Mentor Charles Huebner
(1917-2001)
Production illustration for "The Longest Day," circa 1960
Oil on board
Signed lower right: M. Huebner; inscribed verso: Rochelle
21.5" H x 29" W
Other Notes: Mentor Hueber was a leading Hollywood production illustrator who created numerous storyboards and production and concept art for more than 250 films, including "The Time Machine" (1960), "The Planet of the Apes" (1968), "Blade Runner" (1982) and Francis Ford Coppolaís "Dracula" (1992). Huebnerís talents spanned a wide variety of creative roles, including animation (the "Heigh-Ho" sequence in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves"), character design (Robbie the robot from "Forbidden Planet"), and teaching for over 25 years at a variety of art schools in California. Huebner has left an artistic legacy spanning decades.

Born in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1917, Huebner began sketching and drawing prolifically when he was 10. When his father died when he was young, his mother took a job at the medical offices of a family friend, Dr. Frank McCoy. Surrounded by paper pads and pencils, Huebner sketched everything he laid his eyes on. Huebner developed a unique style, combining traditional representative draftsmanship combined with fluidity and action. Losing an eye to cancer when he was 29 did not stop him from creating and working.

The artistic contributions of Mentor Huebner to motion picture history cannot be understated. With over 250 film credits to his name (not including his design work for theme parks and solo exhibitions), Huebner has designed, staged, and sketched some of the most iconic moments in film. The plane chase in "North by Northwest." The Balrogs in Rankin/Bassí "Lord of the Rings." And many more.†

The painting in this lot was done by Huebner during filming for the 1962 movie, "The Longest Day," in La Rochelle, France, for 20th Century Fox. Based on the book from 1959 by author Cornelius Ryan, "The Longest Day" details the Allied D-Day beach landing in Normandy during the invasion of Europe during World War II (1941-1945). This single image captures both the action and tragedy of war, as a corpse lies on the beach while fellow soldiers storm past Nazi defenses, explosions cascading into the water behind them. Additionally, "The Longest Day" featured an all-star cast and was the highest-grossing black-and-white film of 1962. The film was also nominated for five Academy Awards and won two Oscars. Furthermore, this painting was given to the previous owner's father to appreciate his work as the U.S. Army coordinator during the filming of "The Longest Day."

Visual: Overall good condition. The board is slightly bowing along the upper edge. Occasional minor rice-sized abrasions and areas of pigment loss along the extreme edges.

Blacklight: No evidence of restoration.

Unframed Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.