# John Box

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British film production designer

This article is about the British film designer. For the U.S. congressman from Texas, see [John C. Box](/source/John_C._Box).

John Box working on a design for *[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!_(film))* (1968)

**John Allan Hyatt Box [OBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire)** (27 January 1920 – 7 March 2005) was a British film [production designer](/source/Production_designer) and [art director](/source/Art_director#In_film). He won the [Academy Award for Best Art Direction](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Production_Design) on four occasions and won the equivalent [BAFTA](/source/BAFTA) three times, a record for both awards. Throughout his career he gained a reputation for recreating exotic locations in rather more mundane surroundings; he once created a walled Chinese city in [Snowdonia](/source/Snowdonia).[1]

## Early life

Box was born in London, and attended [Highgate School](/source/Highgate_School) from 1934 to 1938.[2] Due to his father's job as a civil engineer, he spent much of his childhood in [Sri Lanka](/source/Sri_Lanka), then the British colony of Ceylon. After studying architecture at [North London Polytechnic](/source/University_of_North_London). He served with the [British Army](/source/British_Army) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), being [commissioned](/source/Officer_(armed_forces)) into the Hampshire Regiment (later the [Royal Hampshire Regiment](/source/Royal_Hampshire_Regiment)) on 21 December 1940,[3] but then transferred to the [Royal Armoured Corps](/source/Royal_Armoured_Corps) (RAC) on 1 June 1942.[3]

## Career

After the war Box served his apprenticeship an assistant to the art director [Carmen Dillon](/source/Carmen_Dillon), herself an [Oscar](/source/Academy_Awards) winner. During this period he worked with her on [Anthony Asquith](/source/Anthony_Asquith)'s adaptation of *[The Browning Version](/source/The_Browning_Version_(1951_film))* (1951) and *[The Importance of Being Earnest](/source/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest_(1952_film))* (1952).[4]

Box's first films as an art director were low budget affairs, the first being the science fiction [B-movie](/source/B-movie) *[The Gamma People](/source/The_Gamma_People)* (1956). His first big break came when director [Mark Robson](/source/Mark_Robson_(film_director)) asked him to work on the [period film](/source/Historical_drama_film) *[The Inn of the Sixth Happiness](/source/The_Inn_of_the_Sixth_Happiness)* (1957), which starred [Ingrid Bergman](/source/Ingrid_Bergman). After this Box worked on [Carol Reed](/source/Carol_Reed)'s adaptation of [Graham Greene](/source/Graham_Greene)'s novel *[Our Man in Havana](/source/Our_Man_in_Havana)* (1959) and [Richard Quine](/source/Richard_Quine)'s *[The World of Suzie Wong](/source/The_World_of_Suzie_Wong_(film))* (1960).

As production designer of *[Lawrence of Arabia](/source/Lawrence_of_Arabia_(film))* (1962), he first worked for the British director [David Lean](/source/David_Lean), as well as winning his first Oscar. Box got the job working on this film after [John Bryan](/source/John_Bryan_(art_director)) fell ill. Box designed *[Of Human Bondage](/source/Of_Human_Bondage_(1964_film))* (1964) and worked with Lean again on the adaptation of *[Doctor Zhivago](/source/Doctor_Zhivago_(film))* (1965), for which he again won an Oscar for his set designs.

The following year Box won his first BAFTA award for his reproduction of [Tudor](/source/Tudor_period) England in [Fred Zinnemann](/source/Fred_Zinnemann)'s version of *[A Man for All Seasons](/source/A_Man_for_All_Seasons_(1966_film))* (1966). In his next production he recreated [Victorian era](/source/Victorian_era) London for the [musical](/source/Musical_theater) *[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!_(film))* (1968). He won an Oscar for *Oliver!*, a feat he repeated in his next film three years later, *[Nicholas and Alexandra](/source/Nicholas_and_Alexandra)* (1971), which provided Box with his final Academy Award for his detailed reproduction of pre-[revolution](/source/October_Revolution) Russia.

In 1972, Box worked on *[Travels with My Aunt](/source/Travels_with_My_Aunt_(film))*, for which he received another Oscar nomination. He won a BAFTA or his role on [Jack Clayton](/source/Jack_Clayton)'s version of *[The Great Gatsby](/source/The_Great_Gatsby_(1974_film))* (1974), and won the award again the following year for *[Rollerball](/source/Rollerball_(1975_film))*.

