Warren Newcombe

Biography:

Warren Newcombe is possibly one of the most ‘seen’ artists of all time. During his prolific career as a special and visual effects designer and painter in Hollywood he created VFX for a staggering 175 films between 1925 and 1957. These include such great classics as ‘Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ (1941), ‘Tortilla Flat’ (1942), ‘Easter Parade’ (1948), ‘Annie Get your Gun’ (1950), ‘Showboat’, ‘An American in Paris’ (1951) and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952). He also acted as the Director of Set Painting for ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Warren Newcombe received Academy Awards for Special Effects in both 1945 and 1948.
During this time, Warren Newcombe also produced a number of outstanding paintings and original lithographs. He had studied art in Boston at the Normal Art School under Joseph De Camp and graduated in 1914. He moved to New York City shortly thereafter and made his living as a commercial artist and portraitist.

Newcombe first appeared in Los Angeles in 1918 and in 1924 he became associated with D. W. Griffith and his Mamaroneck studio. He began his long association with Mertro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios the following year.
Warren Newcombe’s paintings and lithographs cover a wide range of themes from landscapes to still lifes and figure studies. His original lithographs today are in many public collections including the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City. None, however, is quite as delightful as his 1937 lithograph, Anna Karenina in Hollywood, where an actual filming set is portrayed. From the wonderful 1930′s equipment and the two-dimensional props and sets, to the portrayals of the director and his bored assistants, this is a vital record of Hollywood history as well as a great work of art. The actress under the lights playing Anna Karenina is none other than Greta Garbo.

 

Warren Newcombe, was head of matte department at MGM Studios from the 1920´s until  his retirement at 1957

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A matte painting from “Easter parade” at MGM matte department.
From left to right sound man and inventor O.L. Dupy, assistant studio head William Spencer, visual effects cameraman Mark Davis, matte department supervisor Warren Newcombe, and camera operator Bob Roberts57

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Filmography:

