A house built at modest cost by a local realtor in the desert outside a small California town might seem to be of little interest, but the visually striking piece of property that wound up being purchased by Richard Oyler was intriguing to Richard Neutra, an Austrian-American architect who, along with Frank Lloyd Wright, was a major force in the modernist movement of the mid-20th century. Neutra not only accepted a commission to design a structure but he also gave it the same attention that he lavished on much larger projects, going so far as to create innovative furniture for the house's confined spaces. Thanks to the care taken by its present owners—actress Kelly Lynch and her husband, producer Mitch Glazer—the simple post-and-beam residence remains in perfect condition, while the surroundings, including magnificent outcroppings of rock (from which a swimming pool was carved), are largely untouched. This documentary by Mike Dorsey, Oyler's step-grandson, features generous footage of the home's exterior and interior, as well as engaging recollections from the late Oyler (who died shortly after returning to the site for filming), and excerpts from interviews with Lynch, Neutra's sons, and the realtor who introduced Lynch and Glazer to the property. Oyler's home movies along with other archival materials are effectively integrated into the narrative to create a combined historical portrait and artistic appreciation of a characteristically unusual project from one of the last century's most prominent American architects. DVD extras include deleted scenes. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Oyler House: Richard Neutra's Desert Retreat
(2012) 46 min. DVD: $24.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 29, Issue 2
The Oyler House: Richard Neutra's Desert Retreat
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