{{Short description|Polish art director (1884–1974)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Anton Grot | image = Art_director_Anton_Grot.jpg | caption = Grot with design for ''[[The Thief of Bagdad (1924 film)|The Thief of Bagdad]]'' (1924) | birth_name = Antoni Franciszek Groszewski | birth_date = {{Birth date|1884|1|18|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Kelbasin]], Poland | death_date = {{Death date and age|1974|3|21|1884|1|18|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Stanton, California]], United States | occupation = [[Art director]] | years_active = 1916-1950 }} '''Anton Grot''' (18 January 1884 – 21 March 1974) was a Polish [[art director]] long active in [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]]. He was known for his prolific output with [[Warner Brothers]], contributing, in such films as ''[[Little Caesar (film)|Little Caesar]]'' (1931), and ''[[Gold Diggers of 1933]]'' to the distinctive Warners look. According to a [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]] profile, he showed a "flair for harsh realism, Expressionistic horror and ornate romantic moods alike".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/77329%7C14548/Anton-Grot/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022040838/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/77329%7C14548/Anton-Grot/|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 October 2011|title=Overview for Anton Grot|work=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref>
==Biography== He was born Antoni Franciszek Groszewski in [[Kiełbasin]], [[Poland]] and died in [[Stanton, California]]. He studied at the [[Krakow art academy]] and at technical school in [[Königsberg]], [[Germany]], majoring in interior decoration, illustration, and design. He changed his name and emigrated to the U.S. in 1909.<ref name=allmovie>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/p92717|title=Anton Grot movies, photos, movie reviews, filmography, and biography - AllMovie|work=AllMovie}}</ref>
The Lubin Company hired him to paint and design sets in 1913, in Philadelphia;<ref name=OAC>{{cite web|url=https://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/ft7d5nb1ww/|title=Finding Aid for the Anton Grot Papers, 1920-1950|publisher=}}</ref> he also worked on films for [[Vitagraph]] and [[Pathé]]. At the Pathé company, he developed his innovative techniques, along with [[William Cameron Menzies]], in the way of using continuity sketches. His method of presenting a series of sketches of all the film's sets would later become standard practice among Art Directors, particularly with Menzies (his assistant in 1917, on ''[[The Naulahka (film)|The Naulahka]]''). The cinematographer [[Arthur Miller (cinematographer)|Arthur Miller]] remembered Anton Grot: <blockquote>"a gifted and talented artist who made beautiful charcoal drawings...of the set before it was completed. All his compositions showed a full shot of each set, with all the delicate tones and shadings that suggested ideas for lighting and, in general, were of great help to me as a cameraman."<ref name=ADG>{{cite web|url=http://www.adg.org/?art=hall_of_fame&VIEW=29267|title=Art Directors Guild - Hall of Fame|author=incEngine|publisher=}}</ref></blockquote>
Grot arrived in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] to assist [[Wilfred Buckland]] with the sets for the [[Douglas Fairbanks]] ''[[Robin Hood (1922 film)|Robin Hood]]'' (1922); and stayed on, to work with [[Cecil B. DeMille]] and [[William K. Howard]].<ref name=OAC /> He was eventually signed by [[Warner Bros.]], as “art director, artist, and designer", and designed 80 films before his retirement in 1948. Grot collaborated with fellow [[émigré]], director [[Michael Curtiz]], on 15 films. Beginning with the biblical epic [[Noah's Ark (1928 film)|Noah's Ark]] (1928), these included ''[[Mystery of the Wax Museum]]'' (1933), ''[[The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex]]'' (1939), ''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'' (1940), and ''[[Mildred Pierce (film)|Mildred Pierce]]'' (1945). Grot is credited with contributing significantly to Curtiz’ personal style.<ref name=ADG />
