- Charles Lisanby
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Charles Lisanby 
A young Charles LisanbyBorn Charles Alvin Lisanby
January 22, 1924
Princeton, Kentucky, United StatesOccupation Production Designer and Set Director Years active 1948 - 1998 Charles Alvin Lisanby (born January 22, 1924) is an American Emmy-winning production designer who helped pioneer color television scenic design. He has been nominated for 16 Emmys and has won three. In January 2010 Charles was inducted into the 19th Annual Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame alongside Don Pardo, the Smothers Brothers, Bob Stewart, and Gene Roddenberry. As well as his success in the entertainment industry, Charles is known for his great friendship with pop artist Andy Warhol.
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Biography
Born in Princeton, Kentucky on his parents’ farm, Charles grew up listening to Radio City Music Hall’s regular radio broadcasts while he built scale models of his interpretations of the shows. As a small child Charles went to a fair where Philo Farnesworth was giving one of his famous public demonstrations of his invention, the television, and Charles’ interest in the medium began. He graduated high school at age 16; and a year later following the Pearl Harbor attacks he was drafted into the army. After an early discharge due to meningitis, Charles went to art school even though his father wanted him to become a doctor. After moving to New York City and working at an advertising agency, he got his first professional commission from the Friars Club at their New York headquarters. Charles remains a lifetime honorary member of the Friars Club where he met Ralph Levy and got his career started with CBS by working on the Billy the Kid ballet; the first non-new broadcast on television. Charles worked for ABC, CBS, and NBC as well as numerous studios and corporations on Broadway productions, game shows, made-for-television movies, mini-series, and advertising commercials. During his active career as an Art Director and Production Designer Charles frequently traveled between his two homes in Los Angeles and New York City and is currently retired.
Influences in early color television
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 shaping 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. Charles’ worldly travels and extreme ambition took scenic design to new heights with monumental set pieces such as his Parisian street set which created an enormous buzz across Hollywood and the entire industry. Throughout his nearly 50 year career, Lisanby became arguably the most influential scenic designer ever.
Career
Charles’ first professional commission was given to him in 1947 when the Friars Club in New York City commissioned him to paint a mural in the dining room of their headquarters. Coincidentally Ralph Levy, who at the time worked for CBS, saw Charles’ work and asked him to design the experimental made-for-television ballet “Billy the Kid”. His work gained the attention of the Theatrical Stage Designers Union who demanded he cease working for CBS until he took a test to gain entrance into the Union. Charles passed the test with the highest marks and met the influential stage designer Oliver Messel who offered him a job as his assistant working on the Broadway show Romeo and Juliet starring Olivia de Haviland in 1951. After Romeo and Juliet, Charles continued to work in the same scene shop for a year until he was offered a job by Jim McNaughton at ABC. In 1954 CBS offered him a job for twice the salary which he immediately took and worked on The Jane Froman Show. Charles’ then worked for CBS for a number of years on such shows as the infamous $64,000 Question and Camera Three where he met Lewis Freedman, the future head of PBS and director of the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1958 Charles was asked to work with Ralph Levy and Bob Banner on the Gary Moore Show where he worked for six years on 234 shows and helped give Carol Burnette her television debut. After the series ended Charles went on to work on the Kraft Music Hall for Smith/Hemion; and in 1973 and 1974 he designed the Ben Franklin miniseries and received his first Emmy. Starting in 1979 he began annually working on Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular which he continued designing until 1996. Working on everything from made-for-television movies, musicals, ballets and Broadway shows, Lisanby influenced nearly every aspect of scenic design in all mediums which he worked.
Friendship with Andy Warhol
Charles met Andy Warhol at a party thrown by Bill Cecil in the mid 1950s in New York. At the party Andy was sitting alone in the corner not socializing with anyone so Charles approached him to help him meet people. The two began conversing and ended up leaving the party at the same time. That particular night it was raining so Charles and Andy stood under the awning of a taxidermy shop where Charles pointed out that he liked a stuffed peacock in the window. The next day the peacock was delivered to Charles’ door and their great friendship began.
The two became nearly inseparable and met every Sunday to do figure drawings and studies which influence both artists greatly as they matured in their respective careers. Warhol created an entire gallery exhibit (DETAILS) of the drawings he had done of Charles. Although Charles’ work had him travelling between the east and west coasts he and Andy kept in contact with regular phone calls. In 1956 Charles and Andy took a month-long trip around the world which greatly influenced both of their work and directly inspired Warhol’s Golden Shoes. Charles came up with the title to Warhol’s book 25 Cats Named Sam and One Blue Pussy and both artists frequently exchanged art and ideas into the early 1960s.
