---
name: "Gene Callahan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gene-callahan"
roles: ["Production designer"]
born: "7 November 1923"
died: "26 December 1990"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-20T06:34:16.386423+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."
---

# Gene Callahan

Production designer. Born 7 November 1923 in Louisiana, USA. Died 26 December 1990.

## Details

- **Work:** Production designer
- **Born:** 7 November 1923, Louisiana, USA
- **Died:** 26 December 1990
- **Active:** 1961–1986
- **Also known as:** Mother
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 2 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 81 (3), 1970s 60 (1), 1980s 73 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 69 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Romance 3, History 2, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 14 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $154m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Callahan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1230940, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0130194/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14879

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Places in the Heart*](https://film.one/film/places-in-the-heart.md) (80), [*Funny Girl*](https://film.one/film/funny-girl.md) (70)
- **Pluto TV:** [*Children of a Lesser God*](https://film.one/film/children-of-a-lesser-god.md) (66)

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

## Biography

Gene Callahan was an American production designer, art director and set decorator. Born in Louisiana in 1923, he began his career in the state and contributed to more than fifty films and over a thousand television episodes.

His early film work included set decoration on *The Hustler* (1961) and *Splendor in the Grass* (1961). He served as production designer on Elia Kazan's *America America* (1963), for which he received an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Black-and-White). Callahan won a second Oscar and received further nominations for his work on other films. Later credits include production design on *Funny Girl* (1968), *The Stepford Wives* (1975), *Children of a Lesser God* (1986) and *Steel Magnolias* (1989). He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1990.

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

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Children of a Lesser God* (1986), Fi1m 66, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/children-of-a-lesser-god.md)
- *Places in the Heart* (1984), Fi1m 80, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/places-in-the-heart.md)
- *Julia* (1977), Fi1m 60, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/julia.md)
- *Funny Girl* (1968), Fi1m 70, as Captain (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/funny-girl.md)
- *America America* (1963), Fi1m 84, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/america-america.md)
- *The Hustler* (1961), Fi1m 88, Set Decoration — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hustler.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

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

- *The Man in the Moon* (1991), Production Design
- *Steel Magnolias* (1989), Production Design
- *Arthur 2: On the Rocks* (1988), Production Design
- *Little Nikita* (1988), Production Design
- *Black Widow* (1987), as Mr. Foster · Production Design
- *Children of a Lesser God* (1986), Production Design — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/children-of-a-lesser-god.md)
- *Big Trouble* (1986), Production Design
- *Jagged Edge* (1985), Production Design
- *Places in the Heart* (1984), Production Design — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/places-in-the-heart.md)
- *The Survivors* (1983), Production Design
- *Grease 2* (1982), Production Design
- *Seems Like Old Times* (1980), Production Design
- *The Last Married Couple in America* (1980), Production Design
- *Chapter Two* (1979), Production Design
- *King of the Gypsies* (1978), Production Design
- *Bloodbrothers* (1978), Production Design
- *Eyes of Laura Mars* (1978), Production Design
- *Julia* (1977), Production Design — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/julia.md)
- *Panic in Echo Park* (1977), Production Design
- *The Last Tycoon* (1976), Production Design
- *The Next Man* (1976), Production Design
- *The Happy Hooker* (1975), Production Design
- *The Stepford Wives* (1975), Production Design
- *For Pete's Sake* (1974), Production Design
- *The Friends of Eddie Coyle* (1973), Production Design, Art Direction
- *The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds* (1972), Production Design
- *The Candidate* (1972), Production Design
- *Doc* (1971), Production Design
- *The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart* (1970), Production Design
- *Last of the Mobile Hot Shots* (1970), Production Design
- *The Arrangement* (1969), Production Design
- *Trilogy* (1969), Production Design
- *The Thanksgiving Visitor* (1968), Production Design
- *Funny Girl* (1968), as Captain (uncredited) · Production Design — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/funny-girl.md)
- *Hurry Sundown* (1967), Production Design
- *The Group* (1966), Production Design
- *Harvey Middleman, Fireman* (1965), Production Design
- *Carol for Another Christmas* (1964), Production Design
- *Lilith* (1964), as Set Decoration
- *America America* (1963), Production Design — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/america-america.md)
- *The Cardinal* (1963), as Set Decoration
- *David and Lisa* (1962), as Set Decoration
- *Long Day's Journey Into Night* (1962), as Set Decoration
- *Splendor in the Grass* (1961), as Set Decoration
- *The Hustler* (1961), as Set Decoration — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hustler.md)
- *The Young Doctors* (1961), as Set Decoration
- *Mad Dog Coll* (1961), as Set Decoration
- *BUtterfield 8* (1960), as Set Decoration
- *The Fugitive Kind* (1960), as Set Decoration
- *DuPont Show of the Month* (1957), series, as Set Decoration
- *Cinderella* (1957), as Set Decoration
- *Baby Doll* (1956), as Set Decoration
- *King Lear* (1953), as Set Decoration

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 2 nominated

- 1977: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Last Tycoon*
- 1964: Best Art Direction, Black and White (won), for *America America*
- 1964: Best Art Direction, Color (nominated), for *The Cardinal*
- 1962: Best Art Direction, Black and White (won), for *The Hustler*

*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/gene-callahan