The prevailing taste in Hollywood, despite popular myth, was not all kitsch and glitz. Certain actors, writers, directors, and producers were sophisticated connoisseurs of the most advanced modern art and architecture. Actor Ramon Navarro’s house—designed by Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Franks Lloyd Wright—and director Josef Von Sternberg’s house, designed by Richard Neutra, were authentic works of art, not merely popular imitations of older styles. Listen in as Thomas Hines explores the two dominant branches of architectural modernism, rationalism, and expressionism in the works of Richard Neutra and Lloyd Wright.

Recorded Thursday, April 03, 2008 at The Art Institute of Chicago-Fullerton Hall.