Box's next two projects were 1977's *[Sorcerer](/source/Sorcerer_(film))* (1977) and *[The Keep](/source/The_Keep_(film))* (1983), both of which were expensive and unsuccessful. He reunited with David Lean for the film *[A Passage to India](/source/A_Passage_to_India_(film))* (1984), for which Box received Oscar and BAFTA nominations. He retired after this film, but returned in the mid-90s to work on an adaptation of *[Black Beauty](/source/Black_Beauty)*, as well as *[First Knight](/source/First_Knight)*, his first foray into computer assisted set design and his final film.

He was awarded the OBE in 1998.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## See also

- [Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame](/source/Art_Directors_Guild_Hall_of_Fame)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["The Inn of the Sixth Happiness"](https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/359301), Turner Classic Movies

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hughes, Patrick; Davies, Ian F (Eds) (1988). *Highgate School Register 1833–1988* (7th ed.). p. 245.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Officers_of_the_British_Army_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Officers_of_the_British_Army_3-1) ["British Army officer histories"](https://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_B04.html#Box_JAH). Unit Histories. Retrieved 11 March 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Christie_4-0)** Ian Christie [Obituary: John Box](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/mar/26/guardianobituaries), *The Guardian*, 26 March 2005

## External links

- [British Army Officers 1939−1945](https://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_B04.html#Box_JAH)

- [John Box](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0101501/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

