Emrich Nicholson; Art Director for Studios

Emrich Nicholson, 87, artist and former art director for both Paramount and Universal Studios. A fine arts graduate of Yale, Nicholson began his career designing textiles at Pacific Mills. As head designer for the Otto Kuhler studio, he created streamlined designs for the steam engines of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In 1938, Nicholson was chosen to design rugs, glass doors, souvenir books and pennants for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, earning recognition from New York’s Museum of Modern Art. In 1940, the same year he painted a mural for the Vacaville, Calif., post office, Nicholson was chosen by the Architecture League of America as one of its top 40 Designers Under 40. After spending World War II mapping flights over Europe and designing furniture for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Nicholson came to Hollywood as a studio art director. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his work in the 1948 film “One Touch of Venus.” Among his films in the 1950s were “Magnificent Obsession,” “Sign of the Pagan” and “Battle Hymn.” Later, Nicholson moved to Hawaii and focused on oil painting. On Sunday in Puako, Hawaii.