Esteemed Set Designer Les Dilley, Known for His Work on 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones', Passes Away at 84.
Renowned Art Director Les Dilley, a multiple award-winning visionary in film production design, passed away on May 20 at the age of 84 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Born on July 11, 1941, in Rhondda, Wales, Dilley embarked on his cinematic journey at the tender age of 15 as an apprentice in construction and plastering at the Associated British Picture Corporation. His career took off at 23, when he served as a plaster worker on the iconic "From Russia With Love" (1963) and later transitioned into an assistant art director for "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Kelly's Heroes."
Dilley made his mark as an art director in 1973 with "The Three Musketeers" and its 1974 sequel. His work on the UK team for "Star Wars: A New Hope" (1977) saw him contributing to the physical build of R2-D2, the sandcrawler, and Luke's landspeeder. Dilley also played a crucial role in designing the sets for the sequel "Empire Strikes Back" (1980), as well as for films like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), "Alien" (1979), "Superman" (1978), and "An American Werewolf in London" (1981).
His production design credits also include "The Abyss" (1989), "Exorcist III" (1990), "Invaders From Mars" (1986), "Casper" (1995), "Black Knight" (2001), and "Deep Impact" (1998). While "Abyss," "Empire," and "Alien" each earned him Oscar nominations, "New Hope" and "Raiders" brought him wins for Best Art Direction, both shared with fellow art director Norman Reynolds, who passed away in 2023.
Dilley retired after completing work on the British kids' show "Teacup Travels" in 2017. As of now, his last credited work, the web series "New-Gen," has yet to release. In 2020, Dilley was honored with an Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award by BAFTA's Welsh branch, the British Academy Cymru Awards. He was lauded by industry greats such as George Lucas and Ridley Scott.
Dilley is survived by his wife, Leslie, and five children. A family statement read, "His legacy lives on 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. 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."
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb, Mubi.
Io9 and Gizmodo might pay tribute to Les Dilley, remembering his lasting impact on future movies and technology, considering his work on iconic films like 'Star Wars: A New Hope', 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', and 'Alien'. Movies-and-TV enthusiasts might also recognize Dilley's contributions to the entertainment industry, with his stellar design work on 'Empire Strikes Back', 'Superman', and 'An American Werewolf in London'. Fans of Dilley's work and those inspired by his career in film production design will continue to celebrate his legacy in the years to come.
