rare cinematic appearance, a George
Nelson daybed. Hot stuff, once and for all showing us that modern was usually
not collected and displayed in strictly modern surroundings (Case houses
aside). Her room is quite ecclectic, making the modern pieces feel comfortable
and practical as well as chic. (source: peavster@aol.com)
33) In the movie "The
Mask", Jim Carrey's apartment had a lot of Heywood-Wakefield furniture.
Carey's aprtment also had lots of cool 50's lamps and an awesome 50's
checkerboard linoleum floor, and he wore a very 30's suit.. and did you notice
the deco buildings with neon accents? (source: Robert Morgan,
rem30@worldnet.att.net and jaxdeco@aol.com)
34) In a music store at the mall,
I noticed a huge display promoting Tina Turner's newest album "Wildest
Dreams." Prominent in the display were large posters showing Tina in the
middle of an intersection sitting on what else but an Arne Jacobsen ant chair -
1955 version. The chair was turned around, but I still noticed that the front
left leg of the chair was missing, or digitally removed from the photo. It clearly
was not the 3-legged version of the chair -- the elusive Raymor original.
(source: mkaplan@utkux.utcc.utk.edu Michael Kaplan)
35) The movie Austin Powers has an
Ox chair by Hans Wegner in it, plus great 60s outrageous psycadellic outfits, a
Weltron AM/FM/8 track, and a JVC Videosphere tv plus many other cool things
from the 60s. (source: Yoflow@aol.com and Joe Kunkel)
36) The 1960s British tv show
"The Prisoner" (starring Patrick McGoohan) has lots of mod furniture
in it... a ball chair is the center of attention. It is a Dr. Who meets Star
Trek kind of series... about British intelligence and the KGB and prisoners,
etc. Amazingly cool 60s sets. For example, throughout the 17 episodes,
the "bad guy" who controls "the village" where the Prisoner is trapped,
commands from a black ball chair and on his desk
are three wireless, L-shaped telephones in primary colors. Strange lamps
and furniture are here and there, very "mod". I highly recommend the series. Not only
is the decor great, but the strange surreal stories are multi leveled in
their meanings. Available at rental stores. (sources:
wstoney057@aol.com and fords@ccsua.ctstateu.edu (Sue A. Ford) and nrutigliqua@juno.com (Scott))
37) In the movie "Desk
Set" with Spencer Tracy and Kate Hepburn...in the scenes in her apartment,
she fixes him breakfast on Eva Zeisel Hallcraft! (source: ddechurc@indiana.edu
Deborah DeChurch)
38) In the movie "Unstrung
Heroes" (directed by Diane Keaton, and starring Michael whatzizname
(Kramer on Seinfeld), Andi McDowell, and whatzizname Turturro. (you can see
that my memory is shot!), there are a lot of 50's sightings...they are using
Russel Wright Am. Modern dishes, and there is some Heywood-Wakefield in there...plus
other furniture that may be designer-type. If you can fill in the blanks here,
please email me! (source: ddechurc@indiana.edu Deborah DeChurch)
39) The movie Men in Black has
some midcentury modern furniture in it, including swan chairs by Arne Jacobsen,
and an Arne Jacobsen egg chair used as a desk chair except it has the base of
an Eames chair. There is a scene with lots of Ovalia chairs (knockoffs of the
one by Eero Aarnio). Also seen: a white Ericofon and lots of Saarinen tulip
chairs and tables....and the huge monitor operated by the Alien Twins looks the
same as the monitor in the Airport passenger hall TWA, Idlewild, New York,
designed by Eero Saarinen... also you can see some white Eero Aarnio tomato
chairs. oh, and LOTS of aliens too! (sources: Joe Kunkel and Chris Marzec,
cmarz@aol.com, and Michael, hays.46@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu, and
daimon@rhone.ch and Thomas Corzelius, Corzelius@cekom.de)
This photo appeared in a Target ad, and features an Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen.
