Fred Gabourie | |
|---|---|
 Gabourie - center - flanked by
Phyllis Haver and
Buster Keaton (Buster in front of Eddie Cline) on location for The Balloonatic (1923) | |
| Born | Fred Gabourie September 19, 1881
Tweed, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | March 1, 1951 (aged 69)
Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | c.1918–1951 |
Fred Gabourie (September 19, 1881 - March 1, 1951) [1] was a technical director and department head.
Gabourie was born in Tweed, Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Seneca Indian tribe. [1] He served in the Spanish–American War. [2]
He worked primarily for Buster Keaton, figuring out how to make Keaton's innovative stunts work. As one author put it, "Fred Gabourie had the most interesting job in the world: He solved problems for Buster Keaton." [3] As technical director, he was responsible for set design, construction, props management, and location scouting. [3] During this time, he designed the electric house in The Electric House, which featured an automated staircase, library, swimming pool, and dining room. [4] He located and purchased the ship for The Navigator. Only after Gabourie found the ship and suggested to Keaton that it would be a great prop to build a movie around did Keaton and his staff come up with a script. [5] Gabourie also worked out how to accomplish the famous stunt in Steamboat Bill, Jr. in which the front of a house (weighing two tons) falls on Keaton without harming him. [6]
Keaton and Gabourie, working with an architect, co-designed Keaton's lavish Beverly Hills mansion, eventually called the Italian Villa. [7]
Gabourie was also responsible for the ships in the silent version of The Sea Hawk. [1]
Gabourie went to MGM with Keaton but worked on just one picture with him ( The Cameraman) before MGM promoted him to construction superintendent, a position he held until he died. [8]
Gabourie's son, Fred Gabourie Jr., played some small parts in film and on TV, but eventually became a judge. [9]
Notes
- ^ a b c "Fred Gabourie (I)". IMDb. Retrieved June 15, 2018.[ unreliable source?]
- ^ Foote 2014, p. 197.
- ^ a b Foote 2014, p. 182.
- ^ Blesh 1966, pp. 155–156.
- ^ Blesh 1966, pp. 251–252.
- ^ Blesh 1966, p. 290.
- ^ Sainte-Claire, Victoria. "PARLOR, BEDROOM AND BATH: Inside the Italian Villa". Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ Meade 1995, p. 401.
- ^ "Fred Gabourie (II)". IMDb.[ unreliable source?]
Bibliography
Blesh, Rudi (1966). Keaton. New York: The MacMillan Company.
Foote, Lisle (2014). Buster Keaton's Crew: The Team Behind His Silent Films. McFarland & Company.
Meade, Marion (1995). Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase. HarperCollins.
Further reading
- Stephens, Michael L. (March 25, 2008). Art Directors in Cinema: A Worldwide Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 112. ISBN 9781476611280.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Fred Gabourie | |
|---|---|
|
Gabourie - center - flanked by
Phyllis Haver and
Buster Keaton (Buster in front of Eddie Cline) on location for The Balloonatic (1923) | |
| Born | Fred Gabourie September 19, 1881
Tweed, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | March 1, 1951 (aged 69)
Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | c.1918–1951 |
Fred Gabourie (September 19, 1881 - March 1, 1951) [1] was a technical director and department head.
Gabourie was born in Tweed, Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Seneca Indian tribe. [1] He served in the Spanish–American War. [2]
He worked primarily for Buster Keaton, figuring out how to make Keaton's innovative stunts work. As one author put it, "Fred Gabourie had the most interesting job in the world: He solved problems for Buster Keaton." [3] As technical director, he was responsible for set design, construction, props management, and location scouting. [3] During this time, he designed the electric house in The Electric House, which featured an automated staircase, library, swimming pool, and dining room. [4] He located and purchased the ship for The Navigator. Only after Gabourie found the ship and suggested to Keaton that it would be a great prop to build a movie around did Keaton and his staff come up with a script. [5] Gabourie also worked out how to accomplish the famous stunt in Steamboat Bill, Jr. in which the front of a house (weighing two tons) falls on Keaton without harming him. [6]
Keaton and Gabourie, working with an architect, co-designed Keaton's lavish Beverly Hills mansion, eventually called the Italian Villa. [7]
Gabourie was also responsible for the ships in the silent version of The Sea Hawk. [1]
Gabourie went to MGM with Keaton but worked on just one picture with him ( The Cameraman) before MGM promoted him to construction superintendent, a position he held until he died. [8]
Gabourie's son, Fred Gabourie Jr., played some small parts in film and on TV, but eventually became a judge. [9]
Notes
- ^ a b c "Fred Gabourie (I)". IMDb. Retrieved June 15, 2018.[ unreliable source?]
- ^ Foote 2014, p. 197.
- ^ a b Foote 2014, p. 182.
- ^ Blesh 1966, pp. 155–156.
- ^ Blesh 1966, pp. 251–252.
- ^ Blesh 1966, p. 290.
- ^ Sainte-Claire, Victoria. "PARLOR, BEDROOM AND BATH: Inside the Italian Villa". Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ Meade 1995, p. 401.
- ^ "Fred Gabourie (II)". IMDb.[ unreliable source?]
Bibliography
Blesh, Rudi (1966). Keaton. New York: The MacMillan Company.
Foote, Lisle (2014). Buster Keaton's Crew: The Team Behind His Silent Films. McFarland & Company.
Meade, Marion (1995). Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase. HarperCollins.
Further reading
- Stephens, Michael L. (March 25, 2008). Art Directors in Cinema: A Worldwide Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 112. ISBN 9781476611280.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |