Roland E. Hill
Roland Everett Hill (February 5, 1895 – November 10, 1986) was an American art director, set designer, and architect active in Los Angeles, California in the 1920s through 1950s. His best known work is the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland.
Roland E. Hill
- Name
- Roland Everett Hill
- Born
- 5 February 1895
- Died
- 10 November 1986
- Known for
- Sleeping Beauty Castle
- Occupation
- Art director, set designer, architect
- Spouse
- Mildred née Pannill
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Roland Everett Hill (February 5, 1895 – November 10, 1986) was an American art director, set designer, and architect active in Los Angeles, California in the 1920s through 1950s. His best known work is the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland.
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wikidata · Q139969136 · wikipedia · Roland E. Hill
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Roland Everett Hill • Born — 5 February 1895 • Died — 10 November 1986 • Known for — Sleeping Beauty Castle • Occupation — Art director, set designer, architect • Years Active — 1925—1953 • Employer — National Studios Warner Bros. The Walt Disney Company • Style — Storybook, French Medieval • Spouse — Mildred née Pannill • Children — 2
Early life
Early life
Roland E. Hill was born on February 5, 1895. He served as a pilot in the Army Air Service during World War I, where, according to his grandson, he was injured in a crash, then chauffeured officers in France and Germany, during which time he sketched the many castles he saw. Hill also met Walt Disney during this time and they formed a friendship over his drawings.
Career
Career
Hill graduated from art school in 1924 and moved to Los Angeles to design houses in the mid-1920s. He worked as art director and set designer from 1925 to 1953 and as an architect in the 1950s. He was considered a specialist in ships and French medieval architecture. Hill began his film career as a set designer for National Studios, then moved to Warner Brothers when they took over National, then joined Walt Disney Pictures in the early 1950s. Films he worked on include Captain Horatio Hornblower, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and westerns filmed on the Warner Bros. Ranch. • Illustration — Sleeping Beauty Castle in 2024 As an architect, Hill designed several buildings for The Walt Disney Company, including the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. He also designed Roland E. Hill House, which was built in 1926 and declared Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 917 in 2008, and several other fantasy-inspired homes in the Hollywood Hills and elsewhere. Hill also painted with watercolors.
Personal life and death
Personal life and death
Hill married Mildred née Pannill and they had two sons together, one of whom, Roland Hill Jr, was an art director, and the other, Jack Hill, was a director. Hill died on November 10, 1986 at age 91.
Set designer and art director
Set designer and art director
• The Jazz Singer (1927) • Queen Kelly (1929) • Captain Blood (1935) • Action in the North Atlantic (1943) • Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Architect
Architect
• Roland E. Hill House (1926), Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 917 • Sleeping Beauty Castle (1955)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1895
Roland E. Hill was born on 5 February 1895.
1986
Roland E. Hill died on 10 November 1986.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Roland E. Hill”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q139969136: Roland E. Hill
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Stone (1995), "Roland Everett Hill". Retrieved November 1, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014.
- 2.Roland Hill. The New York Times. November 14, 1986.
- 3.Paynter, Sarah. Fairy tale home by Sleeping Beauty’s castle designer lists for $2.5M. New York Post. February 9, 2021.
- 4.University of California. Hill (Roland E.) drawings, 1927-1930, 1948-1953.
- 5.City of Los Angeles. Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the Roland E. Hill House. January 24, 2008.
- 6.City of Los Angeles. Roland E. Hill House. 2008.
- 7.Lloyd, Sophie. Take a Look Inside This Disney-Inspired Fairy Tale Castle on Sale for $1.4m. Newsweek. March 25, 2022.
- 8.Stone, Frank Bush, compiler. The Family History of James Ball, Senior. (Manuscript; Summit, NJ: Frank Bush Stone, June 2, 1995) via New England Ball Project.
- 9.Television Academy. Roland E. Hill, Jr.
References
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References
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reference work
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Further particulars
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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