(source: Carlos Cardoza, carlosc@fults.com)
40) The movie Great Balls
of Fire... .did it have modern furniture? anyone seen this movie? (sources:
Jennifer Peterson, speter3629@aol.com)
41) "Female on the
Beach"- 1955, Joan Crawford, Jeffrey Chandler. I have no clue as to what
the plot was about because I spent the whole time droolong over the incredible house
(has anybody seen this movie? Is the architect perhaps Neutra?), looking at the
clothes and the accessories all over the set (most of the furniture didn't
thrill me- you can't tell me that a glass and stone house on the water is going
to be filled with tradional 50's furniture). (source: Shelley,
hallodeck@aol.com)
42) A movie featuring a GREAT
modern decorated home is Disney's original "The Parent Trap." The
home is the father's one out west and the interiors from the great room to the
kitchen to the bathrooms (plus others) are wonderful. The movie's thirty-some
years old and the house is still as fresh looking today. (source:
JGALT999@aol.com)
43) The 60s move "For Love or
Money" (1963) with Kirk Douglas, Mitzi Gaynor, William Bendix, Julie
Newmar, and Thelma Ritter (the lady who was James Stewart's nurse in "Rear
Window"), and Gig Young... is great fun! The best part is the glimpse you
can catch of some Erwine and Estelle Laverne chairs in the scene where an
extravagant modern painter is painting in front of an audience at a party...
hilarious... watch in the background for the Petal chair, and shortly after
you'll see two Laverne lucite chairs which I think are the Jonquil and Daffodil
chairs but I am not sure cause I only caught a glimpse and couldn't rewind
cause it was on tv! Can someone verify this for me? what else do you see,
besides hilarious costumes and dancing? (source: Joe Kunkel,
dalchicago@aol.com)
44) The Joan Crawford movie
"Torch Song" is a feast for the eyes! The set of Joan's penthouse
apartment is crammed with stuff like a Saarinen womb chair, Aalto lounge chairs
(painted grey to conform with the Technicolour colour scheme), George Nelson
ball lamps in several shapes (over her grand piano, no less!). There's a
Modigliani (real) in the foyer... the list goes on (a butterfly chair, Jens
Risom chairs on the balcony, . (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com Carlos Cardoza,
Carlosc@fults.com)
45) The Judy Garland version of
"A Star Is Born" is another treasure trove. Barcelona chairs in pairs
with the ottomans, original Breuer "Cesca" chairs, some Knoll, a
Vlaminck (again real) over the mantel sharing honours with a T'ang dynasty
camel. (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com)
46) There's a piece of Venini in
"Vertigo"- a swirled multicolour glass bowl. You can see it early in
the picture- Jimmy Stewart is talking to "Midge" (played by Barbara
Bel Geddes) about his vertigo and nearly passes out. Just when he swoons, you
can see the bowl on the end table beside him. (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com)
47) There's a red coconut chair in
Valley of the Dolls, with Patty Duke and Sharon Tate and Susan Hayward. Also,
check out the huge Calder mobile in Susan Hayward's musical number. It looks
like it's about to hit her! (sources: Chris Marzec, CMarz@aol.com and Dan
Langdon, dalangdon@yahoo.com)
48) Try renting "Bell, Book,
and Candle" (1958; Columbia) It's got Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak; the
sets and costumes are a 50's feast! It's a good, funny flick, too, which
doesn't hurt. Kim NEVER looked so good. (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com)
49) Alfred Hitchcock's "North
by Northwest": The last section of the movie is really great for us
modern-spotters. The setting is James Mason's hideaway on top of Mount
Rushmore. For the movie, Hitchcock had his set designers create a Frank Lloyd
Wright-style house (based on a real one in Michigan). Inside, the sets are
chock-full of Danish stuff; a lot of Hans Wegner, for instance. It's really
cool. Another part of the movie is set at the Ambassador East; it was actually
shot there, mostly in the lobby. (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com)
50) "Rosemary's Baby".