As Warhol began his famous pop-art movement the two began to separate in their friendship as Charles did not wish to be a part of it. Lisanby was in favor of much more realistic art and he decided that Warhol’s famous Factory was not his scene. Towards the end of the period where they were best friends, Warhol bought a house and tried to get Charles to move in with him, and Andy even tried to give Charles one of his famous Marilyn Monroe prints that he made specifically for him. Lisanby refused the Marilyn even though Warhol famously said, “Wrap it up in brown paper. Put it in the back of a closet. One day it’ll be worth a million dollars.” As Warhol began gaining his fame and attracting more attention Charles warned him that someday somebody would shoot him. Shortly after Charles warned him Andy was shot in 1968.
As Warhol gained more fame, he recognized the Pop Art movement that he was creating and the incredible fame he would achieve. Andy asked Charles to join him in the movement and become a famous Pop artist as well, but Charles declined due to the work he was doing in his career in television.
Career timeline
Year Show Notes 1948 Billy the Kid (Ballet) First ballet on television, broadcast in New York City 1951 Romeo and Juliet Broadway show, starring Olivia de Havilland; Assisted Oliver Messel 1951–1952 Can-Can Painted scenery 1952 America’s Town Meeting Television show anchored by John Daly 1952 Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue 1953 Jane Froman Show Met and worked with Irving Mansfield and Byron Paul 1955 $64,000 Question Created and designed the contestant's isolation booths 1956 Camera Three Produced by Robert Herridge and directed by Lewis Freedman 1957 Hotel Paradiso Broadway musical 1957 Little Glass Clock and My Fair Lady Broadway musicals; Assisted Cecil Beaton, lighting credit 1958 Dotto Designed the set but had no part in the scandal 1958–1964 The Garry Moore Show Worked on 234 shows over six years with Ralph Levy and Bob Banner 1962 Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall Show featuring Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett, a lifelong friend of Charles 1963 Calamity Jane Featured Carol Burnett 1964 Once Upon a Mattress 1966–1967 Animal Keepers 1972 Applause Musical starring Lauren Bacall 1972 Trouble with People Written by Neil Simon 1973–1974 Benjamin Franklin (TV Miniseries) Won an Emmy 1976–1977 Paul Lynde Specials Halloween and Christmas Specials 1977 The Court Marshal of George Armstrong Custer Won an Emmy 1978 20th Grammy Awards Designed the awards show 1979 Alan King Specials Total of 12 shows 1979–1996 Radio City Music Hall’s Annual Christmas Spectacular 1979 You Can’t Take it With You 1980 Baryshnikov on Broadway Won an Emmy 1980 Bob Hope’s Wine, Women and Song 1980 Folies Bergere (Tropicana, Las Vegas) Currently playing open ended 1980 The Glory of Christmas Performed at Crystal Cathedral through 2006 1981 Diana Diana Ross special 1981 Report to Murphy starring Michael Keaton, pilot and series 1982 Working PBS’ American Playhouse 1982 Night of 100 Stars Alexander Kohen/ABC 1982 Weekend PBS’ American Playhouse 1982 ENCORE Radio City’s 50th Anniversary Show 1982 Peter Allen at the Pantages, LA 1982 Glory of Easter Crystal Cathedral through 2002 1983 Walt Disney’s Radio City Summer Show 1983 Dr. Pepper commercials (7) 1983 Merrill Lynch (the original “bull”) commercials (3) 1984 French Revue for the Bahamas Princess Through 1995 1984 Pilot for Cindy – (Williams) NBC 1984 Multiple Irish Spring commercials 1985 STARZ Conrad International Hotel, Australia. Currently running open-ended 1985 Radio City HBO Christmas Special 1985 MTV Awards (2) 1987 Panasonic VCR (hands) commercials 1987 Salute to American Imagination – Ford 75th Anniversary Show 1987 Barry Manilow Special CBS/Steve Binder 1988 David Letterman’s 5th Anniversary Special NBC 1988 60th Anniversary Academy Awards Show 1989 Miss America Pageant 1 of 4 1989 Hot Prospects TV half hour pilot – starring George Clooney 1990 Superbowl Halftime Show 1990 I’m Home Pilot MGM/UA 1990 Class of the 20th Century 12 specials – A&E hosted by Richard Dreyfuss 1990 65th Grand Ole Opry Special 1992/1993 Tropworld, Atlantic City Extravaganza, 60th Anniversary Radio City Touring Show 77 weeks and remounted at Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton in 1995 1994 Disney Greatest Hits on Ice CBS 1996 Disney’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” At the Superdome in New Orleans – live and TV 1998 Reflections on Ice Starring Michelle Kwan based upon “Mulan” – ABC/Disney References
This page was created and maintained by the Curator of the Charles Lisanby Collection at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
External links
- Charles Lisanby Collection homepage
- Lisanby Hall of Fame Induction
- Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Biography
Categories:- American production designers
- 1924 births
- Living people
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