Awards for John Box v t e Academy Award for Best Production Design Interior Decoration (1927–1939) 1927/1928: William Cameron Menzies 1928/1929: Cedric Gibbons 1929/1930: Herman Rosse 1930/1931: Max Rée 1931/1932: Gordon Wiles 1932/1933: William S. Darling 1934: Cedric Gibbons, Fredric Hope 1935: Richard Day 1936: Richard Day 1937: Stephen Goosson 1938: Carl Jules Weyl 1939: Lyle R. Wheeler Black & White / Color (1940–1946) 1940 (bw): Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse / (c): Vincent Korda 1941 (bw): Richard Day, Nathan Juran, and Thomas Little / (c): Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary, and Edwin B. Willis 1942 (bw): Richard Day, Joseph C. Wright, and Thomas Little / (c): Richard Day, Joseph C. Wright, and Thomas Little 1943 (bw): James Basevi, William S. Darling, and Thomas Little / (c): Alexander Golitzen, John B. Goodman, Russell A. Gausman, and Ira S. Webb 1944 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, William Ferrari, Paul Huldschinsky, and Edwin B. Willis / (c): Wiard Ihnen and Thomas Little 1945 (bw): Wiard Ihnen and A. Roland Fields / (c): Hans Dreier, Ernst Fegté, and Samuel M. Comer 1946 (bw): William S. Darling, Lyle R. Wheeler, Thomas Little, and Frank E. Hughes / (c): Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, and Edwin B. Willis Art Direction–Set Decoration Black & White / Color (1947–1956) 1947 (bw): John Bryan and Wilfred Shingleton / (c): Alfred Junge 1948 (bw): Roger K. Furse and Carmen Dillon / (c): Hein Heckroth and Arthur Lawson 1949 (bw): Harry Horner, John Meehan, and Emile Kuri / (c): Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis, and Jack D. Moore 1950 (bw): Hans Dreier, John Meehan, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer / (c): Hans Dreier, Walter Tyler, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer 1951 (bw): Richard Day and George James Hopkins / (c): Cedric Gibbons, E. Preston Ames, Edwin B. Willis, and F. Keogh Gleason 1952 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis, and F. Keogh Gleason /(c): Paul Sheriff and Marcel Vertès 1953 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis, and Hugh Hunt / (c): Lyle R. Wheeler, George Davis, Walter M. Scott, and Paul S. Fox 1954 (bw): Richard Day / (c): John Meehan and Emile Kuri 1955 (bw): Hal Pereira, Tambi Larsen, Samuel M. Comer, and Arthur Krams / (c): William Flannery, Jo Mielziner, and Robert Priestley 1956 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, Malcolm F. Brown, Edwin B. Willis, and F. Keogh Gleason / (c): Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Walter M. Scott, and Paul S. Fox 1957–1958 1957: Ted Haworth and Robert Priestley 1958: William A. Horning, E. Preston Ames, Henry Grace, and F. Keogh Gleason Black & White / Color (1959–1966) 1959 (bw): Lyle R. Wheeler, George Davis, Walter M. Scott, and Stuart A. Reiss / (c): William A. Horning (posthumous award), Edward Carfagno, and Hugh Hunt 1960 (bw): Alexandre Trauner and Edward G. Boyle / (c): Alexander Golitzen, Eric Orbom (posthumous award), Russell A. Gausman, and Julia Heron 1961 (bw): Harry Horner and Gene Callahan / (c): Boris Leven and Victor A. Gangelin 1962 (bw): Alexander Golitzen, Henry Bumstead, and Oliver Emert /(c): John Box, John Stoll, and Dario Simoni 1963 (bw): Gene Callahan / (c): John DeCuir, Jack Martin Smith, Hilyard M. Brown, Herman A. Blumenthal, Elven Webb, Maurice Pelling, Boris Juraga, Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox, and Ray Moyer 1964 (bw): Vassilis Photopoulos / (c): Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton, and George James Hopkins 1965 (bw): Robert Clatworthy and Joseph Kish /(c): John Box, Terence Marsh, and Dario Simoni 1966 (bw): Richard Sylbert and George James Hopkins / (c): Jack Martin Smith, Dale Hennesy, Walter M. Scott, and Stuart A. Reiss 1967–1980 1967: John Truscott, Edward Carrere, and John W. Brown 1968: John Box, Terence Marsh, Vernon Dixon, and Ken Muggleston 1969: John DeCuir, Jack Martin Smith, Herman A. Blumenthal, Walter M. Scott, George James Hopkins, and Raphaël Bretton 1970: Urie McCleary, Gil Parrondo, Antonio Mateos, and Pierre-Louis Thévenet 1971: John Box, Ernest Archer, Jack Maxsted, Gil Parrondo, and Vernon Dixon 1972: Rolf Zehetbauer, Jurgen Kiebach, and Herbert Strabel 1973: Henry Bumstead and James W. Payne 1974: Dean Tavoularis, Angelo P. Graham, and George R. Nelson 1975: Ken Adam, Roy Walker, and Vernon Dixon 1976: George C. Jenkins and George Gaines 1977: John Barry, Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley, and Roger Christian 1978: Paul Sylbert, Edwin O'Donovan, and George Gaines 1979: Philip Rosenberg, Tony Walton, Edward Stewart, and Gary J. Brink 1980: Pierre Guffroy and Jack Stephens 1981–2000 1981: Norman Reynolds and Leslie Dilley (art); Michael D. Ford (set) 1982: Stuart Craig and Robert W. Laing (art); Michael Seirton (set) 1983: Anna Asp (art) 1984: Patrizia von Brandenstein (art); Karel Černý (set) 1985: Stephen B. Grimes (art); Josie MacAvin (set) 1986: Gianni Quaranta and Brian Ackland-Snow (art); Brian Savegar and Elio Altramura (set) 1987: Ferdinando