Oswald Morris(1915-2014)
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
Oscar-winning cinematography Oswald Morris was one of the most
outstanding directors of photography of the 20th Century, making his
reputation by expanding the parameters of color cinematography. Born in
November 1915 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, a month short of his
17th birthday, he became a factotum and clapper boy at Wembley Studios,
which churned out quota quickies. The studio made one movie a week at a
cost of one pound per foot of film. He left the studio in the spring of
1933 to go to work at British International Pictures at Elstree
Studios, but soon returned to Wembley after it was taken over by Fox
and became a camera assistant.
In World War II, he served as a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, flying
missions over France and Germany before being transferred to transport
planes. After being demobilized, Morris joined Independent Producers at
Pinewood Studios in January 1946, where he became a camera operator for
director of photography Ronald Neame. When
Neame became a director, he was promoted to d.p. on
Golden Salamander (1950)
(1950). He soon made his name shooting
Moulin Rouge (1952) (1952) for
John Huston, which was famous for
its use of color suggesting the palette of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec,
the subject of the film. The British Society of Cinematographers
awarded him its Best Cinematography Award for his work on the film.
"Ossie" Morris had a distinguished career as a director of photography
for 30 years, working with some of the top directors in
English-language film, including Huston,
Stanley Kubrick and
Sidney Lumet. He was nominated three times
for an Academy Award, for Oliver! (1968),
Fiddler on the Roof (1971),
and The Wiz (1978). He won an Oscar for
"Fiddler" plus three BAFTA Awards and was honored with the
International Award by the American Society of Cinematographers in
2000.
outstanding directors of photography of the 20th Century, making his
reputation by expanding the parameters of color cinematography. Born in
November 1915 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, a month short of his
17th birthday, he became a factotum and clapper boy at Wembley Studios,
which churned out quota quickies. The studio made one movie a week at a
cost of one pound per foot of film. He left the studio in the spring of
1933 to go to work at British International Pictures at Elstree
Studios, but soon returned to Wembley after it was taken over by Fox
and became a camera assistant.
In World War II, he served as a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, flying
missions over France and Germany before being transferred to transport
planes. After being demobilized, Morris joined Independent Producers at
Pinewood Studios in January 1946, where he became a camera operator for
director of photography Ronald Neame. When
Neame became a director, he was promoted to d.p. on
Golden Salamander (1950)
(1950). He soon made his name shooting
Moulin Rouge (1952) (1952) for
John Huston, which was famous for
its use of color suggesting the palette of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec,
the subject of the film. The British Society of Cinematographers
awarded him its Best Cinematography Award for his work on the film.
"Ossie" Morris had a distinguished career as a director of photography
for 30 years, working with some of the top directors in
English-language film, including Huston,
Stanley Kubrick and
Sidney Lumet. He was nominated three times
for an Academy Award, for Oliver! (1968),
Fiddler on the Roof (1971),
and The Wiz (1978). He won an Oscar for
"Fiddler" plus three BAFTA Awards and was honored with the
International Award by the American Society of Cinematographers in
2000.