Living in a modern way in The Moon is Blue (1953, Otto Preminger): mid-century modern architecture, interiors, and furniture

Abstract

This article focuses on The Moon is Blue (1953, Otto Preminger), a light-hearted romantic comedy starring Maggie McNamara as an aspiring young actor, Patty O’Neill, and William Holden as architect Donald Gresham. The first Hollywood movie largely set inside a high-end Mid-Century Modern domestic interior, it features some top-quality machine mass-produced furniture by leading US designers and manufacturers. After considering the design production team, I discuss the ways in which the film promotes the furniture and the performance of modern ways of living. I also discuss how the film uses the interiors in a neighbouring apartment as a counterpoint to that of Gresham.