If you’re a sci-fi fan you probably enjoyed the 1982 film “Blade Runner” and 1985’s “Back to the Future.”

But did you know the first received several awards? For example, Lawrence G. Paull was an Oscar-nominated production designer who received an Academy Award for Best Art Direction for his work on “Blade Runner” (1982)

He died at the age of 81 on Nov. 10, 2019, in La Jolla the same month in which the film takes place.

Paull also won a BAFTA Film Award in 1983 for “Blade Runner” and earned another BAFTA nomination in 1986 for Back to the Future.

Other Paull film credits include “Romancing the Stone,” and Ron Underwood’s “City Slickers.” He also worked on “Born Yesterday,” “Predator 2,” “Harlem Nights,” “Escape from L.A.,” and “Naked Gun 33-1/3: The Final Insult.”

Overall, Paull did production design on more than 35 films, collaborating with such directors as Ridley Scott, John Badham, Jon Avildsen, Paul Schrader, Peter Fonda, and John Carpenter.

BRIGHT CAREER

Paull began his career working on films in the 1970s as an art director before becoming a production designer. He was also a senior filmmaker-in-residence at the American Film Institute, and a guest speaker at Harvard University, USC, UCLA, Catholic University, and the University of Arizona, where he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

After retiring from the film industry in the early 2000s, Paull entered the education arena as a senior filmmaker-in-residence at the American Film Institute and teaching production design at Chapman University in Orange.

In 2004 at Chapman, he became a teacher as part of a master’s degree curriculum for production design students.

LEGACY

Paull was born on April 13, 1938, in Chicago and IMDb reported he died from heart disease.

According to one of his colleagues at Chapman University, adjunct professor of production design Chris Tornow, “I met Larry in 2004 at Chapman University. We taught together from 2007 to 2013 when he retired.”

Tornow added Paull was not one to brag about his fame “but would tell stories of his time as a production designer but he was not the type of person to boast of his accomplishments.”

As for Paull’s works, additionally, Tornow said: “I feel that his work was amazing. His attention to detail and uncompromising artistic leadership showed on screen. I had always been a huge fan of ‘Blade Runner,’ and to be able to talk with him about the process of designing and making that movie was incredible.”

While at Chapman, Paull made a name for himself and worked alongside the adjunct faculty on the format and content of each course.

“Students were impressed with his ability to make their work better. He was very demanding and had a high standard for the work that was done in his class. He was very popular with the students in his program. He would defend their work and process with the other disciplines at the school,” Tornow said.
DEATH

When Paull died, Tornow said: “I was devastated when I learned of his passing. He was a very polarizing person, but once you got to know him, he was a very kind and generous man. I still think of him and miss hanging out with him between classes.”

As for Paull’s, legacy, Tornow said, “Just look at his body of work. He has designed the most iconic movies during his career, movies that are still relevant today.

“Larry was an amazing person, once you got to know him. He was honest, sometimes brutally so. He would hate the attention he is currently getting, he much preferred to let his work speak for him.”

Paull was married and survived by his wife Mary Bolotin, son Michael Paull and his sister Lesley Cavanagh, and brother-in-law Craig Bolotin.