It's very 1967; Mia Farrow wears Rudi Gernreich clothes in part of it; and the
furniture in her apartment is the way it really was then. There's a mix of
Danish, traditional, Mediterranean (the lamps), and a little Pier 1. The
orange-and-gold shag in Rosemary's bedroom is to DIE for. You'll also love her
headboard made of bricks and boards; everybody did that then. It's also a very
good movie; Roman Polanski directed it the last summer he got to spend with
Sharon Tate. (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com)
51) In the TV series Lost in
Space: during the first season there were 2 Coconut chairs on the ship, the
Jupiter 2. At one time or another various member of the cast are seen sitting in
the chairs. (They even take one of the chairs outside of the ship in one
episode.) Since the first season was black and white, I do not know the colors
of the chairs they used. Also in the same season, they had Bertoia (I think,
perhaps they were Saarinen) chairs as their dining room set. (If you REALLY
want to know about this one exactly, I'll watch the video...I have the whole
series on tape.) (source: Rob, Mambo64@aol.com)
52) In Towering Inferno, Faye
Dunnaway has 2 beige Coconut Chairs and an orange George Mulhauser for Plycraft
Lounge Chair in her bedroom. (source: Rob, Mambo64@aol.com)
53) In the movie Our Man Flynt,
Flynt's apartment is decorated with 2 Coconut Chairs. (source: Rob,
Mambo64@aol.com)
54) The movie The Mambo King has
some nice examples of furniture and fabrics. (source: Rob, Mambo64@aol.com)
55) In Fargo, the family
dinnerware is Red Wing Bob White, a very common 50's pattern from Minnesota.
(source: Rob, Mambo64@aol.com)
56) The movie "The Moon is
Blue" with David Niven, William Holden; produced by Otto Preminger; 1953:
In William Holden's apartment is a Noguchi coffee table, a womb chair and an
Eames wire chair, and some other cool modern stuff. (source: Chris Marzec,
CMarz@aol.com)
57) The movie "Diamonds are
Forever" has a cool house located in the Las Vegas desert and is owned by
the character Williard White played by Jimmy Dean. I believe the film was made
in either 70 or 71. it was Sean Connery's last Bond flick until "Never Say
Never" in '83. The house was designed by John Lautner and if you look
closely you'll see two Pierre Paulin ribbon chairs inside. (source: Chris
Marzec, CMarz@aol.com and Bob Mooney, BobM1956@aol.com)
58) There is a movie called
"Three Wishes" with Patrick Swayze that is set in the 50's in a
suburban subdivision in California. The whole house is a 1950's dream, but the
best is the Heywood-Wakefield in nearly every room of the house! (source: Paul
August, packrats@execpc.com)
59) The movie called
"Gattica" has lots of modern stuff in it! Eames Soft Pad Group chair,
Nelson rosewood cabinet, Noguchi lamps, Russel Wright America Modern dishes,
Mies Barcelona Group... and more! can you help list more examples from this
movie? (source: Rey Ledda, reyledda@aol.com)
60) In the movie
"Sabrina" with Harrison Ford... His office has some very nice
furniture in it. Don't know off hand what kind or designer it is but I've seen
that style numerous times. Watch the movie, I'll bet you'll know it right away.
Also, in Sabrina's house or Ford's brother's house (forget which one) there is
a white "butterfly" chair in the corner of the room. (ok will someone
please watch this movie and fill in the blanks?) (source: Lea, tgs@iaw.on.ca)
70) In the movie "That Thing
You Do", Tom hanks is a musician manager. At beginning of movie, young man
working in father's appliance store. Many old early sixties TVs, radios,
clocks, etc. Movie is set in the 60's about a one-hit-wonder band. Also
starring Big Lips' daughter Liv Tyler. (source: Lea, tgs@iaw.on.ca)
71) Russel Wright designs appear
in two current (2/98) tv commercials: one for the New York Times ("Expect
The World" campaign) has a Russel Wright Samson lawn chair in a spotlight
in its closing shot....nicely lit; and a commercial for Nation's Bank shows a
couple having breakfast, and the lady is drinking coffee from a nutmeg original
mug. (source: Steve Heffernan, Heff53@aol.com )
72) An ad for Sensodyne toothpaste
shows Russel Wright Lemon Yellow and Canteloupe Iroquois Casual dinnerware in
the cabinet over the actors shoulder -- I haven't a clue about the toothpaste
but the deep soups were wonderful! (source: Ted, sam17@webtv.net)
73) Heather Locklear has a L'Oreal
commercial where she is sitting in a purple Arne Jacobsen Egg Chairs, and
(looks like factory fabric from Unika Vaev). (source: Nick Bianco,
nbianco@sprintmail.com and Robert Haan, rhahn@jinx.umsl.edu)
74) In "I Love Lucy",
the Hollywood episodes, by the front door of the Hotel room is a Gilbert Rhode
Paldao Group cabinet. (source: Nick Bianco, nbianco@sprintmail.com)
75) In the movie "Picture
Perfect" Jennifer Annistons apartment has a lot of retro furnishings
including Heywood wakefield furniture (source: Jennifer Lange,
lange@bellatlantic.net)
76) A year or two ago in a
Friskies commercial there was cat bounding down the stairs. At the bottom of
the stairs is a shelving unit where, on the bottom shelf, a Russel Wright
American Modern coral water pitcher is sitting. (source: Jeff Riemersma,
jriems@mindspring.com)
77) A recent Taco Bell commercial
for their new Gorditas shows a guy sitting at the kitchen table reading the
paper, and when they show it from a wider angle there is a Russel Wright AM
seafoam (I think) water pitcher on the table along with a seafoam sugar. The
color might be chartreuse, I can't remember exactly. Can anyone verify?
