Born in Woburn, MA; educated at University of Southern California. Former magazine illustrator and industrial designer who began his film career in the mid-1930s. Wheeler was named supervising art director at 20th Century-Fox in 1944 and promoted to the head of the art department three years later. His distinguished work adorned everything from lush period melodramas (GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939), to dank films noirs (CALL NORTHSIDE 777, 1948) to swank musicals (SOUTH PACIFIC, 1958). See the Internet Movie Database for a complete listing of Wheeler's 350+ credits. Wheeler's five Oscars were purchased by an individual at a storage facility default sale following Wheeler's death. The purchaser did not know the Awards were there until the sealed carton they were in was opened. Wheeler's daughter Diana married art director Frederic Hope's son Frederic. Their son, Fred Hope, is an artist. Another Wheeler granson, Whitney Brooke Wheeler, is a production designer and began working in feature films in 1987.

Nominated for Interior Decoration 1937: THE PRISONER OF ZENDA - Art Direction  Nominated for Interior Decoration 1938: THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER - Art Direction  Interior Decoration 1939: GONE WITH THE WIND - Art Direction  Nominated for Interior Decoration (Black and White) 1940: REBECCA - Art Direction  Nominated for Interior Decoration (Black and White) 1944: LAURA - Art Direction  Nominated for Interior Decoration (Color) 1945: LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN - Art Direction  Interior Decoration (Black and White) 1946: ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1947: THE FOXES OF HARROW - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1949: COME TO THE STABLE - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1950: ALL ABOUT EVE - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1951: THE HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1951: DAVID AND BATHSHEBA - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1951: FOURTEEN HOURS - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1951: ON THE RIVIERA - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1952: THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1952: MY COUSIN RACHEL - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1952: VIVA ZAPATA! - Art Direction  Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1953: THE ROBE - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1953: TITANIC - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1953: THE PRESIDENT'S LADY - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1954: DESIRÉE - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1955: LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1955: DADDY LONG LEGS - Art Direction  Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1956: THE KING AND I - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1956: TEENAGE REBEL - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration 1958: A CERTAIN SMILE - Art Direction  Art Direction/Set Decoration (Black and White) 1959: THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1959: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH - Art Direction  Nominated for Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1963: THE CARDINAL - Art Direction 29 nominations, 5 Awards