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Male, US, born 1893-03-24, died 1975-12-10

Associated with the firms network

Moeller, Carl G., Interior Designer; Skouras Brothers, Theatre Management Company


Professional History

It is known that Moeller was a long-time designer for the Skouras Brothers, who managed and redesigned over 200 movie theatres on the West Coast; many Skouras redesigns occurred in the 1930s-1940s, and were influenced by 1930s movie set design of interior designer, Cedric Gibbons. Moeller was liberal in his use of new aluminum sheeting in Skouras-managed theatres, often made into streamlined wall sculptures.

It does not appear that Moeller was a registered architect. Several bits of information tend to support this hypothesis. He is most often referred to as a "designer" in contemporary articles, rather than an "architect." He also "consulted" consistently with Clarence J. Smale, a registered architect, who may have been needed to check over and sign off on all drawings and permits. Moeller also does not appear in any known American Institute of Architects (AIA) directory.

Personal

It is possible that Moeller was not born in the U.S., (but probably Germany) and did not become a citizen until relatively late in his life. (This would explain why he does not show up on many U.S. Government records, such as census reports.) In 1945, at age 52, a Carl G. Moeller lived at 2534 7th Street, Santa Monica, CA. His last residence may have been in the 91744 zip code of La Puente, CA.

Information is scarce on Moeller; "Carl Moeller" is also a surprisingly common name, making definitive identification difficult. The birth and death dates above are possible not confirmed, nor is the middle name definitive. A "Carl G. Moeller" notified police when his wife, Ruth (born c. 1904) was missing in the Hollywood Hills in 1935. She had recently suffered a nervous breakdown. (See "Man Fears Wife Lost," Los Angeles Times, 09/27/1935, p. 13.) A "Carl G. Moeller" was naturalized on 11/23/1945 in the U.S. District Court of Los Angeles, CA. If this is the correct Carl G. Moeller, he was the driver of a car that struck and killed a pedestrian, Thomas Moreland, 70 years of age, at Western Avenue and Harrington Street, on 01/11/1946. (See "Traffic Injuries Fatal to Five, Los Angeles Times, 01/15/1946, p. A2.) SSN: 572329038;


PCAD id: 1664