Wilfred Buckland

1866-1946 Wilfred Buckland's career was grounded in the theatre. The son of a rabbi, he was born in New York City and had been a pupil of dramatist Henry C. De Mille, Cecil’s father. He went on to teach stagecraft, costume, and makeup at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, where Cecil B. DeMille was one of his students. His formative years were spent as a set and lighting designer, stage director, and production manager for David Belasco in New York. The theatre community considered cinema a low-brow fad, but Buckland was among the first to see its potential for design and visual storytelling. In 1914 Buckland joined DeMille and Jesse Lasky’s Feature Play Company. In Hollywood he introduced new production methods and efficiencies for the design, lighting, and producing of motion pictures. He was also the first designer to introduce and receive a new on-screen credit and title: Art Director.