After graduating from high school, Juran attended the University of Minnesota School of Architecture and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering while continuing to work odd jobs. He won a summer scholarship to study architecture at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Fountainbleu, France. After working as a designer for a New York architectural firm, he got a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a master's degree in architecture.
With employment opportunities limited because of the Depression, Juran moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a job as a draftsman in the art department at RKO. After going to work at 20th Century Fox, he made his auspicious leap from draftsman to art director on "How Green Was My Valley."
Juran enlisted in the Navy during World War II and was assigned to the Field Photographic Unit of the Office of Strategic Services. He was later assigned to the Royal Air Force Intelligence Center in England.
Juran made his directorial debut on "The Black Castle," a 1952 gothic melodrama starring Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. He also directed future husband and wife Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis in their only screen pairing, "Hellcats of the Navy," in 1957.
Juran is survived by his wife, Catherine; a son, Warren of Simi Valley; a brother, Joseph of Rye, N.Y.; a sister, Minerva Goldberg of Georgetown, Va.; and several grandchildren.
A memorial open house will be held at the Juran home Nov. 16. Details are available from the Art Directors Guild at (818) 762-9995.
