Architecture in the Movies, Part 3 – Logan’s Run

The 1976 film Logan’s Run, a sci-fi dystopia about a domed post-apocalyptic society that euthanizes its citizens at age 30, heavily occupied my late childhood imagination. It’s dated now, but there’s still something to it.

The movie was shot entirely in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas and most of the film’s key action takes place in the “Great Hall” which turns out to be the recently demolished Dallas Market Center Apparel Mart. Oddly, the building is part of the vast trade complex that JFK was approaching when he was assassinated. He was on his way to a luncheon for 2400 people in a setup very similar to the one shown below. This particular part of the complex, however, was built a year later in 1964. Not a great piece of architecture, but apparently adequately sci-fi for the film’s purposes. If someone has the correct terminology for this style of interior, please advise—isn’t it some sort of cheap 60s mall rendition of Corbusier, Notre Dame du Haut era? Turned inside out?

The novel the film is based on was written in 1967 at the height of  60s youth culture and student unrest. It was explicitly written with a screenplay in mind and was optioned almost immediately. But as with Dune the process of turning the novel into a film was fraught, and by the time the film was made the decor and costumes were now reflecting disco-era 1970s. The film’s commentaries on totalitarianism, youth culture and a docile Brave New World-style populace distracted by pleasures are pretty heavy-handed. But I didn’t think so when I saw it around age 12, too young to notice how wooden Michael York’s acting was, not young enough to avoid infatuation.

Above, scenes from the film. Below, the mart as it was in reality and then during its demolition. Its destruction is strangely fitting considering the film’s ending.

All photos and information in this post are from racprops, aintitcool and snowcrest. The film’s “Love Shop” (image at top, with the odd, oozing brown leather seating, and the mall shot with somewhat anatomical neon sign) was the Oz Restaurant/Nightclub in Dallas. Other locations: Sandman HQ was Zales’ International Headquarters; the Sandman gym was the Arlington Health Center and the living units were the Burton Park Building. The video below was a long promotional trailer for the film intended as a preview for theatre owners, and it gives a sense of the futuristic 70s sets and costumes.