Harold Grieve; Designer in Hollywood

Harold Grieve, a veteran Los Angeles interior designer who was a former president of the American Institute of Interior Designers, has died. He was 92.

Grieve, who was married to the late silent film star Jetta Goudal for more than 50 years, died Nov. 3 at his Los Angeles home.

Born in Los Angeles on the Wolfskill Ranch near the recently shuttered Bullock’s Wilshire department store, Grieve attended Hollywood High School, where many of his sketches appeared in the yearbook.

By age 23, he was designing costumes for such silent film classics as “Ben-Hur.” He also designed movie sets in the 1920s and 1930s.

During World War II, Grieve served in the Navy, rising to the rank of commander. In 1946, he designed a new village for the inhabitants of Bikini Atoll who were moved to Rongerik Atoll so the United States could use Bikini for bomb tests.

In addition to his work with the national design organization, now called the American Society of Interior Designers, Grieve served as president of the Los Angeles chapter.

His clients included Hollywood legends such as Mary Pickford, Bing Crosby and George Burns. Always involved in the film community, Grieve was among the founding members of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Harold Grieve Educational Fund, American Society of Interior Designers, 8657 Melrose Ave., Suite 52M, Los Angeles 90069.