J u m p t o c o n t e n t
M a i n m e n u
M a i n m e n u
N a v i g a t i o n
● M a i n p a g e ● C o n t e n t s ● C u r r e n t e v e n t s ● R a n d o m a r t i c l e ● A b o u t W i k i p e d i a ● C o n t a c t u s ● D o n a t e
C o n t r i b u t e
● H e l p ● L e a r n t o e d i t ● C o m m u n i t y p o r t a l ● R e c e n t c h a n g e s ● U p l o a d f i l e
S e a r c h
Search
A p p e a r a n c e
● C r e a t e a c c o u n t ● L o g i n
P e r s o n a l t o o l s
● C r e a t e a c c o u n t ● L o g i n
P a g e s f o r l o g g e d o u t e d i t o r s l e a r n m o r e ● C o n t r i b u t i o n s ● T a l k
( T o p )
1 L i f e a n d f a m i l y
2 F i l m c a r e e r
3 A w a r d s
4 S e l e c t e d f i l m o g r a p h y
5 D e a t h
6 R e f e r e n c e s
7 E x t e r n a l l i n k s
T o g g l e t h e t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s
J o h n S t e a r s
6 l a n g u a g e s
● D e u t s c h ● E s p a ñ o l ● F r a n ç a i s ● 日 本 語 ● P o r t u g u ê s ● S u o m i
E d i t l i n k s
● A r t i c l e ● T a l k
E n g l i s h
● R e a d ● E d i t ● V i e w h i s t o r y
T o o l s
T o o l s
A c t i o n s
● R e a d ● E d i t ● V i e w h i s t o r y
G e n e r a l
● W h a t l i n k s h e r e ● R e l a t e d c h a n g e s ● U p l o a d f i l e ● S p e c i a l p a g e s ● P e r m a n e n t l i n k ● P a g e i n f o r m a t i o n ● C i t e t h i s p a g e ● G e t s h o r t e n e d U R L ● D o w n l o a d Q R c o d e ● W i k i d a t a i t e m
P r i n t / e x p o r t
● D o w n l o a d a s P D F ● P r i n t a b l e v e r s i o n
I n o t h e r p r o j e c t s
● W i k i m e d i a C o m m o n s
A p p e a r a n c e
F r o m W i k i p e d i a , t h e f r e e e n c y c l o p e d i a
British special effects expert (1934–1999)
John Stears being interviewed in The Men Behind the Mayhem: The SFX of James Bond
(1934-08-25 ) 25 August 1934
28 April 1999
(1999-04-28) (aged
64 )
[1]
Special effects supervisor
1956–1999
(m. 1960)
2
John Stears (25 August 1934 – 28 April 1999), known as the "Dean of Special Effects",[2] James Bond 's lethal Aston Martin DB5 , Luke Skywalker 's Landspeeder , the Jedi Knights' lightsabers , the Death Star and the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO , as well as a host of other famous movie gadgets and special effects.[2]
Life and family [ edit ]
Stears was born in Uxbridge , Middlesex (now part of Greater London ) on 25 August 1934 and grew up in nearby Ickenham . Stears studied at Harrow College of Art and Southall Technical School before working as a draughtsman with the Air Ministry.
He served as a dispatch rider during his National Service , then joined a firm of architects where he was able to utilise his passion for model-making by constructing scale models of building projects for clients.[3]
For most of his life he lived at Welders House in Beaconsfield , Buckinghamshire , where he reared cattle and his wife ran the Livny Borzoi Kennels, breeding Borzoi show dogs.[3]
In 1993, he sold his Welders House country estate in Buckinghamshire to the singer Ozzy Osbourne and emigrated to California with his wife Brenda, whom he married in 1960, the couple had two children.[3]
Film career [ edit ]
The deadly, gadget-filled DB5 Stears created for Thunderball.
