Halloween, Hollywood and mid-century Modernism
Thanks to Tom Blachford’s exhibition Midnight Modern, we’ve spent the past month immersed in the world of mid-century Palm Springs architecture – surrounded by eerie, large-scale photographs of moonlit Californian modernism. If you missed the show, don’t worry – Tom’s prints are now up in our online store
Anyway, with Halloween having just passed us by it seems like the perfect time to keep on wallowing in that midnight feeling. But, beyond Tom’s masterful framing and use of light, what is it exactly about Palm Springs modernism that evokes such a weird sense of unease? This week we came across a zine that spookily aligned with our current obsession:
Benjamin Critton’s zine Evil People in Modernist Homes in Popular Films is currently on display in the library at The Good Copy (our lovely neighbours just around the corner from Modern Times). Drop in and check it out if you get the chance. Flipping through the new edition, we discovered one obvious fact we hadn’t considered: Hollywood villains pretty much always live in modernist houses!
Cue: Halloween modernism-movie marathon! Here are some of our favourite mid-century Palm Springs bad-guy lairs. The homes link to the Google map addresses so you can get a bit creepy yourself and snoop around the neighbourhood.
Building:
Architect:
John Lautner
Movie:
The Big Lebowski. In the movie it’s the home of wealthy pornographer and loan shark Jackie Treehorn.
Building:
Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate (1947)
Architect:
E. Stewart Williams.
Movie:
The Damned Don’t Cry. In the film, the exterior used as a gangster’s desert hideaway.
Building:
Architect:
John Lautner
Movie:
Diamonds Are Forever. In the film, it’s the home of reclusive billionaire Willard Whyte and the scene of James Bond’s acrobatic fight with villains Bambi and Thumper.
Building:
Architect:
Richard Neutra
Film:
LA Confidential. In the film it’s the home of wealthy pimp Pierce Morehouse Patchett (operator of Fleur-de-Lis, a call-girl service that runs prostitutes altered by plastic surgery to resemble film stars).
Building:
Architect:
John Lautner
Movie:
Lethal Weapon 2. In the film it’s the home of the main antagonist, South African diplomat and smuggler Arjen Rudd.
Building:
Reiner House, aka Silvertop (1963)
Architect:
John Lautner
Movie:
Less Than Zero. In the film it’s the unwelcoming family home of college freshman-turned-addict Clay Easton.
Building:
Architect:
John Lautner
Movie:
Body Double. In the movie, it’s the house from which struggling actor Jake Scully witnesses the murder of his mysterious neighbour Gloria.
So… why do so many of Hollywood’s villains live in houses designed by John Lautner? Check out Ben’s zine for some interesting theories.
