Roland E. Hill was a noted, innovative architect and art director for many years. Later he became the mastermind behind many of the buildings at the original Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, most notably the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Hill got his start following graduation from Exeter and Princeton Universities. He then served in the Army Air Service through WW I and finally began formally studying architecture. One of his earliest designs was the airship Shenandoah. Soon afterward, he began designing mansions in Los Angeles and this led to his working at the First National Studios. Hill was best known for designing full-sized and scale model ships such as those used in Captain Blood and Captain Horatio Hornblower. Before retiring to work on designing buildings for Disney, Hill created the interior scenes of the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.
by Sandra Brennan
biography
