Charles Lisanby
| Charles Lisanby | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Charles Alvin Lisanby January 22, 1924 Princeton, Kentucky, United States |
| Died | August 23, 2013 (aged 89) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation | Production Designer and Set Director |
| Years active | 1948–1998 |
Charles Alvin Lisanby (January 22, 1924 – August 23, 2013) was an American Production Designer who helped define scenic design in early color television. During his career, he was nominated for sixteen Emmys and won three. In January 2010, Charles was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame at the nineteenth annual ceremony alongside Don Pardo, the Smothers Brothers, Bob Stewart, and Gene Roddenberry. Aside from his success in the entertainment industry, Charles is known for his close friendship with the artist Andy Warhol, which lasted for about ten years beginning in 1955.
Charles graduated high school in 1940 at age 16, and was drafted the following year after Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into World War II. Receiving an early discharge due to meningitis, Charles ignored his father's wish to become a doctor and instead went to New York to attend art school. After working for an advertising agency for a couple of months, Charles received his first professional commission in 1947, a job painting a mural for the famous actor's guild, the Friars Club. While working at the Friar's Club—which he remains an honorary member of today—Charles met Ralph Levy, a producer and television director who invited Charles to do some work for him at CBS. Over the next thirty years, Charles worked for CBS, ABC and NBC, using his ample leave in the summer to travel all over the world, seeking inspiration from other cultures of this designs. During his long and distinguished career Charles frequently traveled between his two homes in New York City and Los Angeles, where he retired.
Charles Lisanby is currently the first and only Production Designer ever inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. As well as contributing spectacular scenes and set piece design for countless television shows and movies, Charles helped pioneer several key recognizable features of television. As color television developed, experimentation with colorful scenes and costumes was needed and developed. One key feature Charles directly mastered was the use of neon lighting for shows. Early experiments with neon lights created a buzzing sound through the microphone system which was severe enough it could not be used. After working with engineers, lighting, and sound experts Charles was able to incorporate neon lights for the first time in television history. Charles also invented lighted steps as a feature of shows, and was the first to implement large block letters which actors could sit on as a part of the set.
As well as influencing scenic design as it is known today, Charles designed the first ever mini-series on television in 1973–1974 with his Emmy-winning Ben Franklin mini-series. He took scenic design to new heights with monumental set pieces such as his Parisian street set which created buzz across Hollywood and within the profession. Throughout his nearly 50-year career, Lisanby became arguably the most influential scenic designer.
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