---
name: "Paul Sylbert"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/paul-sylbert"
fi1m_id: "paul-sylbert"
imdb_id: "nm0843128"
tmdb_id: 19045
wikidata_id: "Q2062658"
roles: ["Production designer"]
born: "16 April 1928"
died: "19 November 2016"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-09-25T07:44:50.042583+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."
---

# Paul Sylbert

## Identity

Paul Sylbert

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/paul-sylbert
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** paul-sylbert
- **IMDb ID:** nm0843128
- **TMDB ID:** 19045
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2062658
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Sylbert, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2062658, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843128/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/19045

Production designer. Born 16 April 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Died 19 November 2016.

## Details

- **Work:** Production designer
- **Born:** 16 April 1928, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- **Died:** 19 November 2016
- **Active:** 1956–1991
- **Frequently works with:** [Charles Grodin](https://film.one/person/charles-grodin.md), [Dustin Hoffman](https://film.one/person/dustin-hoffman.md), [Elaine May](https://film.one/person/elaine-may.md), [Warren Beatty](https://film.one/person/warren-beatty.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 83 (1), 1970s 81 (3), 1980s 80 (2), 1990s 65 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 74 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Romance 2, Adventure 1, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $477m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Sylbert, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2062658, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843128/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/19045

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Blow Out*](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md) (88), [*Ishtar*](https://film.one/film/ishtar.md) (72)
- **Pluto TV:** [*Heaven Can Wait*](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md) (74)

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

## Biography

Paul Sylbert (1928–2016) was an American production designer and art director. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the identical twin of fellow production designer Richard Sylbert. He studied at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University and served in the US Army during the Korean War.

Sylbert's credits include production design on *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975), *Kramer vs. Kramer* (1979), *Blow Out* (1981) and *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), for which he shared an Academy Award. He also worked on *The Wrong Man* (1956) and *Conspiracy Theory* (1997). Later in his career he taught film studies at Temple University.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, latimes.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *The Prince of Tides* (1991), Fi1m 65, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-prince-of-tides.md)
- *Ishtar* (1987), Fi1m 72, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/ishtar.md)
- *Blow Out* (1981), Fi1m 88, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md)
- *Kramer vs. Kramer* (1979), Fi1m 82, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/kramer-vs-kramer.md)
- *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), Fi1m 74, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md)
- *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975), Fi1m 86, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest.md)
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), Fi1m 83, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md)

## Complete filmography (41)

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

- *To End All Wars* (2001), Production Design
- *Conspiracy Theory* (1997), Production Design
- *Rosewood* (1997), Production Design
- *The Grass Harp* (1996), Production Design
- *Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home* (1995), Production Design
- *Milk Money* (1994), Production Design
- *Sliver* (1993), Production Design
- *The Prince of Tides* (1991), Production Design — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/the-prince-of-tides.md)
- *Rush* (1991), Production Design
- *Career Opportunities* (1991), Production Design
- *Fresh Horses* (1988), Production Design
- *Biloxi Blues* (1988), Production Design
- *The Pick-up Artist* (1987), Production Design
- *Nadine* (1987), Production Design
- *Ishtar* (1987), Production Design — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/ishtar.md)
- *The Journey of Natty Gann* (1985), Production Design
- *Firstborn* (1984), Production Design
- *The Pope of Greenwich Village* (1984), Production Design
- *Gorky Park* (1983), Production Design
- *Blow Out* (1981), Production Design — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md)
- *Wolfen* (1981), Production Design
- *Nighthawks* (1981), Story
- *Resurrection* (1980), Production Design
- *Kramer vs. Kramer* (1979), Production Design — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/kramer-vs-kramer.md)
- *Hardcore* (1979), Production Design
- *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), Production Design — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md)
- *Mikey and Nicky* (1976), Production Design
- *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975), Production Design — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest.md)
- *The Drowning Pool* (1975), Production Design
- *Bad Company* (1972), Production Design
- *The Steagle* (1971), Director, Writer
- *Riot* (1969), Production Design
- *The Tiger Makes Out* (1967), Production Design
- *Reporter* (1964), series, Director
- *Instant Love* (1964), Director
- *The Defenders* (1961), series, Director
- *Teenage Millionaire* (1961), as Art Direction
- *A Face in the Crowd* (1957), as Art Direction
- *Baby Doll* (1956), Assistant Art Director
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), as Art Direction — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md)
- *Pontius Pilate* (1952), as Set Decoration

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- 1992: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Prince of Tides*
- 1979: Best Production Design (won), for *Heaven Can Wait*

*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/paul-sylbert