Scarfiotti (art); Bruno Cesari and Osvaldo Desideri (set) 1988: Stuart Craig (art); Gérard James (set) 1989: Anton Furst (art); Peter Young (set) 1990: Richard Sylbert (art); Rick Simpson (set) 1991: Dennis Gassner (art); Nancy Haigh (set) 1992: Luciana Arrighi (art); Ian Whittaker (set) 1993: Allan Starski (art); Ewa Braun (set) 1994: Ken Adam (art); Carolyn Scott (set) 1995: Eugenio Zanetti (art) 1996: Stuart Craig (art); Stephenie McMillan (set) 1997: Peter Lamont (art); Michael D. Ford (set) 1998: Martin Childs (art); Jill Quertier (set) 1999: Rick Heinrichs (art); Peter Young (set) 2000: Timmy Yip (art) 2001–present 2001: Catherine Martin (art); Brigitte Broch (set) 2002: John Myhre (art); Gordon Sim (set) 2003: Grant Major (art); Dan Hennah and Alan Lee (set) 2004: Dante Ferretti (art); Francesca Lo Schiavo (set) 2005: John Myhre (art); Gretchen Rau (set) 2006: Eugenio Caballero (art); Pilar Revuelta (set) 2007: Dante Ferretti (art); Francesca Lo Schiavo (set) 2008: Donald Graham Burt (art); Victor J. Zolfo (set) 2009: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg (art); Kim Sinclair (set) 2010: Robert Stromberg (art); Karen O'Hara (set) 2011: Dante Ferretti (art); Francesca Lo Schiavo (set) 2012: Rick Carter (art); Jim Erickson (set) 2013: Catherine Martin (art); Beverley Dunn (set) 2014: Adam Stockhausen (art); Anna Pinnock (set) 2015: Colin Gibson (art); Lisa Thompson (set) 2016: David Wasco (art); Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (set) 2017: Paul Denham Austerberry (art); Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin (set) 2018: Hannah Beachler (art); Jay Hart (set) 2019: Barbara Ling (art); Nancy Haigh (set) 2020: Donald Graham Burt (art); Jan Pascale (set) 2021: Patrice Vermette (art) and Zsuzsanna Sipos (set) 2022: Christian M. Goldbeck (art) and Ernestine Hipper (set) 2023: James Price and Shona Heath (art); Zsuzsa Mihalek (set) 2024: Nathan Crowley (art); Lee Sandales (set) 2025: Tamara Deverell (art); Shane Vieau (set) v t e BAFTA Award for Best Production Design 1964–1967 Black and White Ken Adam (1964) Ray Simm (1965) Tambi Larsen (1966) No Award (1967) Colour John Bryan (1964) Ken Adam (1965) Wilfred Shingleton (1966) John Box (1967) 1968–present Ernest Archer, Harry Lange, and Anthony Masters (1968) Donald M. Ashton (1969) Mario Garbuglia (1970) Ferdinando Scarfiotti (1971) Rolf Zehetbauer (1972) Natasha Kroll (1973) John Box (1974) John Box (1975) Geoffrey Kirkland (1976) Danilo Donati and Federico Fellini (1977) Joe Alves (1978) Michael Seymour (1979) Stuart Craig (1980) Norman Reynolds (1981) Lawrence G. Paull (1982) Gianni Quaranta and Franco Zeffirelli (1983) Roy Walker (1984) Norman Garwood (1985) Brian Ackland-Snow and Gianni Quaranta (1986) Santo Loquasto (1987) Dean Tavoularis (1988) Dante Ferretti (1989) Richard Sylbert (1990) Bo Welch (1991) Catherine Martin (1992) Andrew McAlpine (1993) Dante Ferretti (1994) Michael Corenblith (1995) Tony Burrough (1996) Catherine Martin (1997) Dennis Gassner (1998) Rick Heinrichs (1999) Arthur Max (2000) Aline Bonetto (2001) Dennis Gassner (2002) William Sandell (2003) Dante Ferretti (2004) Stuart Craig (2005) Jim Clay, Geoffrey Kirkland, and Jennifer Williams (2006) Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer (2007) Donald Graham Burt and Victor J. Zolfo (2008) Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, and Kim Sinclair (2009) Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, and Doug Mowat (2010) Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo (2011) Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson (2012) Catherine Martin and Beverly Dunn (2013) Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock (2014) Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (2015) Stuart Craig and Anna Pinnock (2016) Paul D. Austerberry, Jeff Melvin, and Shane Vieau (2017) Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton (2018) Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales (2019) Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale (2020) Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos (2021) Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino (2022) Shona Heath, James Price, and Zsuzsa Mihalek (2023) Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales (2024) Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau (2025) v t e Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame (2000s) 2005 Wilfred Buckland Richard Day John DeCuir Anton Grot Boris Leven William Cameron Menzies Van Nest Polglase 2006 John Box Hans Dreier Cedric Gibbons Jan Scott Alexandre Trauner 2007 Hilyard M. Brown Henry Bumstead Carroll Clark Stephen Goosson Harry Horner 2008 Edward Carfagno Stephen B. Grimes Dale Hennesy James Trittipo Lyle R. Wheeler 2009 Ted Haworth Joseph McMillan "Mac" Johnson Romain Johnston John Meehan Harold Michelson Complete list 2000s 2010s 2020s

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Israel Artists FID Other IdRef Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Box) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Box?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.