Emanuel Gerard was a uniquely gifted television and film art director. His visually innovative set and production designs served to establish the individual character and tone for the drama and action in each production. Emanuel was born in New York City on May 18, 1926 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in 1947 where he majored in biology. From 1948 to 1949 he worked as a medical illustrator at The Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. In 1954 Emanuel attended Yale Drama School where he earned a Masters degree in Scenic Design. He went on to become a Clio Award winning art director. He received this prestigious award while working first for Elliot, Unger & Elliot Productions, then Robert Lawrence, and finally in 1962 opened his own business, Gerard Designs, where he employed the talents of Robert Drumheller as set decorator. While Emanuel won other numerous awards for set design in many commercials now considered classics, this web site focuses on the feature films in which Emanuel was involved before his untimely death at the age of 47 in 1973. He was a man whose talents and personality were appreciated by those involved in all aspects of film production. He worked closely with both film directors and producers, as well as a loyal crew of carpenters, painters, and technicians who brought his designs to life.

Emanuel served as a mentor to others with similar talents. Some 10 years after his death, a young, successful art director working on a TV commercial was surprised to meet me working on the commercial as a production assistant. The art director told me that Manny (as he was known) gave him his first break in the business and said that in his time, he was absolutely the best art director in New York City.

From his re-creation of a gritty New York City subway car in his first movie The Incident, to the affluent houses of Westchester in Goodbye, Columbus and the flashy, trend-setting interiors of Shaft and Shaft's Big Score!, Emanuel Gerard's designs were versatile and exciting. They encompassed a wide-range of set design, architecture, props, and color. He was also responsible for choosing and dressing numerous outdoor locations that offered a rare glimpse of Harlem in the 60's and 70's, as well as creating the necessary elements for many extended action scenes (most of these movies had plenty of action!). The location and set photographs by Emanuel Gerard offered for view here give fascinating insight into an important and sometimes under appreciated aspect of feature film making.

Stephen Gerard
February, 1998


This web site is dedicated to the loving memory of Manny Gerard; husband of Judith, and father of Stephen, Ethan, Todd, and Jeremy.

This web site ©1998-1999

PLEASE send comments, suggestions, and submissions, especially information on the availability of the "SHAFT" CBS television episodes on video (any quality) from '73-'74 to the e-mail address below.