(source: Jeff Riemersma, jriems@mindspring.com)
78) In the film Stonewall, about
the 1969 Stonewall riots, the scene in a New York apt includes a Saarinen tulip
table and chairs. (source: Jeff, gametoo@aol.com)
79) In the opera rock movie from
Ken Russel called "Tommy" with The Who, there is a white Eero Aarnio
Ball (Globe) chair which suffers damage. It's horrible to see this fantastic
furniture with such treatment! (source: Jean-Hugues, myoprico@infonie.fr)
80) In the last movie from David
Lynch "Lost Hidhway", there is a Harry Bertoia Diamond Chair. There
is other cool design furniture (perhaps an Eames table but I'm not sure ). If
anybody could tell me the reference of the Video Tape Recorder seen in this
film I'll be very happy because I like it. (source: Jean-Hugues,
myoprico@infonie.fr)
81) In a scene of "The Tender
Trap" with Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds (1955), Debbie is checking
out furniture at a home furnishings show instead of rehearsing for the play
she's been cast in by Frank (her agent). Frank comes by to get her and she
makes him sit in a Saarinen "Womb" chair to see how it looks with a
man in it (she's tried a few passers-by but they didn't look good to her) and
when Frankie does, she falls instantly in love with him. (source:
luggee@total.net)
82) Heywood-Wakefield sightings on
tv: on a recent episode of "Seinfeld" (The Frogger episode), Jerry is
in a girlfriend's apartment breaking up with her. In her apartment is a
Heywood-Wakefield China Cabinet used as a bookcase. Also there's a scene
in the kitchenette
area of Elaine's office, with people sitting around a table in black
wire Eames side chairs with Eiffel bases and blue bikini pads. Also, on
"ER" I've seen Heywood-Wakefield end tables in Doug Ross's apartment.
(source: tom.walton@wtamu.wtamu.edu, Tom Walton; pcl@interport.net, Peter)
83) Bob Hope stars in
"Bachelor in Paradise", set in the great 50s San Fernando Valley in
LA around 1959. Seen It? Find it, you will dig it, baby! (source: Jeff,
jhollinger@value.net)
84) There are some Eames chairs in
the movie "The Big Lebowski" starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman,
Steve Buscemi. In the movie, these guys spend alot of time bowling and in one
scene, there's a framed poster with Richard Nixon throwing a bowling ball and
behind him is the chair. Plus, in Jeff's dumpy apartment, he has some Eames
pieces. (source: J. R. Reynolds, ReynoldsJR@navair.navy.mil)
85) You might enjoy the silly
movied called "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas". It is a comedy with
Peter Sellers. What you see: lucite tables, bubble lamps (not Nelson). There is
a wedding scene at a ball room that has big sputniks on the ceiling, lots of
them, a lot of sixties psychedelic posters and more. (source: Carlos Cardoza,
carlosc@fults.com)
86) Daddy Longlegs...Fred Astaire
playing drums in an Eames DAX chair and surrounded by Knoll & Herman Miller
furniture. Not sure of the year, but a great scene! (source: John and Lisa
Stevens, matblack@mindspring.com)
87) Flight To Mars; Monogram
Pictures, 1951...Cameron Mitchell & Marguerite Chapman in a fun Sci-Fi
flick made even better by the appearance of LOTS of Herman Miller furniture
including Noguchi Rudder stools. The Martians were very stylish in the `50's!
