About Robert F. Boyle

Esteemed production designer Robert "Bob" Boyle was born in 1909 in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from the USC School of Architecture in 1933, and began his career at Paramount Pictures as draftsman in the Art Department. In 1940, he was hired by Universal Pictures, where he designed sets for THE WOLF MAN (1941). Subsequently, Alfred Hitchcock hired Bob for his first film at Universal, SABOTEUR (1942). Hitchcock worked with Bob more than with any other production designer: Bob also designed Hitchcock’s SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), THE BIRDS (1963), MARNIE (1964), and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), which marked Bob’s first Oscar® nomination.

Bob has been the production designer for classic films including CAPE FEAR (1962), IN COLD BLOOD (1967), and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968). Bob was nominated for Academy Awards® for his design of NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), GAILY, GAILY (1969), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971), and John Wayne’s last film, THE SHOOTIST (1976).

In the early 1980’s, Bob developed a Production Design program at the American Film Institute in Hollywood, where he continued to teach up to the age of 100.

Bob received an honorary Oscar® at the 80th Annual Academy Awards® presentation on February 24th, 2008.

Along with Henry Bumstead, Albert Nozaki, Harold Michelson, Conrad L. Hall and Haskell Wexler, Bob Boyle is prominently featured in the new documentary SOMETHING'S GONNA LIVE (2009).

Bob passed away August 1, 2010 at the age of 100.