Tracing the threads of influence: George Hoyningen-Huene and Les Girls (1957)

The audiovisual essay has become a dynamic format for illuminating people and labour in film, especially those who might have gone unnoticed or unappreciated. This audiovisual essay is the first step towards building a portrait of George Hoyningen-Huene and his work in cinema. Although he worked on a small number of films over the course of a decade, Huene’s work as color-consultant/color-coordinator/costume designer and more, represents the kind of essential creative contribution to filmmaking that has generally been sidelined or forgotten in appreciations of film style. Using a combination of archival materials and aesthetic analysis, the principal aim of this audiovisual essay is to bring to light Huene’s meticulous design of colour, alongside his composition of action, props, lighting and costuming, that can be found in these materials, using Les Girls (Cukor, 1957) as a case study.