Art Director Les Dilley, renowned for his work on 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' films, passes away at the age of 84.
Art Director extraordinaire Les Dilley passes away at 84
Born and bred in Rhondda, Wales, our beloved Les Dilley, an award-winning art director and production designer, leaves us at the age of 84, following a valiant fight against Alzheimer's.
Known for his contributions to the silver screen, Dilley's journey began as a plastering apprentice at the Associated British Picture Corporation at the tender age of 15. His breakthrough came when he was 23, as a plaster worker on the 1963 James Bond film, From Russia With Love. He moved on to work as an assistant art director on the likes of Jesus Christ Superstar and Kelly's Heroes.
In 1973, he took the reins as an art director for Three Musketeers and its sequel, before joining the UK team for the groundbreaking Star Wars: A New Hope. Dilley played a pivotal role in creating the physical build for some of the most iconic props in film history, such as R2-D2, the sandcrawler, and Luke's landspeeder.
Following his work on A New Hope, he directed the art for its sequel, Empire Strikes Back, and blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, and Superman. He also lent his design expertise to horror classics like An American Werewolf in London and Exorcist III.
Among his numerous accolades, A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark earned him two Oscar wins for Best Art Direction, shared with fellow art director Norman Reynolds. These successes were followed by nominations for Empire Strikes Back and Alien.
Dilley worked on numerous projects after moving stateside in the mid-1980s, including Casper, Inspector Gadget, and Deep Impact. His last project was the children's TV series Teacup Travels, which wrapped up in 2017. He bid farewell to the world of film and television there, though he was recently credited on the web series New-Gen.
In 2020, the Welsh branch of the British Academy - The British Academy Cymru Awards - honored Dilley with the Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award. George Lucas, Ridley Scott, and many others took the stage to shower him with praise, with Lucas aptly describing him as an "all-around great guy."
Les Dilley leaves behind his loving wife Leslie and five cherished children. In a heartwarming family statement, his legacy was described as continuing "in the many iconic films he helped bring to life for over six decades and in his family home he personally built as an homage to his work."
"His love for the motion picture business was evident to the very end," the statement continued, ". In addition to his incredible work ethic, quirky British humor, and love of life, he was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many. He will be greatly missed.”
Bear with us as we reminisce about the work of this extraordinary artist and gentleman. Here's a glimpse into his remarkable career:
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): A significant part of the award-winning art direction team.
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Collaborated with the team responsible for designing the captivating sets.
- The Abyss (1989): Served as a production designer for this spine-tingling sci-fi classic.
His other notable work includes:- Never Say Never Again (1983): Supervising art director.- Lucky Lady (1975): Assistant art director (credited).- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974): Draughtsperson.- Jesus Christ Superstar (1973): Assistant art director (uncredited).- Scorpio (1973): Assistant art director (uncredited).- Sitting Target (1972): Assistant art director (uncredited).- The Boy Friend (1971): Assistant art director (uncredited).- Macbeth (1971): Assistant art director (uncredited).- The Devils (1971): Assistant art director (uncredited).- Lady Chatterley Versus Fanny Hill (1971): Assistant art director (credited).- Kelly's Heroes (1970): Assistant art director (uncredited).
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
The io9 community is currently eagerly anticipating the next installments of Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and everything to come for the DC Universe on the big and small screen. We also continue to excavate the ever-evolving world of Doctor Who. Stay tuned for more updates!
- Les Dilley, the art director behind the physical build of iconic props in films like Star Wars: A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark, has left an indelible mark on the future of technology-driven entertainment, as the io9 community eagerly anticipates the next installments of Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and the DC Universe on both the big and small screens.
- His work on movies like Star Wars: A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark earned him two Oscar wins for Best Art Direction and set the stage for the future of visually stunning movies and TV shows, intriguing tech enthusiasts on news platforms such as Gizmodo and within the movies-and-tv segment of entertainment.
- As Les Dilley's incredible contributions to the movie industry, including Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Alien, are celebrated within the circles of film critics across various media outlets such as io9, Gizmodo, and the entertainment section of magazines like Movies-and-TV, we reflect on his impact on the world of movies and perhaps envision his influence on the upcoming array of big-screen and small-screen ventures such as Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and the DC Universe.
