Marvin March, Set Decorator

One of the most interesting aspects about the collaborative effort of working in Hollywood is the depth of skills that make up a crew. From production designers to camera and grip, and wardrobe to Teamsters, these divergent groups all work together to bring the director’s vision to screen. Among the multitude of craft designations, none seems to give more to production (per inch) than the often unsung ranks of the set decorator. Far more than just “dressing,” their careful selection and use of objects on a set helps sell whole scenes, as well as supply a history and depth to the stages and the characters.

Five-time Oscar-nominated set decorator Marvin March is a legend of this craft. He began his long path to Tinsel town at Brandeis University, and then ultimately went to the prestigious Yale School of Drama where he studied theatrical lighting design. When he was unable to qualify for the New York Art Directors Union in 1965, March wound up earning a living as a carpenter with Gotham’s IATSE Local 52. Soon after he took a leap of faith that would prove to be the most important crossroad in his career.

Becoming interested in set decoration while driving nails as a carpenter, March heard of steady work out west and went to see for himself. He worked as a permit during pilot season at Columbia Pictures, under producer Bert Leonard, and parlayed one connective gig to another. By February of 1966, March became a card-carrying set decorator in Local 44.

Desiring to work in L.A. permanently, Marvin recalled, “I originally bought a 30-day round-trip ticket to California, so I figured I had 28 days to land a job.”

One of his first opportunities was working on a new sci-fi television show called Star Trek. “Nobody wanted to do sci-fi back then,” March said, “but I was hungry, so to me it was a break.”

He was hired to the series by producer Bob Justman via a recommendation from the head of the property department at the series’ production company, Desilu. March fondly recollected the challenges of pulling off the futuristic space set decorations. “We scrounged, modified and just plain invented things that the scripts called for. We had no idea we were prototyping such gadgets to come as cell phones and flat-screen televisions!”

March’s early exposure to Hollywood production techniques, and subsequent skill as a set decorator, was honed through his work on projects like Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man and Woody Allen’s bank robbery farce Take the Money and Run (both in 1969). “On his early pictures, Woody Allen worked off the cuff a lot,” March recalled, “So you had to be ready for anything (decorating-wise) which ultimately made me better.”

As a consummate student of the art of set decoration, March understood everything from wood grain to color theory. He coupled an encyclopedic knowledge of furniture, fabrics, periods and design of everything from cuckoo clocks to catcher’s mitts with an eye for detail which served him well throughout his career.

The next 30 years for Marvin March in Hollywood were no less than prolific; from multiple films with producer/playwright Neil Simon (such as Prisoner of 2nd Avenue, California Suite, Only When I Laugh, Lost in Yonkers and March’s favorite, The Sunshine Boys), to a slew of other successful pictures like The Summer of ’42, Mame, Annie, Ghostbusters, Lethal Weapon 1 & 2, Addams Family Values, How to Make an American Quilt, Dante’s Peak, and his final film, The General’s Daughter.

March insists that the set decorator’s role is to complement and support the actors and the action of a given scene. In Lethal Weapon, the dichotomy between the down-and-out Briggs (played by Mel Gibson) living in a wrecked trailer with a dog, versus his partner Murtaugh (Danny Glover), with a nice home and family in the suburbs, was specifically decorated by March to underscore their different lives and reflect their contrasting approaches to law enforcement.

In 1999, after 33 years in the business, March, an SDSA Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, finally retired. His advice for the next generation of set decorators: “Do your homework, and read the script carefully for texture, character traits, and the author’s vision. But don’t forget the director’s vision. He is the boss, after all. And finally, remember to always place yourself in the period of the film. That way, you’ll never go wrong.”