He became particularly well known for his work in The Thief of Baghdad , in which he was responsible for the special effects , the decor and the costumes . In this area he was considered a master of his craft in the 1930s. As a director, he shot the 1936 H. G. Wells film What will come, one of the milestones in science fiction cinema. William Cameron Menzies was the first to be named " Production Designer " in the 1937 production Gone With the Wind .
In 1929 Menzies received the Oscar . In 1940 he received the Honorary Award at the Academy Awards.
1929: Oscar in the Best Art Direction category for "The Dove" and for "Tempest"
1930: nominated for an Oscar in the Best Art Direction category for "Alibi" and for "The Awakening"
1930: nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Art Direction for "Bulldog Drummond"
1940: Honorary Award for "Gone with the Wind" for the use of colors for dramatic effects
literature
Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 5: L - N. Rudolf Lettinger - Lloyd Nolan. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 , p. 399.