(source: John and Lisa Stevens, matblack@mindspring.com)
88) To see how 1968 really looked,
try renting one of 1968's blockbuster movies- "Rosemary's Baby".
Although it is something of a horror story, it is about an ordinary young New
York couple. They live in an apartment at the Dakota, have Hans Wegner
furniture, shop at Lord & Taylor, etc. Mia Farrow has a Vidal Sassoon
haircut and wears Rudi Gernreich clothes in part of the movie. It really is the
way young married people lived then, or aspired to live, anyway! and you will
love ruth gordon as the young couple's next-door neighbor... (source: Sandy
McLendon, danemod@aol.com)
89) In the 1963 movie Palm Springs
Weekend (Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Robert Conrad, Stefanie Powers, Carole
Cook, Jerry Van Dyke and Billy Mumy) a Robsjohn-Gibbings chair gets overturned
in a fight scene and there is Van Keppel-Green tubular steel patio furniture on
the hotel balcony. And you should see the lighting fixture in the hotel lobby -
it's pretty spiffy. (source: Nick Bianco, nbianco@sprintmail.com)
90) The recent movie "The Ice
Storm" features a couple of very up-to-the-minute early seventies houses,
occcupied by the characters portrayed by Sigourney Weaver & Kevin Kline.
(Kline also drives around in one of the most futuristic-looking automobiles
ever produced - a boattailed 1971 Buick Riviera.) One of my favorite scenes in
the movie occurs when the kids are spying down on their parents' dinner party
through the space-age skylight bubble in the roof. There is also a sleek white
plastic RCA XL-100 Color TV set featured, the kind that we begged our parents
to buy for about $699.00 way back in 1972 or so. Poor Christina Ricci even has
to change the channels by cranking around those clunky plastic knobs attached
to the front of the TV itself! In addition to the well-done modern set design,
it's a fine dramatic movie, too. (source: Stanley Pitol, stanley.pitol@boeing.com)
91) In the movie
"Truman" starring Jim Carrey there are a couple of scenes where the
Marc Newson "gluon series" chair is in the control room that is
monitoring his life. (source: Damion Triplett, damiont@wk.com)
92) In the last movie from Terry
Gilliam " Las Vegas Parano " there are two orange Warren Platner's
model 1725A armchairs from Knoll International. (source: Jean Huges,
myoprico@infonie.fr)
93) The movie "What A Way To
Go" has ery modern interiors, especially on a private 707 - very cool.
(source: Mark Rose, markrose1@earthlink.net)
94) Though one shouldn't admit to
watching it, there's an episode of VIP starring Pamela Lee Anderson with a
couple of Eames LCW chairs featured ... a bomb gets strapped to the underside
of one of the chairs that Pamela and some guy have been tied-up to. Earlier in
the episode the same guy complains about them being uncomfortable to which
Valerie Irons (Pamela) responds "I'll have you know they are original
Charles Eames". If I remember correctly the bomb was defused and the
chairs survived. (source: Dario Bicego, arctype@bigpond.com)
95) There is a French film called
"Mon Oncle" (My Uncle) which features a really neat automated house
in France, early to mid-fifties... (source: Rob, ArJayBee70@aol.com)
96) The set of Hitchcock's
"Rear Window" has a couple of pieces of modern furniture, I
believe... (source: Rob, ArJayBee70@aol.com)
97) There is a really cheesy movie
called "Parents" which takes place in 1958...a nice modern
house...this movie is sort of gross as the protagonist's parents are closet
cannibals, but it's not too terribly graphic. ... (source: Rob,
ArJayBee70@aol.com)
98) There is a really cool
California modern house in the 1957 movie "Teenage Rebels", which
features organic planters, a grid-style screen, and lots of Oriental objets
d'art :). This is a fun movie.
99) Several more movies: !!! For
kitsch, I like the movies "Hairspray" and "Cry-baby", both
by John Waters. The set of the movie "Auntie Mame"
100) The Ted Baxter characters
bachelor pad (before he married Goergette) on the Mary Tyler Moore show is
completely furnished in modern furniture, most notably his Jacobsen Egg Chairs
in a psychdelic pattern in his dining room. (source: Robert Desilets,
Andy_Hering@forecross.com)
101) "Corrina, Corrina"
with Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. Besides the pleasant scenery of Mr.
