American art director Van Nest Polglase came to films with impeccable credentials as an architect; at twenty, he had already designed such formidable structures as the presidential palace in Havana. In 1919, Polglase signed on as an art director at Paramount. Ten years later, he joined the upstart RKO Radio Pictures, where among his first assignments was the designing of the legendary RKO "beeping tower" logo. By droit du seigneur, Polglase was given art director credit on all RKO productions from 1929 through 1942, even those handled by his talented assistant Vernon Walker. An ongoing liquor problem cost Polglase his RKO post in 1942, though he soon regained lost ground at Columbia, designing such classy features as A Song to Remember (1944) and Gilda. Through his association with producer Benedict E. Bogeaus and director Allan Dwan, Polglase returned to RKO in the mid '50s for a series of Technicolor programmers. Van Nest Polglase's final project was the Dwan-directed The River's Edge for 20th Century-Fox.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The River's Edge
Art Director |
1957 | |||
|
Slightly Scarlet
Art Director |
1956 | |||
|
Escape to Burma
Art Director |
1955 | |||
|
Pearl of the South Pacific
Art Director |
1955 | |||
|
Cattle Queen of Montana
Art Director |
1954 | |||
|
Passion
Art Director |
1954 | |||
|
Silver Lode
Art Director |
1954 | |||
|
Tennessee's Partner
Art Director |
1954 | |||
|
The Admiral Was a Lady
Production Designer |
1950 | |||
|
The Fireball
Art Director |
1950 | |||
|
The Man Who Cheated Himself
Production Designer |
1950 | |||
|
The Crooked Way
Production Designer |
1949 | |||
|
Gilda
Art Director |
1946 | |||
|
The Thrill of Brazil
Art Director |
1946 | |||
|
A Song to Remember
Art Director |
1945 | |||
|
Kiss and Tell
Art Director |
1945 | |||
|
She Wouldn't Say Yes
Art Director |
1945 | |||
|
Together Again
Art Director |
1944 | |||
|
The Fallen Sparrow
Production Designer |
1943 | |||
|
What a Woman!
Art Director |
1943 | |||
|
Along the Rio Grande
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Citizen Kane
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Dude Cowboy
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Lady Scarface
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Look Who's Laughing
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Mexican Spitfire's Baby
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Parachute Battalion
Production Designer |
1941 | |||
|
Six Gun Gold
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Suspicion
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
The Devil and Miss Jones
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
The Gay Falcon
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
They Met in Argentina
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
Tom, Dick and Harry
Art Director |
1941 | |||
|
A Bill of Divorcement
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Dance, Girl, Dance
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
I'm Still Alive
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Kitty Foyle
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Laddie
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Let's Make Music
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Little Men
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Lucky Partners
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Married and in Love
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Millionaire Playboy
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Millionaires in Prison
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
My Favorite Wife
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
One Crowded Night
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Play Girl
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Pop Always Pays
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Primrose Path
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
The Marines Fly High
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
The Saint Takes Over
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
The Stranger on the Third Floor
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
They Knew What They Wanted
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Tom Brown's School Days
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Too Many Girls
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Triple Justice
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Vigil in the Night
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Wagon Train
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
You Can't Fool Your Wife
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
You'll Find Out
Art Director |
1940 | |||
|
Allegheny Uprising
Production Designer |
1939 | |||
|
Arizona Legion
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Bachelor Mother
Production Designer |
1939 | |||
|
Bad Lands
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Beauty for the Asking
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Fifth Avenue Girl
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Five Came Back
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Fixer Dugan
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Gunga Din
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
In Name Only
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Love Affair
Production Designer |
1939 | |||
|
Mexican Spitfire
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Pacific Liner
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Panama Lady
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Racketeers of the Range
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Reno
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Sued for Libel
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
That's Right - You're Wrong
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Girl from Mexico
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Marshal of Mesa City
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Rookie Cop
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Saint Strikes Back
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Spellbinder
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Timber Stampede
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
Trouble in Sundown
Art Director |
1939 | |||
|
A Man to Remember
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Almost a Gentleman
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Annabel Takes a Tour
Production Designer |
1938 | |||
|
Blind Alibi
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Boy Slaves
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Bringing Up Baby
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Carefree
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Everybody's Doing It
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Go Chase Yourself
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Gun Law
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Having Wonderful Time
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
I'm from the City
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Joy of Living
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Law of the Underworld
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Night Spot
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Radio City Revels
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Room Service
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Tarnished Angel
Production Designer |
1938 | |||
|
The Affairs of Annabel
Production Designer |
1938 | |||
|
The Great Man Votes
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
The Law West of Tombstone
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
The Mad Miss Manton
Production Designer |
1938 | |||
|
The Maid's Night Out
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
The Renegade Ranger
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
The Saint in New York
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
Vivacious Lady
Art Director |
1938 | |||
|
A Damsel in Distress
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Annapolis Salute
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Breakfast for Two
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
China Passage
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Crashing Hollywood
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Criminal Lawyer
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Don't Tell the Wife
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Fight for Your Lady
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Forty Naughty Girls
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Hideaway
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Hitting a New High
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Living on Love
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Meet the Missus
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Music for Madame
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
New Faces of 1937
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
On Again - Off Again
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Quality Street
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Sea Devils
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Shall We Dance?
