Edwin B. Willis

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Edwin Booth Willis (born January 28, 1893 in Decatur , Illinois , † November 26, 1963 in Hollywood , Los Angeles ) was an American production designer for films.

Life

After serving in the First World War , Edwin B. Willis joined Goldwyn Studios in 1919 . In 1925 he was signed by MGM and worked exclusively for this film studio as a set designer and set designer until the end of his career in Hollywood . He was used in numerous prestigious productions, such as the Greta Garbo films Queen Christine (1933), Anna Karenina (1935), The Lady of the Camellias (1936) and Ninotschka (1939).

He worked under the direction of well-known directors such as Howard Hawks , Ernst Lubitsch , Fritz Lang and George Cukor and worked particularly often with the legendary production designer Cedric Gibbons , with whom he was nominated several times for an Oscar . He was awarded the coveted trophy for eight films, including the dramas Blossoms in Dust (1941) and The House of Lady Alquist (1944) as well as the film musical An American in Paris (1951). After participating in more than 600 different film productions, Willis retired from the film business in 1957.

Willis was married to Naomi Agnes from 1922 to 1930. The marriage resulted in a child. He died of cancer in Hollywood in 1963 at the age of 70. He was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale , California .

Filmography (selection)

Awards

Edwin B. Willis, along with other production designers, mostly Cedric Gibbons , was nominated a total of 32 times for the Oscar in the category Best Production Design. He was able to win the award for the following eight films:

  • 1942: Blossoms in the Dust ( Blossoms in the Dust )
  • 1945: Lady Alquist's house ( Gaslight )
  • 1947: The Wilderness Calls ( The Yearling )
  • 1950: Little Brave Jo ( Little Women )
  • 1952: An American in Paris ( An American in Paris )
  • 1953: City of Illusions ( The Bad and the Beautiful )
  • 1954: Julius Caesar
  • 1957: Somebody Up There Likes Me ( Somebody Up There Likes Me )

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personal data
SURNAME Willis, Edwin B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Willis, Edwin Booth (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American production designer for a film
DATE OF BIRTH January 28, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Decatur , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH November 26, 1963
Place of death Hollywood , Los Angeles