Ward Preston

Birth : 1932-04-20, Torrance, California, USA

Death : 2016-01-17

Movies

Blessed Assurance
Art Direction
Convinced that he's entitled to a life of fame and fortune, Korean War vet Jerry Shand (Grant Show) returns home to his fiancee (Lori Loughlin) and pursues a lucrative --if unprincipled -- insurance career. But when he meets the elderly client Vesta (Cicely Tyson), she begins to shed light on the destructive path Jerry has chosen to travel. Peter Bogdanovich directs this film set against the backdrop of racial tensions in the American South.
Staying Afloat
Production Design
In this comedy thriller, a prospective series pilot, Larry Hagman plays a disinherited socialite and high roller who, with the aid of a comely con artist and his sarcastic butler, helps the feds bring down an arms merchant.
Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis
Production Design
True story of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, its crew's struggle to survive the sharks and exposure, and the captain's scape-goat court-martial.
UHF
Production Design
The eccentric new manager of a UHF television channel tries to save the station from financial ruin with an odd array of programming.
The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory
Production Design
Against orders and with no help of relief Texas patriots led by William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett defend the Alamo against overwhelming Mexican forces.
American Anthem
Production Design
Steve is a talented gymnast who has given up competition and is working at his father's bike shop. Julie is the new girl at his old gym, who has moved to town to train with their powerful coach. Inspired by Julie, Steve resumes training. While dealing with the conflicts in their personal lives and the stress of training, they prepare for the US Olympic Trials.
Purple Rain
Production Design
A victim of his own anger, the Kid is a Minneapolis musician on the rise with his band, the Revolution, escaping a tumultuous home life through music. While trying to avoid making the same mistakes as his truculent father, the Kid navigates the club scene and a rocky relationship with a captivating singer, Apollonia. But another musician, Morris, looks to steal the Kid's spotlight -- and his girl.
That Championship Season
Production Design
It started as a friendly meeting between 4 old buddies with their basketball coach and ended up in revealing the truth about their relationship. The meeting forces the five men to reveal their true identity, to be honest with each other for the first time in their lives. When the night comes to an end they decide to go back to the old glorious days and reunite into the team which won that championship season, back in 1957.
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
Production Design
In a small Southern town, the local sheriff tries to keep everything peaceful and under control.
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
Art Direction
Ghosts and a young cadet try to save a military academy from being closed.
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
Production Design
Ghosts and a young cadet try to save a military academy from being closed.
The Night the City Screamed
Production Design
A massive blackout plunges a major American city into a night of terror.
Airplane!
Production Design
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
Power
Art Direction
Loosely based on the life of Jimmy Hoffa, this traces the rise of Tommy Vanda (Joe Don Baker) from a Chicago dock worker to an influential labor leader who, like Hoffa, finds himself behind bars in a federal prison, and not long after, taken for a ride by shady men never to be seen again.
Ike
Art Direction
Eisenhower the military man is the focus of this mini-series, his relationships with the other wartime leaders, and, very discreetly, his personal relationship with his driver, Kay Summersby.
To Kill a Cop
Art Direction
Earl Eischied is a man with his hands full. As the Chief of Detectives in New York City he is trying to break up a group of black militants that are on a crime spree including the killing of a police officer. He is also trying to battle with a mayor and police commissioner that want him out of his job.
Viva Knievel!
Production Design
The legendary stuntman plans his most incredible stunt yet while battling the mob in this action-adventure.
Fire!
Art Direction
The sheer terror and unearthly beauty of a raging forest fire is breathlessly captured in this compelling Irwin Allen production boasting a big-name cast and enough blazing special effects to turn night into day. Involved are a lumber mill owner (Ernest Borgnine), the widowed operator of a forest lodge (Vera Miles), a teacher on a class outing (Donna Mills), a country doctor (Lloyd Nolan), a couple (Patty Duke Astin and Alex Cord) whose shaky marriage is healed when battling the blaze brings out their better natures, and escaping convicts (Neville Brand and Erik Estrada) who use the conflagration to cover their tracks. Like Allen’s crowd-pleasers The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, Fire sizzles with suspense and excitement. Turn up the heat!
Capone
Art Direction
Young Al Capone catches the eye of Johnny Torrio, a criminal visiting New York from Chicago. Torrio invites Capone to move to Illinois to help run his Prohibition-era alcohol sales operation. Capone rises through the ranks of Torrio's gang and eventually takes over. On top, he works to consolidate his power by eliminating his enemies, fixing elections to his advantage and getting rich. In his spare time, Capone courts the principled Iris Crawford.
The Towering Inferno
Art Direction
At the opening party of a colossal—but poorly constructed—skyscraper, a massive fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the tower and everyone in it.
The Stone Killer
Art Direction
A Los Angeles detective is sent to New York where he must solve a case involving an old Sicilian Mafia family feud.
The Stone Killer
Production Design
A Los Angeles detective is sent to New York where he must solve a case involving an old Sicilian Mafia family feud.
The Poseidon Adventure
Assistant Art Director
When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.
The Other
Assistant Art Director
A series of gruesome accidents plague a small American farming community in the summer of 1935, encircling two identical twin brothers and their family.
Monte Walsh
Art Direction
Monte Walsh is an aging cowboy facing the ending days of the Wild West era. As barbed wire and railways steadily eliminate the need for the cowboy, Monte and his friends are left with fewer and fewer options. New work opportunities are available to them, but the freedom of the open prarie is what they long for. Eventually, they all must say goodbye to the lives they knew, and try to make a new start.
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys
Set Designer
An aging lawman and an aging outlaw join forces when their respective positions in society are usurped by a younger, but incompetent Marshal, and a younger, but vicious gang leader.
Wait Until Dark
Set Designer
After a flight back home, Sam Hendrix returns with a doll he innocently acquired along the way. As it turns out, the doll is actually stuffed with heroin, and a group of criminals led by the ruthless Roat has followed Hendrix back to his place to retrieve it. When Hendrix leaves for business, the crooks make their move -- and find his blind wife, Susy, alone in the apartment. Soon, a life-threatening game begins between Susy and the thugs.
Gambit
Set Designer
Harry Dean is a career burglar set on stealing a piece of priceless art from the world's wealthiest man, Mr. Shahbandar. With the help of exotic showgirl Nicole Chang, he concocts the perfect scheme for how the robbery should go and lays it out point by point. However, when the team tries to execute the plan, perfection and reality don't quite match up, and Harry's vision begins to unravel in this twisty tale of a heist gone wrong.
Any Wednesday
Set Designer
Ellen Gordon, a New York executive's mistress falls for the executive's young business associate when the young man is accidentally sent to use the apartment where the executive and his mistress get together every Wednesday. More complications arise when the executive's wife shows up with plans to redecorate the apartment.
A Fine Madness
Set Designer
A womanizing poet falls into the hands of a psychiatrist with a straying wife.