---
name: "Ernest Archer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ernest-archer"
fi1m_id: "ernest-archer"
imdb_id: "nm0033658"
tmdb_id: 986346
wikidata_id: "Q1356204"
roles: ["Production designer"]
born: "26 July 1910"
died: "27 July 1990"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-04T16:27:14.918960+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ernest Archer

## Identity

Ernest Archer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ernest-archer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ernest-archer
- **IMDb ID:** nm0033658
- **TMDB ID:** 986346
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1356204
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Archer_(art_director), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356204, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0033658/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/986346

Production designer. Born 26 July 1910 in England. Died 27 July 1990.

## Details

- **Work:** Production designer
- **Born:** 26 July 1910, England
- **Died:** 27 July 1990
- **Active:** 1965–1980
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 81 (2), 1970s 71 (2), 1980s 74 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 67 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 2, Adventure 2, Drama 2, Science Fiction 2, War 2, History 1
- **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $416m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Archer_(art_director), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356204, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0033658/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/986346

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*2001: A Space Odyssey*](https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey.md) (92)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Nicholas and Alexandra*](https://film.one/film/nicholas-and-alexandra.md) (58)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ernest Archer (26 July 1910 – 27 July 1990) was a British art director and production designer. He began his career in the British film industry in the late 1940s, working as a draughtsman and assistant art director before taking credited art direction roles from the 1950s onwards.

Archer served as one of the production designers on Stanley Kubrick's *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968), alongside Tony Masters and Harry Lange. His other credits include art direction on *Zulu* (1964), *Lord Jim* (1965), *Nicholas and Alexandra* (1971), *Superman* (1978) and *Superman II* (1980). He received an Academy Award for Best Art Direction for *Nicholas and Alexandra* and a nomination in the same category for *2001: A Space Odyssey*.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, catalog.afi.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Superman II* (1980), Fi1m 74, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md)
- *The Day of the Jackal* (1973), Fi1m 84, Set Designer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-day-of-the-jackal.md)
- *Nicholas and Alexandra* (1971), Fi1m 58, Production design, Art Direction, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/nicholas-and-alexandra.md)
- *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968), Fi1m 92, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey.md)
- *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), Fi1m 70, Assistant Art Director — [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md)

## Complete filmography (14)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut* (2006), as Art Direction
- *Superman II* (1980), as Art Direction — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md)
- *Superman* (1978), as Art Direction
- *The Day of the Jackal* (1973), Set Designer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-day-of-the-jackal.md)
- *Nicholas and Alexandra* (1971), Production Design, Art Direction — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/nicholas-and-alexandra.md)
- *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968), Production Design — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey.md)
- *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), Assistant Art Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md)
- *Lord Jim* (1965), as Art Direction
- *Zulu* (1964), as Art Direction
- *Hell Drivers* (1957), as Art Direction
- *The Prince and the Showgirl* (1957), Assistant Art Director
- *The Iron Petticoat* (1956), Art Department Assistant
- *The Importance of Being Earnest* (1952), as Draughtsman
- *Dear Murderer* (1947), as Draughtsman

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- 1972: Best Production Design (won), for *Nicholas and Alexandra*
- 1969: Best Production Design (nominated), for *2001: A Space Odyssey*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ernest-archer