Oswald Morris, a renowned cinematographer, was born in November 1915 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, just a month shy of his 17th birthday. He started his career in the film industry as a factotum and clapper boy at Wembley Studios, where he worked on quota quickies, making one movie a week at a cost of one pound per foot of film.
In 1933, Morris left Wembley Studios to join British International Pictures at Elstree Studios, but soon returned to Wembley after it was taken over by Fox and became a camera assistant. He continued to work in the film industry, honing his skills and learning from experienced professionals.
During World War II, Morris served as a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, flying missions over France and Germany before being transferred to transport planes. After being demobilized, he 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, Morris was promoted to director of photography on Golden Salamander (1950),followed by Moulin Rouge (1952),for which he received critical acclaim for his use of color. The British Society of Cinematographers awarded him its Best Cinematography Award for his work on the film.
Morris went on to have a distinguished career as a director of photography, working with top directors such as John Huston, Stanley Kubrick, and Sidney Lumet. He was nominated three times for an Academy Award for his work on Oliver! (1968),Fiddler on the Roof (1971),and The Wiz (1978),and won an Oscar for Fiddler on the Roof. He also received three BAFTA Awards and the International Award by the American Society of Cinematographers in 2000.
Throughout his 30-year career, Morris was known for his exceptional skills as a cinematographer, earning him a reputation as one of the most outstanding directors of photography of the 20th Century.
