Biography.guide
Home › People › Scenographer › Wilfred Shingleton
Portrait of Wilfred Shingleton

Wilfred Shingleton

1914 – 1983

British film architect

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Wilfred Shingleton

Lived 1914 – 1983 (aged 68–69). Wilfred Shingleton was a British scenographer, film director and art director.

Wilfred Shingleton (January 24, 1914 – June, 1983) was an English art director. He enjoyed a distinguished career in the British film industry from his debut in 1937. Some of his early assignments were several George Formby vehicles – hugely popular with wartime audiences.

His career really kicked off into a higher gear in 1947 when he won the Academy Award for his atmospheric sets for David Lean's Great Expectations.

This led to a string of high-profile projects, including Anna Karenina (1948), The African Queen (1951) and Beat the Devil (1953), both for director John Huston, Hobson's Choice (1954) and Tunes of Glory (1960).

He won a BAFTA for the wartime flying epic The Blue Max in 1966, after which he moved seamlessly into the world of TV, working on the stylish hit series The Avengers.

He received an Emmy nomination for the miniseries Holocaust in 1978, winning the award two years later for the TV movie Gauguin the Savage. His last film – for which he received a BAFTA nomination – was the Merchant Ivory film Heat and Dust in 1983.

Selected filmography The Fortunate Fool (1933) It's in the Air (1938) Trouble Brewing (1939) The Four Just Men (1939) Great Expectations (1946) The Cure for Love (1949) Shadow of the Eagle (1950) The Rival of the Empress (1951) The African Queen (1951) Who Goes There! (1952) Beat the Devil (1953) Hobson's Choice (1954) Carrington V.C. (1955) Port Afrique (1956) I was Monty's Double (1958) The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's (1960) The Innocents (1961) The Blue Max (1966) The Avengers (TV series)(six episodes) (1967) The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) Macbeth (1971) Endless Night (1972) The Lady Vanishes (1979) Eye of the Needle (1981) Heat and Dust (1983)

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Died
1983, London
Awards
Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White; Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Black-and-White
Also known as
Wilfried Shingleton

People in Wilfred Shingleton's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Wilfred Shingleton's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Wilfred Shingleton?

British film architect (1914-1983)

When was Wilfred Shingleton born?

Wilfred Shingleton was born on 24 January 1914 in Brentford.

When did Wilfred Shingleton die?

Wilfred Shingleton died in 1983 in London.

What was Wilfred Shingleton's occupation?

Wilfred Shingleton was a scenographer, film director and art director.

What nationality was Wilfred Shingleton?

Wilfred Shingleton was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Wilfred Shingleton

· Wikidata: Q2571042

· DBpedia: Wilfred Shingleton

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Wilfred Shingleton. https://biography.guide/wilfred-shingleton/

MLA: "Wilfred Shingleton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/wilfred-shingleton/.

Chicago: "Wilfred Shingleton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/wilfred-shingleton/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC