The production designer and director created the sets for Gone With The Wind,Thief of Bagdad, Things To advance and many more.Author James Curtis starts his new book William Cameron Menzies: The Shape Of Films To advance by describing one of the most memorable scenes in film history: the "burning of Atlanta" in Gone With the Wind. The scene was staged but the fire was genuine; the soon-to-be discarded movie sets of King Kong and King of Kings were dressed up like Civil War-era Atlanta and burned to the ground. It was the first time that a scene like that had been done in genuine life (rather than in miniature), or every last detail of the set—from the rust on the cars to an intricate network of pipes that could fuel and dampen the flames—was meticulously thought out for the most realistic effect possible.Read Full sage
Source: fastcompany.com