Born Wiard Boppo Ihnen in New York City, raised in Jersey City, NJ; first name is pronounced "weird;" also called William or Bill; educated in public schools. The son German-born architect Henry S. Ihnen, he studied architecture at Columbia University and at the Paris Ecole des Beaux Arts, and painting at New York's Art Students League. He served as a private in the US Army in WW I. After designing several estates in the New York area, he entered films in 1919, initially working for Adolph Zukor at the Famous Players-Lasky Manhattan studios and at the dawn of the sound era at Paramount's Astoria studios in Long Island City. He later designed productions for RKO, Fox and other Hollywood studios up to his retirement in the early 60s. He collaborated with Josef von Sternberg, Fritz Lang and John Ford, among other leading directors, on numerous major productions. Notable art direction credits include POTASH AND PERLMUTTER (1923), MADAME BUTTERFLY (1932), DUCK SOUP (1933), GOOD DAME (1934), BECKY SHARP (1935, assoc. art director), DANCING PIRATE and GO WEST YOUNG MAN (both 1936), EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY (1937), LOVE ON TOAST (1938), HOLLYWOOD CAVALCADE and STAGECOACH (assoc. art director) (both 1939), THE BLUE BIRD and JOHNNY APOLLO (both 1940), HUDSON'S BAY, MOON OVER MIAMI and TALL, DARK AND HANDSOME (all 1941), ROXIE HART and CHINA GIRL (both 1942), CRASH DIVE (1943), JANE EYRE and WILSON (both 1944), IT'S A PLEASURE (1945), I, THE JURY and WAR PAINT (both 1953), THIS IS MY LOVE (1954), TOP OF THE WORLD and INDIAN FIGHTER (both 1955) and THE GALLANT HOURS (1960). As production designer, his credits include BLOOD ON THE SUN and ALONG CAME JONES (both 1945), TOMORROW IS FOREVER (1946), THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE (1948), KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE (1950), ONLY THE VALIANT (1951), RANCHO NOTORIOUS (1952), A LION IS IN THE STREETS (1953), CRASHOUT (1955) and THE KING AND FOUR QUEENS (1956). During World War II, Ihnen assisted the Office of Civilian Defense as chief of the technical section in camouflage planning for the protection of Pacific Coast property. He was married to legendary costume designer Edith Head.  Nominated for Interior Decoration 1937: EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY  Interior Decoration (Color) 1944: WILSON - Art Director w. Thomas Little  Interior Decoration (Black & White) 1945: BLOOD ON THE SUN - Art Director w. A. Roland Fields 3 nominations, 2 Awards