Veteran Art Director Les Dilley, known for his work on 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' franchises, passes away at the age of 84.
Breakin' Ground in the Silver Screen Cemetery
El performs flamin' great! Les Dilley, the bloody fabulous art director and production designer for numerous films, popped his clogs on May 20, when he was bloody 84 years old, due to complications from Alzheimer's.
Born on July 11, 1941, in Rhondda, Wales, Dilley kicked off his flick career with a construction and plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation when he was blagger's dozen, 15. At the ripe age of 23, he was chisel-banging on 1963's From Russia With Love, then pulling strings as an assistant art director on Jesus Christ Superstar and Kelly's Heroes. After serving as a freakin' art director for 1973's Three Musketeers and its sequel, he joined the UK team for Star Wars: A New Hope, and knuckled down to create a physical build for R2-D2, the sandcrawler, and Luke's landspeeder.
He then smashed it with direct art for its sequel, Empire Strikes Back, in addition to Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, Superman, and An American Werewolf in London*. His production designer credits include The Abyss, Exorcist III, Invaders From Mars, Casper, Black Knight, and Deep Impact. Abyss, Empire, and Alien each earned him Oscar nods, while New Hope and Raiders earned him trophies for Best Art Direction, both shared with fellow art director Norman Reynolds, who bit the dust in 2023.
Following his stint as a production designer on the British kiddie's show Teacup Travels in 2017, Dilley called it a day. (IMDB and Mubi credit him on a web series called New-Gen, which, as of this weave, hasn't marked its territory yet.) In 2020, BAFTA's Welsh branch-the British Academy Cymru Awards-bested him with an Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television Award. There, he was smothered in compliments by George Lucas, Ridley Scott, and others who'd worked with him yonks ago. Lucas expressed that he was Dilley's "main contact with the art department, and an all-round top man. [...] If anybody deserves this award, it's you."
Les Dilley's survived by his missus Leslie and his five offspring. In a statement, the family declared that his legacy "lingers on in the many iconic flicks he helped conjure up for over six decades and in his family crib he personally built as a tribute to his work. His passion for the flick business was apparent till the last breath. Apart from his astonishing work ethic, quirky British sense of humor, and zest for life, he was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grand-dad and mate to many. He'll be sorely missed."
[via The Hollywood Reporter]
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Gizmodo recently highlighted Les Dilley's significant contribution to the future of movies and entertainment, detailing his work on iconic films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Alien. In a tribute to his legacy, Io9 offers insights into upcoming releases from Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who. Les Dilley's innovation in technology and art direction, as seen in movies-and-tv like The Abyss and An American Werewolf in London, continues to influence the entertainment industry today.