Stears' effects featured in the first eight James Bond films, winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1965 for Thunderball ,Star Wars
He created some of the most famous scenes in the movies. He blew up the villain's Jamaican hideout at the end of Dr. No Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 , featuring bullet-proof windows, revolving licence plates, forward-firing machine guns, a rear oil-slick dispenser and a passenger-side ejector seat.[4]
He also created an avalanche for On Her Majesty's Secret Service Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The Man with the Golden Gun
Stears grew disenchanted with the Bond franchise, and vowed never to do another one. He complained that the "team spirit" had gone. Stears expressed great regret that Kevin McClory could not get his rival Bond film, Warhead , into production, as Stears wanted to work on that film.[5]
In 1976, Stears received a telephone call from George Lucas , who had been a great admirer of the Bond films, who wanted to know if he was interested in creating mechanical and electrical effects for a film that he had written, Star Wars [3] Alec Guinness and John Williams ; he had won an Academy Award before working on Star Wars .[6] Star Wars (1977), Stears created the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO , Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder , the Jedi Knights' lightsabers , and the Death Star .[3] [2] [7] [7] X-wing fighter fly and the Jawa's sandcrawler .[8]
In 1978, producer Harry Saltzman hired Stears to direct the "shrunken man" epic film The Micronauts . The troubled project had been in pre-production for many years and saw many directors come and go; ultimately the film never made it into production.[9]
John Stears with his two Academy Awards and Saturn Award
John Stears is notably one of only a few people to ever win an Academy Award for a James Bond film and one of only eight to win an Academy Award for a Star Wars film.
Selected filmography [ edit ]
Stears died on 28 April 1999 in UCLA Medical Center after a stroke. His wife, Brenda, and other family members had wanted the death kept quiet until after services in Pacific Palisades in May and in London. The family announced his death in June of that same year. Stears owned homes in Pacific Palisades and in Beaconsfield, England, where he and his wife raised cattle and show dogs.[7]
References [ edit ]
^ a b c d e Vallance, Tom (19 July 1999). "Obituary: John Stears" . The Independent . Retrieved 28 January 2013 .
^ "James Bond's Aston DB5 for sale" . Autocar . Retrieved 21 February 2013 .
^ Maronie, Sam (July 1981). "John Stears Talks About Making Move Magic (Without Divulging Too Many Secrets)" . Starlog 48 ): 82.
^ "" . episodenothing.
^ a b c Oliver, Myrna (5 July 1999). "John Stears; Special Effects Genius Behind 007 and R2-D2" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 28 January 2013 .
^ "" . Man who built R2D2.
^ anonymous (5 July 1978). "Stears' Helm Debut Due On Micronauts". Variety
External links [ edit ]
