William S. Darling (born Vilmos Béla Sándorházi; 14 September 1882 – 15 December 1963) was a Hungarian-American art director who was prominent in Hollywood during the 1920s and 30s. Darling received six

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations, winning three times. He was inducted into the American

Art Directors Guild The Art Directors Guild (ADG; IATSE Local 800) is a labor union and local of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) representing 2,979 motion picture and television professionals in the United States and Canada. T ...

(ADG) Hall of Fame in 2012. According to the ADG, Darling was one of the "most influential designers in the early days of Hollywood's Golden Age."

Early and education

Darling was born Vilmos Béla Sándorházi (also Adalbert Sandorhazi) in Sándorháza,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. He initially studied architecture because of his father's wishes, but later switched to the

Budapest Academy of Fine Arts The Hungarian University of Fine Arts ( Hungarian: ''Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem'', MKE) is the central Hungarian art school in Budapest, Andrássy Avenue. It was founded in 1871 as the Hungarian Royal Drawing School ''(Magyar Királyi Min ...

where he studied painting. He continued his studies on scholarship at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

Career

In 1910, Darling immigrated to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

using the name Adalbert Sandorhazi.Petition by Adalbert Sandorhazi (William Darling), Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940; Microfilm Serial: M1524; Microfilm Roll: 220. He successfully pursued a career as a portrait artist. He changed his name from Sándorházi to Darling during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

when his wife suggested he adopt her maiden name to avoid the foreign sound. Around 1920 he moved to Southern California where he began work as an art designer on films and soon became the head of the art department at

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. Darling worked on 61 films between 1921 and 1954. His notable work includes the

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

-directed films '' The Iron Horse'' (1924), ''

Judge Priest ''Judge Priest'' is a 1934 American comedy film starring Will Rogers. The film was directed by John Ford, produced by Sol M. Wurtzel in association with Fox Film, and based on humorist Irvin S. Cobb's character Judge Priest. The picture is set i ...

'' (1934) and ''

The Prisoner of Shark Island ''The Prisoner of Shark Island'' is a 1936 American drama film loosely based on the life of Maryland physician Samuel Mudd, who treated the injured presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth and later spent time in prison after his controversial c ...

'' (1936); the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of the Noël Coward's play ''

Cavalcade A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...

'' (1933); and ''

The Rains Came ''The Rains Came'' is a 1939 20th Century Fox film based on an American novel by Louis Bromfield (published in June 1937 by Harper & Brothers). The film was directed by Clarence Brown and stars Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, George Brent, Brenda ...

'' (1939) with

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James'', ' ...

and

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...

. Darling was nominated six times between 1934 and 1947 in the category Best Art Direction. He won the Oscar for ''Cavalcade'', '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) and '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1946). Darling was a fellow of the

American Academy of the Fine Arts The American Academy of the Fine Arts was an art institution founded in 1802 in New York City, to encourage appreciation and teaching of the classical style. It exhibited copies of classical works and encouraged artists to emulate the classical in t ...

. In 2012, the American Art Director's Guild inducted Darling into its Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Darling was first married in Hungary and had two children, William and Imre. On 2 February 1915, he married Gwendolin Darling in

. They remarried on 19 November 1937 in Phoenix, Arizona. Gwendolin died in April 1955 in Palm Springs, California. In 1957, Darling married the portrait artist Marjory Adams. They lived in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

where he was a noted member of the art community and a life member of the Laguna Beach Art Association. He died on 15 December 1963 at his home in

Selected filmography

* '' The Iron Horse'' (1924) * ''

'' (1933) - won Academy Award * ''

'' (1934) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gove ...

'' (1936) - nominated for Academy Award * ''

Wee Willie Winkie "Wee Willie Winkie" is a Scottish nursery rhyme whose titular figure has become popular as a personification of sleep. The poem was written by William Miller and titled "Willie Winkie", first published in '' Whistle-binkie: Stories for the Fir ...

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1939) - nominated for Academy Award * '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) - won for Academy Award * ''

The Keys of the Kingdom ''The Keys of the Kingdom'' is a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. Spanning six decades, it tells the story of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest who struggles to establish a mission in China. Beset by tragedy in h ...

'' (1944) - nominated for Academy Award * '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1946) - won Academy Award

References

External links