In Memoriam: Jeremy Railton

	Jeremy Railton

Jeremy Railton, a highly accomplished production designer whose work embraced, film, television, themed entertainment, and more, died July 9 at his home in Three Rivers, California. He was 80.

Railton was born in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia), growing up on a ranch and, later, a nature preserve. In InPark magazine, he said, "When I reflect on the many unexpected turns and incredible opportunities that have come my way over a life in art and design, I can trace so many of the themes, influences, and inspirations to my unlikely beginnings, growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, 40 miles from the Victoria Falls and the great Zambezi River."

Fascinated by drawing at the age of nine months. He grew up to attend the University of Cape Town's Michaelis School of Fine Art. Following his graduation, he painted scenery in various local theatres before moving to London, where he started getting work on film sets.

Landing a gig as art director on an English, he was hired by the director, Lamont Johnson, to design scenery, masks, and costumes for a stage production of George Bernard Shaw's The Adventures of a Black Girl in Her Search for God, adapted by Christopher Isherwood and scheduled for production at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum. Next, he was hired to assist Cecil Beaton, who was recreating his designs for My Fair Lady, in a revival by Los Angeles Civic Light Opera.

In InPark, Railton said, "My TV career started when James Trittipo, a television set designer, bought some of my paintings and hired me as his assistant. After that job, he recommended me to Rene Lagler, a brilliant young designer. Rene mentored me for a year, giving me the greatest gift of my career, the benefit of his experience."

His television work included costume designs and direction for several series produced by Sid and Marty Kroff, including Donny and Marie and Far Out Space Nuts (both in 1975). His television career really took off in the 1980s, with production design credits on In Living Color (1991-92), The MTV Movie Awards (1992 and 93), The Emmy Awards (1994), America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001, the XIX Winter Olympics Open Ceremony (2002), the Super Bowl XXXVII Halftime Show (2003), and Barbra: The Music...The Mem'ries...the Magic! (2017). For film, he designed The Two Jakes (1991), a sequel to Chinatown, starring and directed by Jack Nicholson.

Railton entered the concert touring scene in 1975 with the first Cat Stevens tour. His musical clients, either touring, on television, or in Las Vegas, included Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, Cher, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Neil Diamond, Ozzy Osbourne, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Julio Iglesias, Fleetwood Mac, and Barbra Streisand. On Broadway, he designed Barry Manilow Live at the Gershwin, staged in 1989.

Railton founded Entertainment Design Company in 1991 in Los Angeles, which led to work on a broad variety of projects Other projects included AT&T's Global Olympic Village at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and Billboard Live! night club in Los Angeles; Las Vegas entertainment spectacles such as Atlantis at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and The Fremont Street Experience, a light matrix vault over downtown's famous avenue; the GM Pavilion Showroom Theater, an attraction at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida; as well as leading the design team for Fox Studios Australia in Sydney.

Other unusual projects include SOAR (A Symphony in Flight), a nighttime experience at the San Diego Zoo; Crane Dance, developed for Resorts World Sentosa, in Singapore; the Fortune Diamond feature at the Galaxy Casino in Macau; and Magic to Do, a revue of Stephen Schwartz songs for Princess Cruises.

Railton's awards included the Buzz Price Thea Award, a lifetime achievement award by the Themed Entertainment Association, several Thea Awards, five Emmys, an Art Director's Guild Award, and the 2008 LDI Designer of the Year Award.