Maurice Ransford

Maurice Ransford (born August 3, 1896 in Terre Haute , Indiana , † August 25, 1968 in San Diego , California ) was an American art director and production designer who was nominated three times for the Oscar for best production design.

Life

After attending school, Ransford completed a degree in architecture and then worked as an architect before starting his career as a production designer in the Hollywood film industry in 1940 . During his tenure there until 1961, he worked continuously for the film production company 20th Century Fox , where he worked in particular with colleagues such as Richard Day and Lyle R. Wheeler . His first work as a production designer took place in 1940 for the biopic Treck nach Utah by Henry Hathaway with Tyrone Power , Linda Darnell and Dean Jagger in the title role as Brigham Young .

At the Academy Awards in 1946 Ransford was nominated for the first time for an Oscar for best production design with Lyle R. Wheeler and Thomas Little , namely for the color film Mortal Sin (Leave Her to Heaven, 1945) by John M. Stahl with Gene Tierney , Cornel Wilde and Jeanne Crain in the leading roles. He received another Oscar nomination for best production design with Lyle R. Wheeler, Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox in 1948 for the black and white film Eine Welt zu Füssen (The Foxes of Harrow, 1947) by John M. Stahl with Rex Harrison , Maureen O'Hara and Richard Haydn .

Ransford received his third and final Oscar nomination for best production design at the Academy Awards 1954 again with Lyle R. Wheeler and with Stuart A. Reiss for the black and white film The Downfall of the Titanic (Titanic, 1953) by Jean Negulesco with Clifton Webb , Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Wagner as the main actor. By the time he retired in 1961, Ransford created the sets for 53 films.

personal data
SURNAME	Ransford, Maurice
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American art director and production designer
DATE OF BIRTH	August 3, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH	Terre Haute , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH	August 25, 1968
Place of death	San Diego , California