Wayne Fitzgerald, the main title designer of films and television shows including “Apocalypse Now,” “The Graduate,” “Chinatown,” “Dallas,” “The Searchers,” “The Godfather” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” died Monday in Whidbey Island, Wash. He was 89.
Fitzgerald began his title design career with Pacific Art & Title Studio after graduating from Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design in 1951, where he eventually became head of art and design department. During his 17 years with the studio Fitzgerald designed the titles for classic films such as “Touch of Evil,” “My Fair Lady,” “Pillow Talk,” “Imitation of Life” and “Music Man.”
In 1967, Fitzgerald left the company to found his own studio Wayne Fitzgerald FilmDesign. With his new studio he worked on films such as “Footloose,” “Total Recall,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Catch-22,” “Dick Tracy,” “Scent of a Woman” and many more.
Fitzgerald racked up 455 title design credits over his nearly half century long career. And he won three title design Emmys: A Daytime Emmy for “The Bold and the Beautiful,” another Daytime Emmy for “The Guiding Light” and a Primetime Emmy for “The Bronx Zoo.” He was also a governor in the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, as a title designer representative.
The Los Angeles Times reported the death. Fitzgerald is survived by his sons from his first marriage and a grandchild.