Acclaimed Art Director Les Dilley, renowned for his work on 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones', passes away at 84 years old.
Remembering the Legendary Art Director, Les Dilley
Known for crafting iconic film landscapes, Les Dilley, the esteemed art director and production designer, passed away on May 20 at the age of 84 due to Alzheimer's complications. Born in Rhondda, Wales on July 11, 1941, this creative powerhouse embarked on an extraordinary career in the cinematic world.
Dilley's journey began with a construction and plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation at just 15. Fast forward to age 23, and he found himself as a plaster worker on the 1963 James Bond flick, From Russia With Love. Subsequently, he served as an assistant art director on blockbusters like Jesus Christ Superstar and Kelly's Heroes.
His big break came in 1973 when he became an art director for The Three Musketeers and its 1974 sequel, The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge. This opportunity led him to join the UK team for a small-budget science fiction film called Star Wars: A New Hope. Working alongside a crew of future Hollywood legends, Dilley created a physical build for R2-D2, the sandcrawler, and Luke Skywalker's landspeeder.
His work on this groundbreaking film earned him significant recognition, and he continued to contribute to the visual spectacle of its sequel, Empire Strikes Back and other notable classics such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, Superman, and An American Werewolf in London. Among these, Star Wars: A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark earned him two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, a testament to his ingenious work alongside fellow art director Norman Reynolds, who passing away in 2023.
After retiring following the end of British kids' show Teacup Travels in 2017, Dilley left behind a legacy that lives on in the many iconic films he helped bring to life over six decades. His personal touch can be seen in the family home he meticulously crafted as a homage to his work. Dilley's had a love for the motion picture industry that never waned, and he was remembered as a dedicated and loving family man who will be deeply missed.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
Stay tuned for updates on notable upcoming releases from the Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek universes, the future of Doctor Who, and the latest developments in the DC Universe on film and TV.
- Gizmodo might share insights about the future of technology that could influence the production design of upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows.
- IO9 could write articles about the entertainment value of recent movies-and-tv releases, possibly discussing the impact Les Dilley had on some of them through his work on classic films like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- In the realm of the entertainment industry, the legacy of Les Dilley will continue to inspire upcoming technology and movie-making, much like how his work on Star Wars and other iconic films revolutionized the visual spectacle of science fiction.