==Awards== [[File:Svengali (1931) 4.jpg|thumb|''[[Svengali (1931 film)|Svengali]]'' (1931)]] Grot was nominated for five [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]:<ref name="theoscarsite.com">{{Cite web|url=http://theoscarsite.com/whoswho/grot_a.htm |title=Anton Grot |accessdate=28 January 2011|work=theoscarsite.com}}</ref> * ''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'' (1940)<ref name="NY Times: The Sea Hawk">{{Cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/43317/The-Sea-Hawk/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626190759/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/43317/The-Sea-Hawk/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 June 2009 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2009 |title=NY Times: The Sea Hawk |accessdate=7 December 2008}}</ref> * ''[[The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex]]'' (1939)<ref name="NY Times: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex">{{Cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/39316/The-Private-Lives-of-Elizabeth-and-Essex/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230225105/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/39316/The-Private-Lives-of-Elizabeth-and-Essex/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 December 2009 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2009 |title=NY Times: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex |accessdate=7 December 2008}}</ref> * ''[[The Life of Emile Zola]]'' (1937)<ref name="NY Times: The Life of Emile Zola">{{Cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/29244/The-Life-of-Emile-Zola/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017063617/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/29244/The-Life-of-Emile-Zola/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2012 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2012 |title=NY Times: The Life of Emile Zola |accessdate=7 December 2008}}</ref> * ''[[Anthony Adverse]]'' (1936)<ref name="NY Times: Anthony Adverse">{{Cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/2606/Anthony-Adverse/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017063643/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/2606/Anthony-Adverse/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2012 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2012 |title=NY Times: Anthony Adverse |accessdate=7 December 2008}}</ref> * ''[[Svengali (1931 film)|Svengali]]'' (1931)<ref name="NY Times: Svengali">{{Cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/48037/Svengali/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017063357/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/48037/Svengali/details |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2012 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2012 |title=NY Times: Svengali |accessdate=7 December 2008}}</ref> [[File:Svengali (1931) 3.jpg|thumb|''[[Svengali (1931 film)|Svengali]]'' (1931)]]
He received a special Oscar in 1941 for inventing a water ripple and wave-illusion machine, first used in ''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'' (1940).<ref name=allmovie />
==Filmography== {{div col|colwidth=25em}} * ''[[The Light at Dusk]]'' (1916) * ''[[Arms and the Woman]]'' (1916) * ''[[Sylvia of the Secret Service]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Naulahka (film)|The Naulahka]]'' (1918) * ''[[Rogues and Romance]]'' (1920) * ''[[Robin Hood (1922 film)|Robin Hood]]'' (1922) * ''[[The Thief of Bagdad (1924 film)|The Thief of Bagdad]]'' (1924) * ''[[The Road to Yesterday]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Volga Boatman (1926 film)|The Volga Boatman]]'' (1926) * ''[[Young April]]'' (1926) * ''[[The King of Kings (1927 film)|The King of Kings]]'' (1927) * ''[[Fighting Love]]'' (1927) * ''[[White Gold (1927 film)|White Gold]]'' (1927) * ''[[The Little Adventuress (1927 film)|The Little Adventuress]]'' (1927) * ''[[Vanity (1927 film)|Vanity]]'' (1927) * ''[[The Country Doctor (1927 film)|The Country Doctor]]'' (1927) * ''[[A Ship Comes In]]'' (1928) * ''[[Stand and Deliver (1928 film)|Stand and Deliver]]'' (1928) * ''[[The Blue Danube (1928 film)|The Blue Danube]]'' (1928) * ''[[Hold 'Em Yale (1928 film)|Hold 'Em Yale]]'' (1928) * ''[[Walking Back]]'' (1928) * ''[[Noah's Ark (1928 film)|Noah's Ark]]'' (1928) * ''[[The Squall]]'' (1929) * ''[[Smiling Irish Eyes]]'' (1929) * ''[[Top Speed (film)|Top Speed]]'' (1930) * ''[[Bright Lights (1930 film)|Bright Lights]]'' (1930) * ''[[The Widow from Chicago]]'' (1930) * ''[[Mothers Cry]]'' (1930) * ''[[Going Wild]]'' (1930) * ''[[Song of the Flame (film)|Song of the Flame]]'' (1930) * ''[[A Notorious Affair]]'' (1930) * ''[[Kiss Me Again (1931 film)|Kiss Me Again]]'' (1931) * ''[[Little Caesar (film)|Little Caesar]]'' (1931) * ''[[Body