Eckart, William [Joseph] (1920–2000) and Jean [née Levy] (1921–93), designers. A successful husband and wife team, he was born in New Iberia, Louisiana, and studied architecture at Tulane and stage design at Yale; she was born in Chicago and also studied stage design at Yale. Beginning with Glad Tidings (1951), they created sets for such productions as Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1953), The Golden Apple (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), Li'l Abner (1956), Take Her, She's Mine (1961), and Mame (1966). They often designed lighting for their sets and occasionally, the costumes. In later years they moved to Texas, thereafter designing primarily for regional playhouses across the country and teaching.
Career Highlights: The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, The Night They Raided Minsky's
First Major Screen Credit: The Pajama Game (1957)
Biography
Scenic designer William Eckart was more accomplished on Broadway than he was in the cinematic world, but he did make the crossover a couple of times, notably for a handful of 1950s musicals. Eckart studied architecture at New Orleans-located Tulane University, where he met his future wife, Jean Eckart. The two would become a Broadway fixture after William's stint in the Army and some further study at the Yale School of Drama. William and Jean were twice nominated for Tony awards, for their work on the 1960 production of Fiorello! and the 1966 staging of Mame. In the 1970s, the Eckarts moved to Dallas, TX, to teach design at Southern Methodist University, and in 1991, William was named professor emeritus. When Jean died in 1991, he remained active in design until his own death in early 2000, at the age of 80. ~ All Movie Guide
