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{{Short description|British cinematographer (1915–2014)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Oswald Morris
| name = Oswald Morris
| honorific_suffix = {{postnom|country=GBR|size=100|OBE}}
| image =
| image =
| alt =
| alt =
Line 7: Line 9:
| birth_name = Oswald Norman Morris
| birth_name = Oswald Norman Morris
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|11|22|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|11|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ruislip]], [[United Kingdom]]
| birth_place = [[Ruislip]], [[Middlesex]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2014|03|17|1915|11|22}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2014|3|17|1915|11|22}}
| death_place = [[Dorset, England]], United Kingdom
| death_place = [[Fontmell Magna]], [[Dorset]], England
| nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]]
| nationality = British
| other_names =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| known_for =
| occupation = [[Cinematographer]]
| occupation = Cinematographer
| years_active = 1947–1982
| years_active = 1932–1982
}}
}}


'''Oswald Norman Morris''', {{small|[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]], [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|AFC]], [[British Society of Cinematographers|BSC]]}} (22 November 1915 – 17 March 2014) was a [[British people|British]] [[cinematographer]]. Known to his colleagues by the nicknames "Os" or "Ossie",<ref name="Sweet">{{cite web|last=Sweet|first=Matthew|title=Ronald Neame (2003 interview at the National Film Theatre)|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/interviews/neame.html|work=British Film Institute|date=19 October 2003 | accessdate=27 November 2016|deadurl=yes|archive-url=https://archive.li/20060818060353/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/interviews/neame.html|archive-date=18 August 2006|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Morris' career in cinematography spanned six decades.
'''Oswald Norman Morris''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|OBE|DFC|AFC}} {{small|[[British Society of Cinematographers|BSC]]}} (22 November 1915 – 17 March 2014) was a British [[cinematographer]]. Known to his colleagues by the nicknames "Os" or "Ossie",<ref name="Sweet">{{cite web|last=Sweet|first=Matthew|title=Ronald Neame (2003 interview at the National Film Theatre)|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/interviews/neame.html|work=British Film Institute|date=19 October 2003 | access-date=27 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20060818060353/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/interviews/neame.html|archive-date=18 August 2006}}</ref> Morris's career in cinematography spanned six decades.


==Life and career==
==Life and career==
Morris was raised in [[Middlesex]] (now the [[London Borough]] of [[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]]), and attended the [[Bishopshalt School]]. His interest in film began at an early age; during summer vacations, he would work as a [[projectionist]] at the local cinema. Dropping out in 1932, he started working in the film industry at [[Fountain Studios|Wembley Studios]] as an unpaid gofer for [[Michael Powell (director)|Michael Powell]], among others, eventually graduating to the positions of [[Clapperboard|clapper boy]] and camera assistant on [[Cinematograph Films Act 1927|quota quickies]]. By his 20s, Morris was a [[camera operator]], first at Wembley,<!-- IMDb listing seems to be Morris exclusively TCF/Fox at Wembley. --> and later at Elstree.<ref name="Baxter">{{cite news|last=Baxter|first=Brian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/19/oswald-morris|title=Oswald Morris obituary|work=The Guardian|date=19 March 2014|accessdate=27 November 2016}}</ref>
Morris was raised in [[Middlesex]] (now the [[London Borough|London borough]] of [[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]]) and attended the [[Bishopshalt School]]. His interest in film began at an early age; during summer vacations, he would work as a [[projectionist]] at the local cinema. After leaving school in 1932, he began working in the film industry at [[Fountain Studios|Wembley Studios]] as an unpaid [[gofer]] for [[Michael Powell (director)|Michael Powell]], among others, eventually graduating to the positions of [[Clapperboard|clapper boy]] and camera assistant on [[Cinematograph Films Act 1927|quota quickies]]. By his 20s, Morris was a [[camera operator]], first at Wembley,<!-- IMDb listing seems to be Morris exclusively TCF/Fox at Wembley. --> and later at [[Elstree Studios]].<ref name="Baxter">[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/19/oswald-morris Oswald Morris obituary; Oscar-winning British cinematographer who worked on a wide range of film classics.] Baxter, Brian. ''[[The Guardian]]''. Retrieved 27 November 2016.</ref>


