Dances With Walls : Decorative Artist James E. Todd : Movies

Movies
From the San Francisco Area to Cleveland

James Todd has painted scenery on more than 15 movies, in the greater San Francisco
Bay Area and also in Cleveland. Fellow artist Ruth Lohse has worked on five movies
in the Cleveland area. Unfortunately, James didn't take too many photos of his work.

To see a larger version of any picture, just click on the photo.

James and the Giant Peach

The giant peach was made of foam and carved, then spray painted. The hole the character James went into was big enough for a small person to crawl into.

As one of the very few sign painters in the union, Jim was called upon to do these signs, among many other duties on this movie. It was very difficult, he says, to paint the signs
as an amateur.

Jim carved the bricks for the fireplace and the wooden beams, in young James' attic room, out of foam blocks, then painted them.

Jim carved and painted the stones outside the house, plus painted and aged the house.

Jim painting the peach.

The Joy Luck Club

Jim was the lead scenic painter
on this movie. This set was the
grandmother's house in China.

I Married an Axe Murderer

More photos of this movie's sets will be coming soon.

Being Human

A tenement hallway -- the grunge is all painted.

Looks like a ship's hold, but it's all plaster and paint.

Down Periscope

Believe it or not, this submarine was immaculate --
before Jim painted it to look rusty, battered
and old.

Close-up of stingray logo James painted (below).

The Oh in Ohio

This independent movie was just shot in Cleveland by first-time director Billy Kent. It stars Parker Posey, Paul Rudd and Mischa Barton. Kent will finish shooting scenes in Los Angeles this winter (with Danny DeVito and Liza Minnelli) and plans to submit the film to independent film festivals next year. Jim was lead scenic on this one. For more about this movie, see: http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1100294116154730.xml?efwas

(440) 891-9044
221 Race Street - Berea, Ohio 44017

E-mail: JamesTodd@danceswithwalls.com