Biography:

Mario Larrinaga was born in Flores, Mexico and came to the United States at the age of 10. At 16 he was apprenticed at the new Universal Studio in Los Angeles. For Mario, it was the beginning of a long and distinguished career in the field of stage design and special effects for the theater and motion picture industry. He became known as one of the best scenic artists in the country, working with such directors as Cecil B. De Mille and Douglas Fairbanks. He worked on such screen spectaculars as King Kong 1932-33 and Lowell Thomas' cinematic, Seven Wonders of the World in 1959; spectaculars that were to shape and change the motion picture industry, ands win Mario many awards of excellence.
He worked as matte painter at RKO studios during the 30s, until 1941.
Eventually he headed the art effects depart at Warner Bros.
Quit his matte painting job at 1951, and moved to Taos,  New Mexico, where hr devoted himself to creative painting, again winning acclaim as an independent artist in both representational and abstract painting.
 

Mario Larrinaga during the filming of "King Kong" (1933)

A sample of his painting series for "the seven wonders of the ancient world".

 

Mario Larrinaga:  -  briographical information and art paintings with new versions of the Seven Wonders.
       http://www.gallerya.com/artist.php?Artist_ID=54

Filmography

  - Seven Wonders of the world(56)(documentary)
  -.This Is Cinerama (1952) (paintings)
  - Citizen Kane (1941) (matte painter) RKO
  - Gunga Din(1939)RKO
  - The hundbach of de Notre Dame(1939)RKO
  - The last days of Pompeii (1935)RKO
  - She (1935) (production illustrator)
  - King Kong (1933) (art technician) RKO
  - Son of Kong, The (1933) (special effects technician)RKO
  - The most dangerous game(1932)RKO
  - Cimarron(1931)RKO
  - Creation(1930)RKO
  - Gaucho, The (1927) (matte artist)
 

Gallery: