Occupation Art director Spouse Marie Okey (m. 1913–1961) Role Film Art Director | Name Jack Okey Years active 1913-1959 | |
Born June 3, 1889 ( 1889-06-03 ) Los Angeles, California Died January 8, 1963, Los Angeles, California, United States Nominations Academy Award for Best Production Design Art directed It's a Wonderful Life, Out of the Past, 42nd Street Similar People Emile Kuri, Tony Gaudio, William Hornbeck, Victor Milner, Nicholas Musuraca | ||
Production designed The Narrow Margin | ||
John Clark "Jack" Okey (June 3, 1889 – January 8, 1963) was an American art director.
Contents
Personal life
He was raised in Los Angeles and attended the Harvard School for Boys, where he excelled in sports. After leaving, he was given instruction in art by his uncle, the California artist, J. Bond Francisco. While he was in his early 20s, he spent several years in Paris studying art. While in Paris, he met a pianist from Indiana, Marie Wilson, whom he married shortly after his return to Los Angeles in 1913. They had one son and two daughters and remained married until her death in October 1961.
He was born and died in Los Angeles, California.
Career
Around the time of his marriage, he became involved in the nascent film industry in the Los Angeles area and was involved in the design and construction of some of the earliest studios there. He continued in the film industry as an art director until his retirement in 1959. In the mid-1930s he spent several years in England working for Alexander Korda. After his return to the United States, he spent the remainder of his active career working for RKO Studios.
He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction for the films Sally (1929) and Experiment Perilous (1944).