---
name: "Gil Parrondo"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gil-parrondo"
roles: ["Art direction"]
born: "17 June 1921"
died: "24 December 2016"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T05:35:55.668767+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."
---

# Gil Parrondo

Art direction. Born 17 June 1921 in Luarca, Asturias, Spain. Died 24 December 2016.

## Details

- **Work:** Art direction
- **Born:** 17 June 1921, Luarca, Asturias, Spain
- **Died:** 24 December 2016
- **Active:** 1965–1971
- **Also known as:** Gil Parrondo y Rico-Villademoros, Gil Parrondo Rico-Villademoros
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 1 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 70 (1), 1970s 70 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 64 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, War 3, History 2, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $202m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Parrondo, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q984007, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0663597/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14005

## Streaming the US now

- **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

Gil Parrondo (full name Gil Parrondo y Rico-Villademoros) was a Spanish art director, set decorator and production designer. Born in Luarca, Asturias, in 1921, he studied painting and architecture at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid before beginning his career in the Spanish film industry in the late 1930s and early 1950s, initially as an assistant to set decorator Sigfrido Burmann.

He worked on numerous international productions filmed in Spain, including art direction credits on *Doctor Zhivago* (1965) and *Battle of Britain* (1969). Parrondo shared Academy Awards for Best Art Direction for *Patton* (1970) and *Nicholas and Alexandra* (1971), both directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, and received a further nomination for *Travels with My Aunt* (1972). He maintained long collaborations with directors Richard Lester and José Luis Garci, for whom he designed several films and won multiple Goya Awards for art direction.

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

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Nicholas and Alexandra* (1971), Fi1m 58, Production Design, Production design, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/nicholas-and-alexandra.md)
- *Patton* (1970), Fi1m 82, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/patton.md)
- *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), Fi1m 70, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md)

## Complete filmography (83)

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

- *Cold Skin* (2017), Production Design, In Memory Of
- *Blood of May* (2008), as Set Decoration
- *Sunday Light* (2007), as Set Decoration
- *The Bridge of San Luis Rey* (2004), Production Design
- *Merry-Go-Round c. 1950* (2004), as Set Decoration
- *Historia de un beso* (2002), Production Design
- *First and Last Love* (2002), Production Design
- *Dama de Porto Pim* (2001), Production Design
- *A Time for Defiance* (1998), as Art Direction
- *The Grandfather* (1998), as Set Decoration
- *La herida luminosa* (1997), Production Design, Set Decoration
- *Death in Granada* (1996), as Art Direction · Production Design
- *Cradle Song* (1994), as Set Decoration
- *Christopher Columbus: The Discovery* (1992), Production Design
- *The Long Winter* (1992), as Set Decoration
- *The Return of the Musketeers* (1989), Production Design
- *The Brother from Space* (1988), as Art Direction
- *Onassis: The Richest Man in the World* (1988), Production Design
- *Iguana* (1988), as Art Direction
- *Lionheart* (1987), Production Design
- *Werther* (1986), as Set Decoration
- *Rustlers' Rhapsody* (1985), Production Design
- *Bicycles Are for the Summer* (1984), Production Design
- *Bearn* (1983), as Set Decoration
- *Paper Heart* (1982), Production Design
- *Begin the Beguine* (1982), Production Design
- *The Adventures of Enrique and Ana* (1981), as Set Decoration
- *Sphinx* (1981), as Art Direction
- *Cuba* (1979), Production Design
- *The Boys from Brazil* (1978), Production Design
- *March or Die* (1977), Production Design
- *La menor* (1976), as Set Decoration
- *La espada negra* (1976), as Art Direction
- *Cuando los maridos se iban a la guerra* (1976), as Art Direction, Set Decoration
- *Robin and Marian* (1976), as Art Direction
- *The Adolescents* (1975), as Set Decoration
- *The Wind and the Lion* (1975), Production Design
- *Open Season* (1974), Production Design, Art Direction
- *¿... Y el prójimo?* (1974), as Art Direction
- *The Girl from the Red Cabaret* (1973), as Set Decoration
- *Don Quixote Rides Again* (1973), as Art Direction
- *Travels with My Aunt* (1972), as Art Direction
- *Nicholas and Alexandra* (1971), Production Design, Art Direction — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/nicholas-and-alexandra.md)
- *The Horsemen* (1971), as Art Direction
- *Patton* (1970), as Art Direction — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/patton.md)
- *Battle of Britain* (1969), as Art Direction
- *Hamelín* (1969), as Art Direction
- *The Valley of Gwangi* (1969), as Art Direction
- *Four Rode Out* (1969), as Art Direction
- *Dr. Coppelius* (1968), as Art Direction · Set Costumer
- *Cauldron of Blood* (1968), as Art Direction
- *Sound of Horror* (1967), Production Design, Art Direction
- *Savage Pampas* (1966), as Set Decoration
- *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), as Art Direction — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md)
- *The Truth About Spring* (1965), as Art Direction
- *Ensayo general para la muerte* (1963), as Set Decoration
- *Sabían demasiado* (1962), as Set Decoration
- *Learning to Die* (1962), as Set Decoration
- *El Cid* (1961), Assistant Art Director
- *Mi noche de bodas* (1961), as Art Direction
- *Don José, Pepe y Pepito* (1961), as Set Decoration
- *Un paso al frente* (1960), as Set Decoration
- *Vida sin risas* (1960), as Set Decoration
- *The 7th Voyage of Sinbad* (1958), as Art Direction
- *La noche y el alba* (1958), as Set Decoration
- *El hombre del paraguas blanco* (1958), as Set Decoration
- *...And She Chose Hell* (1957), as Set Decoration
- *Ambush in Tangier* (1957), Production Design
- *Fedra, the Devil's Daughter* (1956), as Set Decoration
- *Red Fish* (1955), Production Design
- *Mr. Arkadin* (1955), as Set Decoration
- *El guardián del paraíso* (1955), as Set Decoration
- *La hermana alegría* (1955), as Set Decoration
- *La reina mora* (1955), as Set Decoration
- *Morena clara* (1954), Set Designer
- *Merry Christmas* (1954), as Set Decoration
- *Un caballero andaluz* (1954), Production Design
- *Love on Wheels* (1954), as Set Decoration
- *Viento del norte* (1954), as Set Decoration
- *Haute Couture* (1954), as Set Decoration
- *Hollyhock* (1954), as Set Decoration
- *Nuits andalouses* (1954), as Set Decoration
- *Dos caminos* (1954), as Set Decoration

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 1 nominated

- 1973: Best Production Design (nominated), for *Travels with My Aunt*
- 1972: Best Production Design (won), for *Nicholas and Alexandra*
- 1971: Best Production Design (won), for *Patton*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Medalla de Oro 1999: Medalla de Oro (won)
- Goya Award for Best Art Direction 1995: Goya Award for Best Art Direction (won), for *Cradle Song*
- Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts 1983: Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (won)

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

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© 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/gil-parrondo