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Stage Door
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Super Sleuth
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
The Life of the Party
Production Designer |
1937 | |||
|
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
The Toast of New York
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
The Woman I Love
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
There Goes My Girl
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
They Wanted to Marry
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Too Many Wives
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
We're on the Jury
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
Wise Girl
Art Director |
1937 | |||
|
A Woman Rebels
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Bunker Bean
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Follow the Fleet
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Love on a Bet
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
M'Liss
Production Designer |
1936 | |||
|
Mary of Scotland
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Mummy's Boys
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Murder on a Bridle Path
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Night Waitress
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Swing Time
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
That Girl from Paris
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Big Game
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Bride Walks Out
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Lady Consents
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Last Outlaw
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Plough and the Stars
Art Director |
1936 | |||
|
Alice Adams
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Annie Oakley
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Break of Hearts
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Chasing Yesterday
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Dangerous Corner
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
I Dream Too Much
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
In Person
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Jalna
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Murder on a Honeymoon
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Old Man Rhythm
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Powdersmoke Range
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Roberta
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Seven Keys to Baldpate
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
She
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Star of Midnight
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Sylvia Scarlett
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
The Arizonian
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
The Informer
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
The Nitwits
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
The Plot Thickens
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
The Return of Peter Grimm
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Top Hat
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Village Tale
Art Director |
1935 | |||
|
Anne of Green Gables
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Flaming Gold
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Keep 'em Rolling
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Of Human Bondage
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Romance in Manhattan
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Spitfire
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
Success at Any Price
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Fountain
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Gay Divorcee
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Little Minister
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Lost Patrol
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Meanest Gal in Town
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
The Silver Streak
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
This Man Is Mine
Art Director |
1934 | |||
|
After Tonight
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Aggie Appleby
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Ann Vickers
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Bed of Roses
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Before Dawn
Art Director, Set Designer |
1933 | |||
|
Chance at Heaven
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Christopher Strong
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Double Harness
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Emergency Call
Art Director, Set Designer |
1933 | |||
|
Finishing School
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Flying Devils
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Flying Down to Rio
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
If I Were Free
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
King Kong
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Little Women
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Midshipman Jack
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Morning Glory
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
No Marriage Ties
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Our Betters
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Professional Sweetheart
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Rafter Romance
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Son of Kong
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Sweepings
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
The Silver Cord
Set Designer |
1933 | |||
|
Topaze
Art Director |
1933 | |||
|
Melody Cruise
Art Director |
1932 | |||
|
The Animal Kingdom
Set Designer |
1932 | |||
|
Untamed
Art Director |
1929 | |||
|
The Magnificent Flirt
Art Director |
1928 | |||
|
A Kiss in the Dark
Art Director |
1925 | |||
|
Lovers in Quarantine
Art Director |
1925 | |||
|
Stage Struck
Art Director |
1925 |



