Liotta, there's MCM delights in almost every frame! The house that Corrina and
Molly have to clean up after the party is too cool! And check out where Ray
Liotta's boss has a party! (source: KarenSybil@aol.com)
102) The famous Stahl family house
designed by Pierre Koenig was used in the following movies: "Why Do Fools
Fall in Love" ; "First Power" ; "13th Floor" ;
"Playing It By Heart" ; and "Marrying Man". It's a fabulous
steel and glass house, a must see! (source: Joe Kunkel, dalchicago@aol.com)
103) "Toy Story 2" shows
some examples of modern furniture (Cherner chair, etc) in the toy thief's high
rise condo. Pretty funny to see it computer generated and in a kid's movie.
(source: Matt, processors@uswest.net)
104) A Porsche commercial features
Pierre Koenigs Case Study House in LA. Some great shots of exterior and
interior. (source: Aaron K., Akobilis@aol.com).
105) A Sprint (or MCI?) commercial
features a Daninos acrylic ball chair as well as some great mid century mod interiors.
(source: Aaron K., Akobilis@aol.com).
106) An Old Navy commercial for
the reversible vests features a room with 2 Saarinen womb chairs as well as
many other mid century pieces. (I wish I had a freeze-frame on my television so
I could get a better look at these things!) (source: Aaron K.,
Akobilis@aol.com).
107) A Special K cereal commercial
is running on tv, showing a white Eero Aarnio ball chair, with Cindy Crawford.
(source: Joe Kunkel, dalchicago@aol.com and Bob Mooney, BobM1956@aol.com)
108) The movie "Toy Story
2" has lots of modern furniture in it, such as a Plycraft Cherner chair
meticulously rendered in animation, plus some Zanuso chairs & settee and
some other pieces and a Philco Predicta tv. (sources: Christopher Lauzon,
chris_lauzon@hotmail.com and Stacey and Neil, design@maine.rr.com)
Donatella Versace in Eero Aarnio's bubble chair. (source: www.eero-aarnio.com)
109) There are print ads with Eero Aarnio bubble chairs showing
Nina Hagen, Daryl Hannahm, and Donatella Versace. This is Eero Aarnio's clear
bubble chair that hangs from the ceiling. (source: Thomas Corzelius,
corzelius@cekom.de)
110) There is a glass Noguchi
coffee table in a car dealership waiting room (!) in an ad for Mr. Goodwrench.
You just catch a glimpse of it, but enough for a positive ID. (source: Andrew
Gorman, aogorman@speakeasy.org)
111) There is a very Wegner
looking sofa in a TV ad for the Wall Street Journal. One child is raised by a
family who reads fishing magazines, one by a family who reads the Journal. It's
not on screen for long in the Journal reading house, But it's a sharp looking
piece. (source: Andrew Gorman, aogorman@speakeasy.org)
112) MOONRAKER, 1979. Roger Moore,
(unfortunately, not Sean) as James Bond. Near the beginning of the movie, they
have lots of white high-back Eames lounge chairs. If you look closely, you can
spot a Videosphere turned on it's back so the dials and knobs are towards the camera,
it's being used as a high tech prop on a console. In the later 3rd of the
movie, you will see a number of round, lucite globe chairs that the technicians
sit in. Also, the VERY high back, black leather AND Lucite chair of the head
bad guy, DRAKE, ain't so bad either. (source: Bob Mooney, bobm1956@aol.com)
113) The Marriage Go Round (1960): A totally silly movie starring Susan
Hayward, James Mason, and Julie Newmar. Hayward and Mason's home is a modern
dream with loads of fun furniture (including an Eames wire chair in the
daughter's room), Hayward's lecture hall has turquoise kitchen appliances and
the campus they teach at has loads of fun modern sculpture. (Source: Dan
Langdon, dalangdon@yahoo.com)
114) A Summer Place (1959) Sandra
Dee's father dumps her mother and moves in with her boyfriend's mother (don't
ask). Anyway, they move to this great house that the boyfriend's mother says
was "designed by Frank Lloyd Wright". (Source: Dan Langdon,
dalangdon@yahoo.com)
115) And don't forget the original
episodes of "Bewitched" (The black and white ones) when Darrin and
Samantha first move into the house on Morning Glory Circle, they've got all
kinds of Danish Modern. Don't know if any of it was designer, but there is an
armchair that looks an awful lot like a Poppa Chair. (Source: Dan Langdon,
dalangdon@yahoo.com)
116) An Old Navy ad in Feb 1999
features an Arne Jacobsen egg chair (see photo above). (source: Joan,
gand@gand.com)
117) You can see a very cool
UFO-style Phillips radio/tape player in a music video by Serge Gainsbourg and
Jane Birkin, French singers. The name of the song is "69, Erotic
Year".(Source: Jean-Hughes Bichard, jhbi@club-internet.fr)
118) A promotional photo for the
1963 Chevrolet Corvette was taken in front of the incredible Encounter
restaurant building at LAX airport in Los Angeles. This photo appears in the
book Sixty Years of Chevrolet by George H. Dammann, 1972.
