- Paul Barnes was born June 28, 1925, deceased on January 19, 1987 at the age of 62. Paul's network television scenic stage-set design career began at age 25 in 1950, with the New York CBS network television production facility, first as a set designer, and later, as an assistant scenic designer. He was a member of the New York City United Scenic Artists IATSE #829 Union, design branch. The New York TV network union contract did not allow scenic designer's being listed as an "Art Director." The network contract with network TV union members in the graphic design division designated that craft as art director. The NYC TV networks union designated jurisdiction denied scenic designers to be given the art director credit on television programs. Paul became a member of the West Coast Society of Motion Picture and Television Art Director's Guild, IATSE #876 (Art Director's Guild IATSE #800) when he relocated, as did set decorator Bill Harp, when the team moved to Los Angeles for production of the 1967 "Carol Burnett Show" television series (1967-1978, 260 shows), video taped live with an audience, at the CBS' Television City studios (Beverly Blvd. and Fairfax Avenue location) in Los Angeles/Hollywood, California. This was Paul Barnes first official Art Director credit on the CBS television program. Paul Barnes' TV credits on "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (1950), "Your Hit Parade" (1955-'56) and the "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall" (1965) was credited as the show's Scenic Designer. (Paul was credited as a set designer 'draft-person' in 1959 on the "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall").
- Born an identical twin, Robert "Bob" Sansom and his identical twin brother celebrated their birth date on January 16, 1932. The twins meeting Paul Barnes, in the best of Hollywood tradition, in a West Hollywood gay bar, was Bob Sansom's introduction into stage set designing. Art director Paul Barnes, on assignment in Hollywood for the CBS TV series "The Carol Burnet Show," hired Bob Sansom. Bob became Paul Barnes' CBS art department assistant art director. Bob's initiation into the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Art Directors Guild, IATSE #876, was on September 11, 1973. Bob's death on November 6, 1984 was related to AIDS. Bob's twin, a toy designer, worked for Mattel Toys in Redondo Beach, California. The twins purchased an Avacodo tree farm-ranch located in Orange County. Bob retired to the ranch where his twin took care of him in his last two years.
- During the late 1950s, Paul Barnes designed theatrical stage settings for a series of Broadway variety musical revues. These entertaining "night-club style entertainment shows" were popular as short format running vaudeville style stage presentations, featuring musicians, comedy routines, singers, jugglers and animal acts. Individual acts developed the singers and actors "show-case" performance skills, which subsequently guaranteed an appearance on the insatiable need for cameo spots on television's musical comedy variety shows.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content