Thomas Hart Benton

Thomas Hart Benton was born on April 15, 1889 in Neosho, Missouri, USA.

Benton worked in the film industry circa 1916-1917 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He was hired by former roommate Rex Ingram to provide scenic research, set design and painted backgrounds.

Life Magazine commissioned Benton to go to Hollywood in 1937 to paint his version of the movie capitol. Benton spent most of his time at 20th Century Fox, observing the filming of "In Old Chicago" and "Ali Baba Goes to Town," among others. The resulting painting "Hollywood" was later rejected by Life due to the scantily clad woman at the center of the painting. Life finally published the painting in their December 12, 1938 issue after it won 1st Prize at the Carnegie Institute Exhibit. While at Fox Benton also produced the ink wash sketches "Burning of Chicago," "Dubbing in Sound" and "Director's Conference." The "Hollywood" painting may be seen today at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1941 Benton was commissioned by Twentieth-Century Fox Film Corporation to do a series of lithographs portraying the habitat and main characters of their film version of Vereen Bell's "Swamp Water".

He is known for his work on The United States Steel Hour (1953), Night Descends on Treasure Island (1940) and They Drew Fire (2000).

Burt Lancaster hired Benton to paint a portrait of him in character as The Kentuckian (1955) to be used for publicity purposes. Benton traveled to the film location in Rockport, Indiana, in autumn 1953 to watch the filming. The painting, which pictures Lancaster as Eli Wakesfield and his son Little Eli, played by Donald MacDonald, was only exhibited at the Washington, D.C. film premiere, although it was later used on a limited edition bottle of Jim Beam's Choice Whiskey in the 1970s. Lancaster left the painting to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it may be seen today.

Inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians, 1985.