- Raintree County (1957) (special effects)
- Designing Woman (1957) (special effects)
- Forbidden Planet (1956) (special effects)
- Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956) (special effects)
- Opposite Sex, The (1956) (special effects)
- Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (special effects)
- Teahouse of the August Moon, The (1956) (special effects)
- It’s Always Fair Weather (1955) (special effects)
- Love Me or Leave Me (1955) (special effects)
- Guys and Dolls (1955) (special effects)
- Glass Slipper, The (1955) (special effects)
- I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955) (special effects)
- King’s Thief, The (1955) (special effects)
- Trial (1955) (special effects)
- Deep in My Heart (1954) (special effects)
- Long, Long Trailer, The (1954) (special effects)
- Rose Marie (1954) (special effects)
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) (special effects)
- Brigadoon (1954) (special effects)
- Executive Suite (1954) (special effects)
- Green Fire (1954) (special effects)
- Her Twelve Men (1954) (special effects)
- Valley of the Kings (1954) (special effects)
- Story of Three Loves, The (1953) (special effects)
- Kiss Me Kate (1953) (special effects)
- .Dream Wife (1953) (special effects)
- Actress, The (1953) (special effects)
- Naked Spur, The (1953) (special effects)
- Julius Caesar (1953) (special effects)
- Band Wagon, The (1953) (special effects)
- Cry of the Hunted (1953) (special effects)
- Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) (special effects)
- Give a Girl a Break (1953) (special effects)
- Remains to Be Seen (1953) (special effects)
- Young Bess (1953) (special effects)
- Merry Widow, The (1952) (special effects)
- Plymouth Adventure (1952) (special effects)
- Above and Beyond (1952) (special effects)
- Scaramouche (1952) (special effects)
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952) (special effects)
- Bad and the Beautiful, The (1952) (special effects)
- Belle of New York, The (1952) (special effects)
- Desperate Search (1952) (special effects)
- Girl in White, The (1952) (special effects)
- Pat and Mike (1952) (special effects)
- Prisoner of Zenda, The (1952) (special effects)
- Talk About a Stranger (1952) (special effects)
- Washington Story (1952) (special effects)
- It’s a Big Country (1951) (special effects)
- American in Paris, An (1951) (special effects)
- Across the Wide Missouri (1951) (special effects)
- Texas Carnival (1951) (special effects)
- Royal Wedding (1951) (special effects)
- Go For Broke! (1951) (special effects)
- People Against O’Hara, The (1951) (special effects)
- Great Caruso, The (1951) (special effects)
- Three Guys Named Mike (1951) (special effects)
- Show Boat (1951) (special effects)
- Angels in the Outfield (1951) (special effects)
- Law and the Lady, The (1951) (special effects)
- Light Touch, The (1951) (special effects)
- No Questions Asked (1951) (special effects)
- Painted Hills, The (1951) (special effects)
- Red Badge of Courage, The (1951) (special effects)
- Shadow in the Sky (1951) (special effects)
- Strip, The (1951) (special effects)
- Tall Target, The (1951) (special effects)
- Three Little Words (1950) (special effects)
- Crisis (1950) (special effects)
- Yellow Cab Man, The (1950) (special effects)
- Bribe, The (1949) (special effects)
- Challenge to Lassie (1949) (special effects)
- Barkleys of Broadway, The (1949) (special effects)
- Little Women (1949) (special effects supervisor)
- Malaya (1949) (special effects)
- In the Good Old Summertime (1949) (special effects)
- .Madame Bovary (1949) (special effects)
- On the Town (1949) (special effects)
- Secret Garden, The (1949) (special effects)
- Stratton Story, The (1949) (special effects)
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949) (special effects)
- Easter Parade (1948) (special effects)
- B.F.’s Daughter (1948) (special effects)
- Hills of Home (1948) (special effects)
- Southern Yankee, A (1948) (special effects)
- Sun Comes Up, The (1948) (special effects)
- Tenth Avenue Angel (1948) (special effects)
- Three Musketeers, The (1948) (special effects)
- Sea of Grass, The (1947) (special effects)
- Beginning or the End, The (1947) (special effects)
- Cass Timberlane (1947) (special effects)
- High Barbaree (1947) (special effects)
- High Wall (1947) (special effects)
- Hucksters, The (1947) (special effects)
- If Winter Comes (1947) (special effects)
- Romance of Rosy Ridge, The (1947) (special effects)
- Harvey Girls, The (1946) (special effects)
- Bad Bascomb (1946) (special effects)
-.Hoodlum Saint, The (1946) (special effects)
- My Brother Talks to Horses (1946) (special effects)
- Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) (special effects)
- Yearling, The (1946) (special effects)
- Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945) (special effects)
- Clock, The (1945) (special effects)
- Adventure (1945) (special effects)
- Sailor Takes a Wife, The (1945) (special effects)
- Son of Lassie (1945) (special effects)
- Valley of Decision, The (1945) (special effects)
- Weekend at the Waldorf (1945) (special effects)
- Yolanda and the Thief (1945) (special effects)
- Kismet (1944) (special effects)
- Gaslight (1944) (special effects)
- Dragon Seed (1944) (special effects)
- Mrs. Parkington (1944) (special effects)
- White Cliffs of Dover, The (1944) (special effects)
- Guy Named Joe, A (1943) (special effects)
- Above Suspicion (1943) (special effects)
- Cross of Lorraine, The (1943) (special effects)
- Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) (special effects)
- Lassie Come Home (1943) (special effects)
- Madame Curie (1943) (special effects)
- I Married an Angel (1942) (special effects)
- Tortilla Flat (1942) (special effects)
- Mrs. Miniver (1942) (special effects)
- Reunion in France (1942) (special effects)
- Tennessee Johnson (1942) (special effects)
- Yank at Eton, A (1942) (special effects)
- Smilin’ Through (1941) (special effects)
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) (special effects)
- Billy the Kid (1941) (special effects)
- Feminine Touch, The (1941) (special effects)
- Two-Faced Woman (1941) (special effects)
- Wizard of Oz, The (1939) (director of matte painting staff) OZMatte
- China Seas (1935) (special effects)
- Mask of Fumanchu(1932)

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- America (1924) (matte painter)