Paul Sylbert
Paul Sylbert (April 16, 1928 – November 19, 2016) was an American Academy Award-winning production designer, art director, and set designer who directed on occasion. Paul Sylbert was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a dressmaker, Sylbert grew up in the borough's Flatbush neighborhood and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1946. He 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.
Paul Sylbert
- Name
- Paul Sylbert
- Born
- 16 April 1928
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
- Died
- 19 November 2016
- Place of death
- Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Occupation
- Production designer, art director, set designer
- Spouse
- * Anthea Sylbert (divorced)
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- Erasmus Hall High School · Temple University
- Honours
- Academy Award for Best Production Design · Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award
- Languages
- English
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Paul Sylbert (April 16, 1928 – November 19, 2016) was an American Academy Award-winning production designer, art director, and set designer who directed on occasion. Paul Sylbert was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a dressmaker, Sylbert grew up in the borough's Flatbush neighborhood and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1946. He 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.
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Note VALÉORINE
Paul Sylbert (1928–2016) was an American film director, production designer and screenwriter. Born in Brooklyn, the film director died in Jenkintown.
Paul Sylbert studied at Erasmus Hall High School and Temple University. The film director worked for Temple University.
Languages used include English. Paul Sylbert received Academy Award for Best Production Design and Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q2062658 · wikipedia · Paul Sylbert
In this article
Biography
Biography
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 and served in Korea. Sylbert was a member of the faculty at the Film and Media Arts department of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught courses in film studies. He also taught a course called Film: The Creative Process at Temple University in the Spring of 2014. Sylbert died on November 19, 2016, at the age of 88.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Paul Sylbert • Born — 16 April 1928 • Birthplace — Brooklyn, New York, U.S. • Died — 19 November 2016 • Place of death — Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Occupation — Production designer, art director, set designer • Years Active — 1951–2008 • Relatives — Richard Sylbert (twin brother) • Spouse — * Anthea Sylbert (divorced) • Jeannette D'Ambrosio Sylbert (his death)
Television (as designer)
Television (as designer)
• The Big Story (1951) • The Home Show (1954) • The Ira Hayes Story • John Brown (1960) • Songs for Sale • Molly Goldberg • Ford Theater • Danger • Suspense • Studio One
Stage (as designer)
Stage (as designer)
• Susannah (1957) • Tale for a Deaf Ear (1958) • Street Scene (1958) • The Crucible (1959) • Carmina Buranna (1960) • Oedipus Rex (1960) • Festival of Two Worlds, Spoletto, Italy: The Angel of Fire (1959), Lulu (1974) • The Agon of Gross - Off-Broadway (1952) • The Making of Moo - Off-Broadway (1956) • 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) • Night of the Iguana - Coconut Grove Playhouse (1961) • The Duchess of Malfi - The Mark Taper Forum (1974)
Stage direction
Stage direction
• Oedipus 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
Television direction
• The Defenders (1963) • The Nurses (1963) • Mr. Broadway (1964) • The Reporter (1964)
Commercial direction
Commercial direction
• Over 50 spots including Clairol, Dash, Burma Shave, Belvedere Cigarettes, Belmont Park, etc. • TV Graphics and Group Productions (1965–1968)
Industrial direction
Industrial direction
• General Electric (1966) • New York Telephone Co. (1967)
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Brooklyn.
Birth place
Jenkintown.
Death place
Writer - film
Writer - film
• The Steagle - Avco-Embassy Pictures, Inc. (1971) • Nighthawks - Universal Studios (1981)
Writer - books
Writer - books
• Final Cut - The making and breaking of a film, Seasbury Press/Continuum Books (1974) • 100 Ways to Beat the Blues (contributor), Tanya Tucker, Simon & Schuster (2003) • Cows: A rumination (contributor), Carl Hileman, Emmis Books (2004)
Feature films (as designer)
Feature films (as designer)
• Roogie's Bump (1954) • Baby Doll (1956) • 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) • Without a Trace (1983) • Gorky Park (1983) • Firstborn (1984) • The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) • Ishtar (1987) • Nadine (1987) • The Pick-up Artist (1987) • Biloxi Blues (1988) • Fresh Horses (1988) • Career Opportunities (1989) • Rush (1991) • The Prince of Tides (1991) • Sliver (1992) • Milk Money (1994) • Free Willy 2 (1995) • The Grass Harp (1995) • Rosewood (1997) • Conspiracy Theory (1997) • To End All Wars (2001)
Feature film direction
Feature film direction
• Instant Love - Herbert Richards Productions, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1963) • The Steagle - Avco-Embassy Pictures, Inc. (1971)
Awards
• Academy Award - Heaven Can Wait (1978) • Academy Award Nominee - The Prince of Tides (1992) • Lifetime Achievement Award - Art Directors Guild (2009)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mike Barnes. Paul Sylbert, Oscar-Winning Production Designer on 'Heaven Can Wait,' Dies at 88. HollywoodReporter.com. 2016-11-23.
- 2.Paul Sylbert. FilmReference.com.
- 3.William Grimes. Paul Sylbert, Oscar-Winner Who Gave Movies Their Look, Dies at 88. The New York Times. 2016-11-25.
- 4.Richard Sylbert bio at VH1.com
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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