Autocar DB5 Article, 02 June 2010
John Stears at IMDb
Obituary, John Stears: Independent , Monday, 19 July 1999
Obituary, John Stears: New York Times , Sunday, July 4, 1999
Obituary, John Stears: Los Angeles Times , Monday, July 5, 1999
John Stears: images of constructing and testing R2D2
Peter Ellenshaw , Eustace Lycett , and Hamilton Luske – Mary Poppins
John Stears – Thunderball
Art Cruickshank – Fantastic Voyage
L. B. Abbott – Doctor Dolittle
Stanley Kubrick – 2001: A Space Odyssey
Robie Robertson – Marooned
A. D. Flowers and L. B. Abbott – Tora! Tora! Tora!
Alan Maley , Eustace Lycett , and Danny Lee – Bedknobs and Broomsticks
L. B. Abbott and A. D. Flowers – The Poseidon Adventure
Frank Brendel , Glen Robinson , and Albert Whitlock – Earthquake
Albert Whitlock and Glen Robinson – The Hindenburg
Carlo Rambaldi , Glen Robinson , and Frank Van der Veer – King Kong
John Stears , John Dykstra , Richard Edlund , Grant McCune , and Robert Blalack – Star Wars
Les Bowie , Colin Chilvers , Denys Coop , Roy Field , Derek Meddings , and Zoran Perisic – Superman
H. R. Giger , Carlo Rambaldi , Brian Johnson , Nick Allder , and Dennis Ayling – Alien
Brian Johnson , Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , and Bruce Nicholson – The Empire Strikes Back
Carlo Rambaldi , Dennis Muren , and Kenneth F. Smith – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , Ken Ralston , and Phil Tippett – Return of the Jedi
Dennis Muren , Michael J. McAlister , Lorne Peterson , and George Gibbs – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Ken Ralston , Ralph McQuarrie , Scott Farrar , and David Berry – Cocoon
Robert Skotak , Stan Winston , John Richardson , and Suzanne M. Benson – Aliens
Dennis Muren , Bill George , Harley Jessup , and Kenneth F. Smith - Innerspace
Ken Ralston , Richard Williams , Edward Jones , and George Gibbs – Who Framed Roger Rabbit
John Bruno , Dennis Muren , Hoyt Yeatman , and Dennis Skotak – The Abyss
Eric Brevig , Rob Bottin , Tim McGovern , and Alex Funke – Total Recall
Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Gene Warren Jr. , and Robert Skotak – Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Ken Ralston , Doug Chiang , Douglas Smythe , and Tom Woodruff Jr. – Death Becomes Her
Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Phil Tippett , and Michael Lantieri – Jurassic Park
Ken Ralston , George Murphy , Stephen Rosenbaum , and Allen Hall – Forrest Gump
Scott E. Anderson , Charles Gibson , Neal Scanlan , and John Cox – Babe
Volker Engel , Douglas Smith , Clay Pinney , and Joe Viskocil – Independence Day
Robert Legato , Mark Lasoff , Thomas L. Fisher , and Michael Kanfer – Titanic
Joel Hynek , Nicholas Brooks , Stuart Robertson , and Kevin Mack – What Dreams May Come
John Gaeta , Janek Sirrs , Steve Courtley , and Jon Thum – The Matrix
John Nelson , Neil Corbould , Tim Burke , and Rob Harvey – Gladiator
Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
John Dykstra , Scott Stokdyk , Anthony LaMolinara , and John Frazier – Spider-Man 2
Joe Letteri , Brian Van't Hul , Christian Rivers , and Richard Taylor – King Kong
John Knoll , Hal Hickel , Charles Gibson , and Allen Hall – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Michael L. Fink , Bill Westenhofer , Ben Morris , and Trevor Wood – The Golden Compass
Eric Barba , Steve Preeg , Burt Dalton , and Craig Barron – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Joe Letteri , Stephen Rosenbaum , Richard Baneham , and Andrew R. Jones – Avatar
Paul Franklin , Chris Corbould , Andrew Lockley , and Peter Bebb – Inception
Robert Legato , Joss Williams , Ben Grossmann , and Alex Henning – Hugo
Bill Westenhofer , Guillaume Rocheron , Erik-Jan de Boer , and Donald R. Elliott – Life of Pi
Tim Webber , Chris Lawrence , Dave Shirk , and Neil Corbould – Gravity
Paul Franklin , Andrew Lockley , Ian Hunter , and Scott R. Fisher – Interstellar
Mark Williams Ardington , Sara Bennett , Paul Norris , and Andrew Whitehurst – Ex Machina
Robert Legato , Adam Valdez , Andrew R. Jones , and Dan Lemmon – The Jungle Book
John Nelson , Gerd Nefzer , Paul Lambert , and Richard R. Hoover – Blade Runner 2049
Paul Lambert , Ian Hunter , Tristan Myles , and J. D. Schwalm – First Man
Guillaume Rocheron , Greg Butler , and Dominic Tuohy – 1917
Andrew Jackson , David Lee , Andrew Lockley , and Scott R. Fisher – Tenet