119) This ad for Karistan rugs
appeared in House Beautiful magazine, September 1959. It is a
traditional styled rug but shown with two ultra-glam modern chairs by Erwine
and Estelle Laverne. The combination of these designs is hilarious to me. The
left chair is the "Tulip" chair, sometimes also referred to as the
"Petal" chair. The right one is called "Lotus". Vogue
magazine also used these chairs with models on them in 1959. (sources: Joe
Kunkel, dalchicago@aol.com and Doug, AstralLove@aol.com)
120) You have got to check out the 1975 film,
"Rollerball". It was filmed in Munich and it incorporates the
stunning Olympic village as well as the world headquarters of BMW. Meant to be
futuristic, the film highlights some fantastic mid-70's home design and even
includes an early vision of the VCR. The highlight of the film for me are the
totally blue plastic sunglasses worn by James Caan's female companion. They have
to be seen to be believed. (source: Louise Gates, patsday99@earthlink.net)
121) The cult French film "The Samurai"(which stars a
trenchcoated Alain Delon as a hitman) is full of cool modern stuff. There's a
white Joe Colombo "Elda" chair in the apartment of one of the
characters (Caty Rosier) and some Harry Bertoia side chairs in the jazz club
scene. There are also some gorgeous Light-o-lier style desk lamps at the police
station. If you're into those quirky Citroen DS cars, you'll love this film
too. Delon has to steal a couple of them in order to make a getaway, and
manages to make them look like the most elegant things on four wheels. In all
"The Samurai" is a must-see for sixties fans, because it captures the
urban chic of Paris ( then at its zenith as the world's fashion capital) better
than any other French film of its era. (source: Adrian, AdrLim@aol.com)
122) I read that "The Samourai" is a film with many
Citroen DS cars in it! I'm trying to find this film on video to see for myself!
(source: Joe Kunkel, dalchicago@aol.com)
123) The 1948 film, "Three Darling Daughters", features a
modern apartment in Manhattan, great mod clothing, jewelry, and more(source:
Deborah Barry, deborah@wordspecs.com)
124) One of the ads for Michael Richards' new show (I don't know
the name) shows a lobby that appears to contain several of Mies van der Rohe's
Pavilion Chairs. (source: Mary, m-johannesen@nwu.edu)
125)There are two old Troy Donahue movies with really neat homes in
them. One called "A Summer Place" has a cliff dweller from the 60's
with all the great design inside. The other, "Susan Slade" has an
almost Japanese tea house style home with wide steps up across the garden areas
and a really great interior, huge fireplace and some super furnishings. (source:
CSH, CashThorup@aol.com)
Check this out... mid-century modern is often seen in cartoons like this!
(source: jeff@marchant.net and http://www.crawdaddyo.com)
126) This photo of Rachael Hunter is a year 2000 promotional still showing model Rachel Hunter enveloped in an Arne Jacobsen egg chair. This b&w 8x10 glossy photo promoted Hunter, wife of rock star Rod Stewart, as host of the Style World show on Romance Classics channel. The egg chair is a piece of Danish modern furniture designed for Fritz Hansen
127) This hilarious ad from 1971 for Dingo Boots says, "The Dingo Man, he's no ordinary Joe." The groovy dude sits in a "Music Chamber" chair made by Lee.
