William S. Darling (born Vilmos Béla Sándorházi; 14 September 1882 – 15 December 1963)[1] was a Hungarian-American
art director who was prominent in Hollywood during the 1920s and 30s.[2] Darling received six
Academy Award nominations, winning three times. He was inducted into the American
Art Directors Guild (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."[2]
In 1910, Darling immigrated to
New York City using the name Adalbert Sandorhazi.[3] He successfully pursued a career as a portrait artist. He changed his name from Sándorházi to Darling during
World War I when his wife suggested he adopt her maiden name to avoid the foreign sound.[1] 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. Darling worked on 61 films between 1921 and 1954. His notable work includes the
John Ford-directed films The Iron Horse (1924), Judge Priest (1934) and The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936); the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of the
Noël Coward's play Cavalcade (1933); and The Rains Came (1939) with
Tyrone Power and
Myrna Loy.
Darling was first married in Hungary and had two children, William and Imre. On 2 February 1915, he married Gwendolin Darling in
New York City. 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.[1] They lived in
Laguna Beach, California where he was a noted member of the art community and a life member of the Laguna Beach Art Association.[1] He died on 15 December 1963 at his home in
Laguna Beach, California.[1]
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abPetition 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.