How ‘Babylon’ brings back old Hollywood — flaws and all
, 2022-12-27 09:00:59,
In “Babylon,” Manny Torres (Diego Calva) is a boy with a dream in the silent era of Hollywood. “I always wanted to be a part of something bigger, something that lasts, that means something, something more important than life!” he exclaims about a cocaine-fueled powwow with rookie actress Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie).
Production designer Florencia Martin can relate. An Angelino native who, like many, grew up in the shadow of Hollywood, she assumed the dream factory was closed to people like her. But after studying stage design and theater costumes at Carnegie Mellon University, she landed a job on “Mad Men” in 2008, working in the art department as an assistant.
“I loved being on set and creating these worlds,” says Martin. “From there, I went back to work on production design, my ultimate goal.”
In 2021 he earned that status with “Licorice Pizza,” receiving his first major feature production design credit on a project that was nominated for three Oscars. Now two movies follow in the Oscar mix this year: Ana de Armas’ Photo of Marilyn Monroe, “Blonde” and “Babylon,” director Damien Chazelle’s delirious take on Hollywood’s silent era and the transition to talkies.
Outdoor production sets were common in early Hollywood movies, like this gold rush-era saloon where Nellie’s character (Margot Robbie) gets her big break.
(Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures)
Los Angeles was a kaleidoscope of…
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