Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was responsible for some of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century. His California projects include several important works in the Bay Area, ranging from homes — including his only dog house — to the V.C. Morris Gift Shop on San Francisco’s Maiden Lane (now the Isaia boutique), a circular design that served as a prototype for New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Wright’s influence also looms large in the Marin County Civic Center, his final major commission.
Given the cinematic quality of his work, it’s no surprise that Hollywood has long turned to these striking spaces as backdrops for the big screen.
Mark Anthony Nash’s new book “Frank Lloyd Wright in the Movies” (The History Press; 190 pages; $24.99) is a guide to Wright’s buildings in film, from the prolific use of the Los Angeles Ennis House in film such as “Blade Runner” (1982), “House on Haunted Hill” (1959) and “The Rocketeer” (1991), to lesser known works like Pasadena’s Millard House in “American Psycho” (2000), “Men in Black” (1997) and the HBO series “Westworld” (2016). The dynamic, rule breaking structures photograph as beautifully as any set, but with an added gravitas only real locations can offer.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, Wilson plans to discuss how Wright’s structures became Hollywood stars during a book talk at the Marin County Free Library at the Marin County Civic Center. It feels appropriate to present the book in a Wright building that was a filming location for George Lucas’s “THX 1138” (1971) and the futuristic noir “Gattaca” (1997). Lucas also based elements of the aesthetic for the planet of Naboo in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy on the Civic Center, giving it even greater pop culture currency.
The book event will be a great opportunity not only to learn about Wright’s work, but to immerse yourself in the beauty of one of his masterpieces in person.