His career was interrupted by [[World War II]], during which he served as a radio operator and navigator before becoming a [[bomb]]er [[Aviator|pilot]] with the [[Royal Air Force]],<ref name="washingtonpostobit">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140322062416/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/oswald-morris-oscar-winning-cinematographer-dies-at-98/2014/03/21/68fde8b4-af99-11e3-95e8-39bef8e9a48b_story.html Oswald Morris, Oscar-winning cinematographer, dies at 98.] ''[[The Washington Post]]'' via [[Internet Archive]]. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref><ref name="latimesobit">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140715144742/https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-oswald-morris-20140319-story.html Oswald Morris dies at 98; award-winning British cinematographer] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' via [[Internet Archive]]. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref><ref name="NYTobit">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140401072315/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/arts/oswald-morris-artful-cinematographer-is-dead-at-98.html Oswald Morris, Artful Cinematographer, Is Dead at 98.] ''[[The New York Times]]'' via [[Internet Archive]]. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref> flying [[Avro Lancaster|Lancaster bomber]] raids over Italy, France and Germany. He completed 30 operational tours before being transferred to Transport Command for the duration of the war. Prior to his discharge and the resumption of his career, Morris participated in the [[Berlin Blockade|Berlin Airlift]].<ref name="Baxter"/> He achieved the rank of [[flight lieutenant]] and winning both the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and the [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]].<ref name="Baxter"/><ref name="rafmuseum">[https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/the-oscars-connectio/ The Oscars Connection!] [[Royal Air Force Museum]]. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref><ref name="cinematographers.nl">[https://www.cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/morris.htm Great Cinematographers; Oswald Morris] www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref>
His career was interrupted by [[World War II]], during which he served as a [[bomb]]er [[Aviator|pilot]] with the [[RAF]], achieving the rank of [[Flight Lieutenant]] and winning both the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and the [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]].


After his war service, Morris worked at [[Pinewood Studios]] as an assistant to such people as [[Ronald Neame]] and [[David Lean]] at their company [[Cineguild Productions|Cineguild]]. He was the camera operator during the shooting of Lean's ''[[Oliver Twist (1948 film)|Oliver Twist]]'' (1948). He first acted as director of photography on ''[[Golden Salamander (film)|Golden Salamander]]'' (1950). Neame referred to Morris as "probably the greatest cameraman in the world".<ref name="Sweet"/>
After his war service, Morris worked at [[Pinewood Studios]] as an assistant to such people as [[Ronald Neame]] and [[David Lean]] at their company, [[Cineguild Productions|Cineguild]]. He was the camera operator for Lean's ''[[Oliver Twist (1948 film)|Oliver Twist]]'' (1948). He first acted as director of photography on ''[[Golden Salamander (film)|Golden Salamander]]'' (1950). Neame called Morris "probably the greatest cameraman in the world."<ref name="Sweet"/>