128) In Jan 2000, I saw a Sears ad on tv, which totally cracks me up because they show an Arne Jacobsen "Swan
chair" and a Pierre Paulin "Tongue chair" within the set for their ad.. funny, because it's completely opposite
to anything Sears ever sells! If they like that style, why don't they sell it, or at least something like it?
Why don't they show in their ads something which they actually DO sell? Everyone seems to be on the MCM Bandwagon
these days. (source: Joe Kunkel, dalchicago@aol.com)
129) A Wendy's Chicken Nugget commercial has an Eames ESU400 storage unit in it! (source: jimbospace@aol.com)
130) The movie, "Usual Suspects" starring Kevin Spacey and others, has a Noguchi Cloud sofa. (source: jimbospace@aol.com)
131) The movie, "8 Heads in a Duffle Bag", starring Joe Pesci has an Eames Tandem Armshell seating unit in the airport scene.
Also, keep your eyes pealed while watching SNL. They been propping alot of
stuff lately...Bertoia stools, Emeco, etc.. (source: jimbospace@aol.com)
132) The 1963 Bob Hope/Lana Turner film "Bachelor in Paradise" is amazing for
it's depiction of LA's San Fernando Valley in it's glory days. The furniture is strictly Sears Modern, but the houses, cars,
restaurants, etc. are amazing! Lana even walks us thru the new tract
house explaining all of the wonderful Modern features. And a sore by
Henry Mancini! A must see! (source: Chris, cityofthefuture@webtv.net)
133) In an episode of Will & Grace (Feb 1, 2001), the character Jack had his apartment
redecorated.... An Arne Jacoben Egg Chair coupled with a Swan sofa were the
featured items along with many other mid-century props. (source: Bob, bobm1956@aol.com)
134) I saw a rerun of the Odd Couple the other night. Felix redecorated
with all MCM/Space age furnishings. He had a hand chair. Oscar's
assistant (Penny Marshall) sat in it and said 'I feel like I'm insured
by Allstate'. Ocar sat in a tounge chair and fell over backwards.
Oscar made him get rid off all of it, and Felix walked around all
depressed about it. I would have too. (source: Robert, r-black1@ti.com)
135) The new series (Feb 2001) of McDonald's commercials were shot at the store in
Downey, CA (10207 Lakewood Ave. @ Florence) (source: Chris, cityofthefuture@webtv.net)
136) The film "Antitrust" apparently has a knockoff Lautner house set with Chihuly
chandeliers (source: Chris, cityofthefuture@webtv.net)
137) The movie "TOMMY" (the world's first rock opera) has a scene where Anne Margaret
is in a white bedroom complete with white BALL CHAIR by Eero
Aarnio. (For those paying attention you will notice that after the
fantasy scene where the room and chair are completely covered
with beans and goop, the ball chair is replaced by a round chair,
not at all like the Ball. Not sure if they couldn't find or afford
another one or what.) (source: Patrick, fisherpatrick27@hotmail.com)
138) In the movie "Dave" (USA 1993) with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, there
are two "Casalino" child-chairs (a white and a yellow one), when the President
and his wife are visiting a home for homeless children. 'Casalino` Stackable Child Chairs,
Alexander Begge (German) - Casala, Germany - ABS - 1970.
(source: Eugen, bluna-frisch@gmx.li)
139) In Nine Inch Nails' music video for "Closer", there is a Warren Platner for Knoll lounge chair. not the one that is now out of production...the one with the lower back.
(source: a_melisse@hotmail.com)
Bonus: If you want to see what
1970 really REALLY looked like; try the Barbra Streisand movie "The Owl
and the Pussycat". No sightings of glam furniture, but the costumes and
sets are EXACTLY the way it was (I was a mere child at the time, of course-
ahem!). Streisand has a Frederick's of Hollywood outfit with her character's
name embroidered across the butt; it's THAT kind of movie. Great Blood, Sweat,
and Tears music; La Suprema Streisand doesn't sing in it at all. It's a comedy,
and I think it's her best. (source: Sandy, DaneMod@aol.com)
(source: Michael, Cinecityposters@cs.com )
(source: Michael, mdg_1@email.msn.com)