William Cameron Menzies
William Cameron Menzies (July 29, 1896 - March 5, 1967) was an Academy Award-winning and versitile Art Director who earned acclaim on silent films and later pioneered the use of color in film for dramatic effect. In his long career spanning five decades from 1918 to 1956, he pioneered the role of production designer but also also worked as a director, producer, and screenwriter.
He was born in New Haven, Connecticut before moving to Los Angeles, California. He died of cancer in 1957.
Notable films he worked on include The Thief of Bagdad, The Beloved Rogue, Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Foreign Coorespondent, Invaders from Mars, and Around the World in Eighty Days.
Awards
His first Oscar was won jointly for the silent films The Dove and Tempest in 1929 at the 1st Academy Awards. The following year, he was nominated again (but did not win) for his work on the films Alibi and The Awakening in the 2nd Academy Awards and for Bulldog Drummond in the 3rd Academy Awards (both held in 1930.) He also received an honorary Academy Award for his work on Gone with the Wind in 1940. (Honorary awards are plaques only. He did not receive a second Oscar statue.)