Morris collaborated with [[film director]] [[John Huston]] on eight films, beginning with ''[[Moulin Rouge (1952 film)|Moulin Rouge]]'' (1952), and also including ''[[Moby Dick (1956 film)|Moby Dick]]'' (1956). Although his previous experience with [[Technicolor]] had been limited, for ''Moulin Rouge'' he devised many stylish effects - through the use of diffused and filtered light, fog, and bold color choices - for the film, and his innovations drew critical praise from the critics. For ''Moby Dick'', Morris developed what David Peloquin has called a "retro-silvered pictorial" which "was designed to capture the look of nineteenth-century whaling prints with their muted colors and silver sheen".<ref>{{cite web|last=Peloquin|first=David|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/661378/summary|title=John Huston's 1956 Film Moby Dick: A 60th-Anniversary Appreciation|work=Leviathan|volume=19|issue=2|date=June 2017|pages=111–4}}</ref>
Morris collaborated with director [[John Huston]] on eight films, beginning with ''[[Moulin Rouge (1952 film)|Moulin Rouge]]'' (1952) and also including ''[[Moby Dick (1956 film)|Moby Dick]]'' (1956). Although his previous experience with [[Technicolor]] had been limited, Morris devised many stylish effects for ''Moulin Rouge'' by employing diffused and filtered light, fog and bold color choices, and his innovations drew critical praise. For ''Moby Dick'', Morris developed what David Peloquin has called a "retro-silvered pictorial" that "was designed to capture the look of nineteenth-century whaling prints with their muted colors and silver sheen."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Peloquin|first=David|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/661378/summary|title=John Huston's 1956 Film Moby Dick: A 60th-Anniversary Appreciation|journal=Leviathan|volume=19|issue=2|date=June 2017|pages=111–4|doi=10.1353/lvn.2017.0030|s2cid=149346554}}</ref> Morris wrote in his autobiography that he and Huston wanted a "soft wash" effect "in which we would etch in the characters." To achieve this, in prints for the original release, colour was effectively printed over a black-and-white image using two negatives.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Morris|first1=Oswald|last2=Bull|first2=Geoffrey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kD6kJTBmFiIC&pg=PA90|title=Huston, We Have a Problem: A Kaleidoscope of Filmmaking Memories|location=Lanham, Maryland & Oxford, UK|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2006|pages=83–4|isbn=9780810857063}}</ref> As cinematographer for [[John Osborne]]'s ''[[The Entertainer (film)|The Entertainer]]'' (1960), his name was incorporated into the story in a scene in which a radio transmission mentions the fictional Sergeant Ossie Morris.


⚫
Morris received three nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]] for his work on the musicals ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' (1968), ''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'' (1971) and ''[[The Wiz (film)|The Wiz]]'' (1978), winning for ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Morris' brother [[Reginald H. Morris]] was also a cinematographer based in Canada.<ref>Dennis McLellan, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/oswald-morris-oscar-winning-cinematographer-dies-at-98/2014/03/21/68fde8b4-af99-11e3-95e8-39bef8e9a48b_story.html "Oswald Morris, Oscar-winning cinematographer, dies at 98"]. ''[[Washington Post]]'', 21 March 2014.</ref>
For the film of [[John Osborne]]'s ''[[The Entertainer (film)|The Entertainer]]'' (1960), on which Morris was the cinematographer, his name was incorporated into the story in one scene where a radio transmission mentioned the fictional "Sergeant Ossie Morris".


⚫
Morris was a fellow of the [[Royal Photographic Society]] and was named an officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] in 1998. He published his [[memoir]]s, ''Huston, We Have a Problem: A Kaleidoscope of Filmmaking Memories'' ({{ISBN|978-0810857063}}), in 2006. In his later years, Morris participated in a film course at [[Bournemouth University]].<ref name="Baxter"/>
⚫
He received three nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]], for his work on the musicals ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' (1968), ''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'' (1971), and ''[[The Wiz (film)|The Wiz]]'' (1978), and won the award for his work on ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Morris' brother Reginald Herbert Morris was also a cinematographer based in Canada.


