Nicolai Remisoff(1887-1975)
- Art Director
- Production Designer
- Art Department
The son of actors in the Imperial Russian Theatre, Remisoff began as a
political cartoonist and caricaturist. He attended the Imperial Academy
of Fine Arts in 1910, graduating in 1918 with honours. Forced to flee
Russia (having fallen foul of the Bolshevist regime), he became chief
designer for the Paris-based Chauve-Souris theatrical company.
Accompanying the Chauve-Souris on a tour of the U.S. in 1922, Remisoff
decided to remain in New York. He briefly operated a Russian-themed
nightclub, until its destruction in a fire, resulting in tragic loss of
life. Remisoff was also engaged at this time as occasional illustrator
for Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines.
In 1925, he moved to Chicago where his multifaceted talents were employed as a muralist, costume designer for ballet, teacher and set designer for the Chicago Grand Opera. For the next fifteen years, he worked for various organisations as a graphic designer and illustrator, while devoting his spare time to lithographs and landscape painting. Relocating to California in 1938, he resumed designing for the stage, often affiliated with Max Reinhardt and Michael Chekhov. In Hollywood, he worked as art director for Hal Roach at United Artists, 1939-41. Following a brief stint at Universal (1943), he was then under contract to Hunt Stromberg (again at United Artists) from 1944 to 1947, and from 1951 to 1954.
In 1925, he moved to Chicago where his multifaceted talents were employed as a muralist, costume designer for ballet, teacher and set designer for the Chicago Grand Opera. For the next fifteen years, he worked for various organisations as a graphic designer and illustrator, while devoting his spare time to lithographs and landscape painting. Relocating to California in 1938, he resumed designing for the stage, often affiliated with Max Reinhardt and Michael Chekhov. In Hollywood, he worked as art director for Hal Roach at United Artists, 1939-41. Following a brief stint at Universal (1943), he was then under contract to Hunt Stromberg (again at United Artists) from 1944 to 1947, and from 1951 to 1954.
