Paul Sylbert (born 16 April 1928) is an American Academy Award-winning production designer, art director, and set designer who directed on occasion.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Sylbert fought in the Korean War and attended the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania with his identical twin brother Richard. Early in their careers, they collaborated on Baby Doll and A Face in the Crowd. Sylbert also attended the Hans Hoffman School of Art and The Actors Studio. He is a veteran of the United States Army.Television Design NBC: The Big Story (1951), The Home Show (1954), Cambell's Star Stage (1955). 90 minute specials: The Ira Hayes Story, John Brown (1960)NBC Television, Color Consultant (1959)CBS: Songs for Sale, Molly Goldberg, Ford Theater, Danger, Suspense, Studio One, First regular network color broadcast (1951-1953)Feature Films: Art Direction/Production DesignRoogie's Bump (1954)Baby Doll (1955)The Wrong Man (1956)A Face in the Crowd (1957)Country Music Holiday (1958)The Teenage Millionaire (1961)Without Each Other (1962)The Tiger Makes Out (1967)The Riot (1969)Bad Company (1972)The Drowning Pool (1975)One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)Mikey and Nicky (1976)Heaven Can Wait (1978)Hardcore (1979)Kramer vs Kramer (1979)Resurrection (1980)Wolfen (1981)Blow Out (1981)Witthout a Trace (1982)Gorky Park (1983)Firstborn (1983)The Journey of Natty Gann (1984)Ishtar (1985-1986)Nadine (1987)The Pick-up Artist (1987)Biloxi Blues (1988)Fresh Horses (1988)Career Opportunities (1989)Rush (1990)The Prince of Tides (1991)Sliver (1992)Milk Money (1994)Free Willy 2 (1995)The Grass Harp (1995)Rosewood (1996)Conspiracy Theory (1997)To End All Wars (2000)Awards: Production DesignAcademy Award - Heaven Can Wait (1978)Academy Award Nominee - The Prince of TIdes (1992)Lifetime Achievement Award - Art Directors Guild (2009)Stage Design: New York City Opera CompanySusannah (1957)Tale for a Deaf Ear (1958)Street Scene (1958)The Crucible (1959)Carmina Buranna (1960)Oedipus Rex (1960)Festival of Two Worlds, Spoletto, ItalyThe Angel of Fire (1959)Lulu (1974)Stage DesignThe Agon of Gross - Off-Broadway (1952)The Making of Moo - Off-Broadway (1956)The Four Poster - Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1957)The Miracle Worker - Theatron Dionysus, Athens, Greece (1961)Night of the Iguana- Coconut Grove Playhouse (1961)The Duchess of Malfi - The Mark Taper Forum (1974)Stage DirectionOedipus Rex, New York City Opera Company (1960)The Four Poster - Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1957)Two for the Seesaw - Theatron Kentrikon, Athens, Greece (1958)The Miracle Worker - Theatron Dionysus, Athens, Greece (1961)Television Direction- SeriesThe Defenders (1963)THe Nurses (1963)Mr. Broadway (1964)The Reporter (1964)Commercial DirectionOver 50 spots including Clairol, Dash, Burma Shave, Belvedere Cigarettes, Belmont Park, etc.TV Graphics and Group Productions (1965-1968)Industrial DirectionGeneral Electric (1966)New York Telephone Co. (1967)Feature Film
Both Sylbert brothers served in the same Army infantry unit in Korea and attended the school of art at Temple University.
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Elia Kazan (Sept 7, 1909-Sept 2, 2003, age 94), producer and director, hired identical twin brothers, born April 16, 1928, Richard "Dick" (deceased March 23, 2002, age 74) and twin brother Paul Sylbert as his "Baby Doll" art department set designers, both twin brothers sharing the art director credit. The Sylbert twins had primarily been working in New York City's live television production as IATSE #829 scenic designers and set decorators. The Sylbert twins had Kazan hire their fellow New York City CBS television studio set decorator Gene Callahan (Nov 7, 1923-Dec 26, 1990, age 67, cancer), who joined them in Benoit, Mississippi to scout local locations and prep the film's primary plantation house location. Consulting and working with Elia Kazan, Gene and the Sylbert twins shared their film designing duties. Knowing of Gene Callahan's Louisiana heritage, Gene was the perfect choice to decorate the squalid run down plantation house interiors and plantation sight exteriors. Gene found the "baby doll" iron bed in a local antique shop, which became a featured prop in the film's set and playbill advertisements. The Sylbert twins and Gene were always on the film set with Kazan and his cinema photographer, during cast/camera rehearsal blocking shot, subsequent filming, on every set up. This was a natural condition to a television art department team, being a part of the cast and crew rehearsal and filming schedule, day and night. When not with the film crew, they would be preparing the next scene/film shot for the company move. Upon completion of the Mississippi filming, Gene took the "iron baby doll bed" back with him to New York City, placing the bed in his spacious and large West Side apartment's living room, a conversation piece! Kazan relied on Gene's Southern upbringing and scene interpretation in his rehearsals and scene motivation. This professional "Baby Doll" film relationship and experience secured the Sylbert's and Callahan's future alliance with Elia Kazan's future creative film assignments.
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Teaching production design at Temple University film school, his alma mater [September 2005]
$1.9 Million