⚫
Morris was married twice. His first marriage to the former Connie Sharp produced three children, Gillian, Christine and Roger. The marriage lasted from 1939 until she died in 1963.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hayward|first=Anthony|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/oswald-morris-cinematographer-who-developed-a-fruitful-relationship-with-john-huston-and-worked-on-a-9207673.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/oswald-morris-cinematographer-who-developed-a-fruitful-relationship-with-john-huston-and-worked-on-a-9207673.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Oswald Morris: Cinematographer who developed a fruitful relationship with John Huston and worked on a host of classic films|work=The Independent|date=21 March 2014|access-date=27 November 2016}}</ref> In 1966, Morris married Lee Turner, a member of the continuity production staff on the [[Franco Zeffirelli]] film of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)|The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1967). This marriage lasted until she died in 2003.
⚫
Morris was a Fellow of The [[Royal Photographic Society]] and was named an Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] in 1998. He published his [[memoir]]s, ''Huston, We Have a Problem: A Kaleidoscope of Filmmaking Memories'' ({{ISBN|978-0810857063}}), in 2006. In his later years, Morris participated in the film course at [[Bournemouth University]].<ref name="Baxter"/>


⚫
Morris was among the interviewees in the book ''Conversations with Cinematographers'' by David A. Ellis.
⚫
Morris was married twice. His first marriage to the former Connie Sharp produced three children, Gillian, Christine and Roger. The marriage lasted from 1939 until she died in 1963.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hayward|first=Anthony|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/oswald-morris-cinematographer-who-developed-a-fruitful-relationship-with-john-huston-and-worked-on-a-9207673.html|title=Oswald Morris: Cinematographer who developed a fruitful relationship with John Huston and worked on a host of classic films|work=The Independent|date=21 March 2014|accessdate=27 November 2016}}</ref> In 1966, Morris married Lee Turner a member of the continuity production staff on the [[Franco Zeffirelli]] film of ''[[The Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)|The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1967). This marriage lasted until she died in 2003. His survivors included his three children, 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.<ref name="Baxter"/>


Morris died on March 17, 2014, at the age of 98 at his home in [[Fontmell Magna]], Dorset, England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-oswald-morris-20140319-story.html|title = Oswald Morris dies at 98; award-winning British cinematographer|website = [[Los Angeles Times]]|date = 18 March 2014}}</ref> His survivors included his three children, 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.<ref name="Baxter"/>
⚫
He was one of the interviewees in the book ''Conversations with Cinematographers'' by David A. Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press.


==Honours==
==Honours==
In June 2009, the recently completed central building of the [[National Film and Television School#Facilities|National Film and Television School]] was officially named The Oswald Morris Building in his honour.
In June 2009, the recently completed central building of the [[National Film and Television School#Facilities|National Film and Television School]] was officially named the Oswald Morris Building in his honour.


