Mickey S. Michaels

Mickey S. Michaels (October 9, 1931 – March 20, 1999) was an American set decorator who worked in film and television for over 25 years. He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction for the disaster films Airport (1970) and Airport '77 (1977), and received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Battlestar Galactica and the pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Known among his colleagues in the Set Decorators Society of America by the nickname "Tec Dec", Michaels became particularly noted for his work on aviation, military, and submarine-themed productions.^[1][2]

Before entering the film industry, Michaels worked as a professional ice skater, performing on tour and in films.^[2] His first credit as a set decorator was the Ross Hunter-produced disaster film Airport (1970), for which he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction, shared with art directors Alexander Golitzen and E. Preston Ames and fellow set decorator Jack D. Moore.^[3][4] The award went to Patton.

From 1972 through 1974, Michaels served as the primary set decorator on the television series Emergency!, produced by Jack Webb and Robert A. Cinader in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. In a 1998 interview, Michaels recalled that "working on the show was like working with family" and that "maintaining realism was as important as telling the story."^[2] During this period, he also worked on television series including Ironside, The Bold Ones, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, and Police Story.^[2]

Michaels returned to the Airport franchise for all three sequels: Airport 1975 (1974), Airport '77 (1977), and The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979). His work on Airport '77, shared with art director George C. Webb, earned him his second and final Academy Award nomination at the 50th Academy Awards.^[3][5] He was one of only three crew members to work on all four Airport films.^[2]

In the late 1970s, Michaels moved into science fiction television, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Art Direction for Battlestar Galactica, shared with art director John E. Chilberg II and fellow set decorator Lowell Chambers. His feature film work during this period included Raise the Titanic (1980), The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981), and Blue Thunder (1983).^[2]

As an employee of Paramount Pictures in the late 1980s and 1990s, Michaels became closely associated with military and submarine films. He worked with the United States Navy on The Hunt for Red October (1990), based on Tom Clancy's novel, and again with the CIA as a technical resource on Clear and Present Danger (1994).^[2] At Paramount, he also served as set decorator on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Flight of the Intruder (1991), and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), and worked on the first season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993). His work on the Deep Space Nine pilot "Emissary" earned him a second Emmy nomination, shared with production designer Herman Zimmerman and art director Randy McIlvain.

After leaving Paramount, Michaels decorated two further submarine films: Crimson Tide (1995) and Down Periscope (1996). In semi-retirement, he served as a special consultant on Sub Down (1997).^[2] He later reflected that "this industry has given me a lifetime of pleasure and a world of knowledge. I am forever appreciative and grateful for the many opportunities I have had in Hollywood."^[2]

• Ironside (1971)
• Emergency! (1972–1974)
• Battlestar Galactica (1978)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Michaels died of natural causes in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles on March 20, 1999, at the age of 67. He was survived by his wife, Barbara.^[1][2]

• Mickey S. Michaels at IMDb