and Soul (1931 film)|Body and Soul]]'' (1931) * ''[[The Lady Who Dared]]'' (1931) * ''[[Svengali (1931 film)|Svengali]]'' (1931) * ''[[Broadminded (film)|Broadminded]]'' (1931) * ''[[Side Show (film)|Side Show]]'' (1931) * ''[[The Road to Singapore]]'' (1931) * ''[[The Mad Genius]]'' (1931) * ''[[Surrender (1931 film)|Surrender]]'' (1931) * ''[[High Pressure (film)|High Pressure]]'' (1932) * ''[[The Hatchet Man]]'' (1932) * ''[[Alias the Doctor]]'' (1932) * ''[[20,000 Years in Sing Sing]]'' (1932) * ''[[The Heart of New York (film)|The Heart of New York]]'' (1932) * ''[[Beauty and the Boss]]'' (1932) * ''[[Man Wanted (1932 film)|Man Wanted]]'' (1932) * ''[[Two Seconds]]'' (1932) * ''[[Street of Women]]'' (1932) * ''[[Doctor X (film)|Doctor X]]'' (1932) * ''[[Two Against the World (1932 film)|Two Against the World]]'' (1932) * ''[[Big City Blues (1932 film)|Big City Blues]]'' (1932) * ''[[A Successful Calamity]]'' (1932) * ''[[One Way Passage]]'' (1932) * ''[[Scarlet Dawn]]'' (1932) * ''[[The Match King]]'' (1932) * ''[[The King's Vacation]]'' (1933) * ''[[Mystery of the Wax Museum]]'' (1933) * ''[[The Keyhole (1933 film)|The Keyhole]]'' (1933) * ''[[Gold Diggers of 1933]]'' (1933) * ''[[Baby Face (film)|Baby Face]]'' (1933) * ''[[Voltaire (film)|Voltaire]]'' (1933) * ''[[Footlight Parade]]'' (1933) * ''[[Ever in My Heart]]'' (1933) * ''[[From Headquarters (1933 film)|From Headquarters]]'' (1933) * ''[[Son of a Sailor]]'' (1933) * ''[[Easy to Love (1934 film)|Easy to Love]]'' (1934) * ''[[Mandalay (film)|Mandalay]]'' (1934) * ''[[Gambling Lady]]'' (1934) * ''[[Upper World (film)|Upper World]]'' (1934) * ''[[He Was Her Man]]'' (1934) * ''[[Dr. Monica]]'' (1934) * ''[[Side Streets (1934 film)|Side Streets]]'' (1934) * ''[[6 Day Bike Rider]]'' (1934) * ''[[The Firebird (1934 film)|The Firebird]]'' (1934) * ''[[The Secret Bride]]'' (1934) * ''[[British Agent]]'' (1934) * ''[[Racing Luck (1935 film)|Racing Luck]]'' (1935) * ''[[Traveling Saleslady]]'' (1935) * ''[[The Florentine Dagger]]'' (1935) * ''[[Stranded (1935 film)|Stranded]]'' (1935) * ''[[Gold Diggers of 1935]]'' (1935) * ''[[Bright Lights (1935 film)|Bright Lights]]'' (1935) * ''[[Broadway Gondolier]]'' (1935) * ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1935) * ''[[Dr. Socrates]]'' (1935) * ''[[Captain Blood (1935 film)|Captain Blood]]'' (1935) * ''[[The Golden Arrow (1936 film)|The Golden Arrow]]'' (1936) * ''[[The White Angel (1936 film)|The White Angel]]'' (1936) * ''[[Anthony Adverse]]'' (1936) * ''[[Sing Me a Love Song]]'' (1936) * ''[[Stolen Holiday]]'' (1937) * ''[[Confession (1937 film)|Confession]]'' (1937) * ''[[Tovarich (film)|Tovarich]]'' (1937) * ''[[The Great Garrick]]'' (1937) * ''[[The Life of Emile Zola]]'' (1937) * ''[[Fools for Scandal]]'' (1938) * ''[[Hard to Get (1938 film)|Hard to Get]]'' (1938) * ''[[Secrets of an Actress]]'' (1938) * ''[[They Made Me a Criminal]]'' (1939) * ''[[Juarez (film)|Juarez]]'' (1939) * ''[[The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex]]'' (1939) * ''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]'' (1940) * ''[[A Dispatch from Reuters ]]'' (1940) * ''[[The Sea Wolf (1941 film)|The Sea Wolf]]'' (1941) * ''[[Affectionately Yours]]'' (1941) * ''[[Thank Your Lucky Stars (film)|Thank Your Lucky Stars]]'' (1943) * ''[[The Conspirators (1944 film)|The Conspirators]]'' (1944) * ''[[Rhapsody in Blue (film)|Rhapsody in Blue]]'' (1945) * ''[[Mildred Pierce (film)|Mildred Pierce]]'' (1945) * ''[[One More Tomorrow (film)|One More Tomorrow]]'' (1946) * ''[[My Reputation]]'' (1946) * ''[[Never Say Goodbye (1946 film)|Never Say Goodbye]]'' (1946) * ''[[Deception (1946 film)|Deception]]'' (1946) * ''[[Nora Prentiss]]'' (1947) * ''[[The Two Mrs. Carrolls]]'' (1947) * ''[[Possessed (1947 film)|Possessed]]'' (1947) * ''[[The Unsuspected]]'' (1947) * ''[[Romance on the High Seas]]'' (1948) * ''[[June Bride]]'' (1948) * ''[[One Sunday Afternoon (1948 film)|One Sunday Afternoon]]'' (1948) * ''[[Backfire (1950 film)|Backfire]]'' (1950) {{div col end}}
==See also== * [[Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0343819|Anton Grot}}
{{Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame (2000s)}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grot, Anton}} [[Category:Polish art directors]] [[Category:1884 births]] [[Category:1974 deaths]] [[Category:American production designers]] [[Category:People from Toruń County]] [[Category:Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners]] [[Category:Polish emigrants to the United States]]