Joe Letteri , Richard Baneham , Eric Saindon , and Daniel Barrett – Avatar: The Way of Water
Takashi Yamazaki , Kiyoko Shibuya , Masaki Takahashi , and Tatsuji Nojima – Godzilla Minus One
Joe Dante and Mark Goldblatt (1973)
Douglas Knapp , Bill Taylor, John Carpenter , and Dan O'Bannon (1974/75)
L. B. Abbott (1976)
John Dykstra and John Stears (1977)
Colin Chilvers (1978)
Douglas Trumbull , John Dykstra , and Richard Yuricich (1979)
Richard Edlund (1981)
Carlo Rambaldi and Dennis Muren (1982)
Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , and Ken Ralston (1983)
Chris Walas (1984)
Kevin Pike (1985)
Stan Winston , Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak (1986)
Peter Kuran, Phil Tippett , Rob Bottin , and Rocco Gioffre (1987)
George Gibbs , Ken Ralston , and Richard Williams (1988)
Ken Ralston (1989/90)
Ken Ralston , Tom Woodruff Jr., and Alec Gillis (1992)
Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Phil Tippett , and Michael Lantieri (1993)
John Bruno (1994)
Stan Parks (1995)
Volker Engel , Clay Pinney , Douglas Smith , and Joe Viskocil (1996)
Phil Tippett , Scott E. Anderson , Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., John Richardson (1997)
Volker Engel , Patrick Tatopoulos , Karen E. Goulekas , and Clay Pinney (1998)
Rob Coleman , John Knoll , Dennis Muren , and Scott Squires (1999)
Dennis Muren , Scott Farrar , Stan Winston , Michael Lantieri (2001)
Rob Coleman , Pablo Helman , John Knoll , and Ben Snow (2002)
Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke (2003)
John Dykstra , Scott Stokdyk , Anthony LaMolinara , and John Frazier (2004)
Joe Letteri , Richard Taylor , Christian Rivers , and Brian Van't Hul (2005)
John Knoll , Hal T. Hickel , Charles Gibson , and Allen Hall (2006)
Scott Farrar , Scott Benza , Russell Earl , and John Frazier (2007)
Nick Davis , Chris Corbould , Timothy Webber , and Paul J. Franklin (2008)
Joe Letteri , Stephen Rosenbaum , Richard Baneham , and Andrew R. Jones (2009)
Dan Lemmon , Joe Letteri , R. Christopher White , and Daniel Barrett (2011)
Janek Sirrs , Jeff White , Guy Williams , and Dan Sudick (2012)
Tim Webber , Chris Lawrence , Dave Shirk , and Neil Corbould (2013)
Paul J. Franklin , Andrew Lockley , Ian Hunter , and Scott R. Fisher (2014)
Roger Guyett , Patrick Tubach , Neal Scanlan , and Chris Corbould (2015)
John Knoll , Mohen Leo , Hal Hickel , and Neil Corbould (2016)
Christopher Townsend , Guy Williams , Jonathan Fawkner , and Dan Sudick (2017)
Dan DeLeeuw , Matt Aitken , Russell Earl , and Dan Sudick (2018/19)
Roger Guyett , Neal Scanlan , Patrick Tubach , and Dominic Tuohy (2019/20)
John “D.J.” Des Jardin, Bryan Hirota, Kevin Andrew Smith, and Mike Meinardus (2021/22)
Joe Letteri , Richard Baneham , Eric Saindon , and Daniel Barrett (2022/23)
Note: The years are listed as per convention, usually the year of film release; the ceremonies are usually held the next year.
R e t r i e v e d f r o m " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Stears&oldid=1223405451 " C a t e g o r i e s : ● 1 9 3 4 b i r t h s ● 1 9 9 9 d e a t h s ● B e s t V i s u a l E f f e c t s A c a d e m y A w a r d w i n n e r s ● S p e c i a l e f f e c t s p e o p l e H i d d e n c a t e g o r i e s : ● A r t i c l e s w i t h s h o r t d e s c r i p t i o n ● S h o r t d e s c r i p t i o n m a t c h e s W i k i d a t a ● E n g v a r B f r o m A p r i l 2 0 2 3 ● U s e d m y d a t e s f r o m A p r i l 2 0 2 3 ● A r t i c l e s w i t h h C a r d s
● T h i s p a g e w a s l a s t e d i t e d o n 1 1 M a y 2 0 2 4 , a t 2 2 : 4 2 ( U T C ) . ● T e x t i s a v a i l a b l e u n d e r t h e C r e a t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - S h a r e A l i k e L i c e n s e 4 . 0 ;
a d d i t i o n a l t e r m s m a y a p p l y . B y u s i n g t h i s s i t e , y o u a g r e e t o t h e T e r m s o f U s e a n d P r i v a c y P o l i c y . W i k i p e d i a ® i s a r e g i s t e r e d t r a d e m a r k o f t h e W i k i m e d i a F o u n d a t i o n , I n c . , a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n . ● P r i v a c y p o l i c y ● A b o u t W i k i p e d i a ● D i s c l a i m e r s ● C o n t a c t W i k i p e d i a ● C o d e o f C o n d u c t ● D e v e l o p e r s ● S t a t i s t i c s ● C o o k i e s t a t e m e n t ● M o b i l e v i e w
