Bill Jekel

Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Bill Jekel grew up in Los Angeles and studied art at UCLA and the Art Center School. He began his career as an apprentice scenic artist at MGM Studios. While studying law, he frequently joined George Gibson, Emil Kosa Jr., and other studio artists on en plein air painting trips. He later started his own scenic painting company, making backdrops for the film and emerging television and commercial industries. Jekel became the sole owner of Coast Backings and founded Film Fare with his twin brother, Gus, creating backdrops for television commercials and films working out of Paramount Studios.

His credits include Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), MacKenna’s Gold (1969), and Ship of Fools (1965). Jekel eventually sold his backdrop assets to J.C. Backings. He was a well-known California watercolorist who founded Jekel Vineyards in 1972.