PAINTING THE ADDAMS FAMILY HOUSE

As a follow-on to my post last week on matte painters and special optical effects technicians from the early days of Hollywood, here's an interesting piece from the popular 1960's TV show, THE ADDAMS FAMILY.

One of the matte painters for the Cosgrove-Fulton effects department during the production of RKO's release of JOAN OF ARC in 1948 (starring Ingrid Bergman with Jack Pierce in charge of makeup) was Luis McManus. Born in Mexico on May 31, 1898, the multi-talented McManus was at varying times an engineer, film editor, designer, commercial artist and fine artist. In the 1930's, he was employed by the Roy Seawright Special Effects Department at Hal Roach Studios where he worked on Laurel and Hardy films among others. For JOAN OF ARC, he is credited for painting the glass matte for the opening interior cathedral scene and most likely other scenes as well.

In the mid-1950's he was at Project Unlimited, a special effects company founded in 1956 by Wah Chang, Gene Warren Sr., and Tim Barr where he painted glass mattes for THE TIME MACHINE and JACK THE GIANT KILLER. Award-winning special effects man Jim Danforth later worked there as well. Danforth is recognized for his animation of the dinosaurs for Hammer's WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH in 1970.

He then made a move to television and in 1964 was hired by Filmways to paint the glass matte for the now-iconic shot of the Addams Family house. The house was real and stood at 21 Chester Place in Los Angeles (originally built in 1867, it was torn down in 1967). McManus added a gothic tower and a third floor to his glass painting.

Luis McManus is best known as the designer of TV's Emmy Award Statue, as well as the symbol for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1948. He based the images on his wife, Dorothy. He won the job out of 48 other design proposals. McManus passed away on April 17, 1968.