==Additional credits==
==Additional credits==
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*''[[Beat the Devil (1953 film)|Beat the Devil]]'' (1953)
*''[[Beat the Devil (1953 film)|Beat the Devil]]'' (1953)
*''[[South of Algiers]]'' (1953)
*''[[South of Algiers]]'' (1953)
*''[[Beau Brummell (film)|Beau Brummell]]'' (1954)
*''[[Beau Brummell (1954 film)|Beau Brummell]]'' (1954)
*''[[The Man Who Never Was]]'' (1956)
*''[[The Man Who Never Was]]'' (1956)
*''[[Moby Dick (1956 film)|Moby Dick]]'' (1956)
*''[[Moby Dick (1956 film)|Moby Dick]]'' (1956)
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*''[[Mister Moses]]'' (1965)
*''[[Mister Moses]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Battle of the Villa Fiorita]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Battle of the Villa Fiorita]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Hill (film)|The Hill]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Hill (1965 film)|The Hill]]'' (1965)
*''[[Life at the Top (film)|Life at the Top]]'' (1965)
*''[[Life at the Top (film)|Life at the Top]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film)|The Spy Who Came in from the Cold]]'' (1965)
*''[[The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film)|The Spy Who Came in from the Cold]]'' (1965)
*''[[Reflections in a Golden Eye (film)|Reflections in a Golden Eye]]'' (1967)
*''[[Reflections in a Golden Eye (film)|Reflections in a Golden Eye]]'' (1967)
*[[The Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)|The Taming of the Shrew]] (1967)
*''[[The Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)|The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1967)
*''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' (1968)
*''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' (1968)
*''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969 film)|Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]'' (1969)
*''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969 film)|Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]'' (1969)
Line 73: Line 75:
*''[[Lady Caroline Lamb (film)|Lady Caroline Lamb]]'' (1972)
*''[[Lady Caroline Lamb (film)|Lady Caroline Lamb]]'' (1972)
*''[[The Mackintosh Man]]'' (1973)
*''[[The Mackintosh Man]]'' (1973)
*''[[Dracula (1973)|Dracula]]'' (1973)
*''[[Dracula (1974 film)|Dracula]]'' (1974)
*''[[The Man with the Golden Gun (film)|The Man with the Golden Gun]]'' (1974)
*''[[The Man with the Golden Gun (film)|The Man with the Golden Gun]]'' (1974)
*''[[The ODESSA File (film)|The Odessa File]]'' (1974)
*''[[The ODESSA File (film)|The Odessa File]]'' (1974)
Line 88: Line 90:
*1956 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''Moby Dick'', nominee)
*1956 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''Moby Dick'', nominee)
*1965 [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (''The Pumpkin Eater'', '''winner''')
*1965 [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (''The Pumpkin Eater'', '''winner''')
*1966 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''The Spy Who Came In from the Cold'', '''winner''')
*1966 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'', '''winner''')
*1966 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (''The Hill'', '''winner''')
*1966 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (''The Hill'', '''winner''')
*1967 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''The Taming of the Shrew'', '''winner''')
*1967 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''The Taming of the Shrew'', '''winner''')
*1967 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'', '''winner''')
*1967 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'', '''winner''')
*1969 [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] (''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'', nominee)
*1969 [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] (''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'', nominee)
*1971 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', '''winner''')
*1971 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', '''winner''')
*1972 [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] (''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', '''winner''')
*1972 Academy Award for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] (''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', '''winner''')
*1972 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', nominee)
*1972 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (''[[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', nominee)
*1974 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (''Sleuth'', nominee)
*1974 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (''Sleuth'', nominee)
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* {{IMDb name|0005807}}
* {{IMDb name|0005807}}
*{{Screenonline name|id=497947|name=Oswald Morris}}
*{{Screenonline name|id=497947|name=Oswald Morris}}
* [http://wm04.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:103575 Oswald Morris at AllMovie.com]
* [http://wm04.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:103575 Oswald Morris at AllMovie.com] {{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Me-Ni/Morris-Oswald.html Oswald Morris at FilmReference.com]
* [http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Me-Ni/Morris-Oswald.html Oswald Morris at FilmReference.com]
* [https://movies.nytimes.com/person/103575/Oswald-Morris/biography Sandra Brennan, ''Allmovie'', short biography of Oswald Morris]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121018184423/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/103575/Oswald-Morris/biography Sandra Brennan, ''Allmovie'', short biography of Oswald Morris]


{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Oswald Morris
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestCinematography 1961–1980}}
{{AcademyAwardBestCinematography 1961–1980}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography 1963–1984}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography 1963–1984}}
{{BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award}}
{{BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award}}
{{British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film}}
}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Oswald}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Oswald}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:BAFTA fellows]]
[[Category:Best Cinematographer Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Cinematographer Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Cinematography BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:British cinematographers]]
[[Category:British cinematographers]]
[[Category:Members of the British Society of Cinematographers]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from Ruislip]]
[[Category:People from Ruislip]]
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[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British World War II pilots]]
[[Category:British World War II pilots]]
[[Category:British World War II bomber pilots]]

Latest revision as of 22:42, 11 May 2024

Oswald Morris
OBE
Born
Oswald Norman Morris

(1915-11-22)22 November 1915
Ruislip, Middlesex, England
Died17 March 2014(2014-03-17) (aged 98)
Fontmell Magna, Dorset, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1932–1982

Oswald Norman Morris, OBE DFC AFC BSC (22 November 1915 – 17 March 2014) was a British cinematographer. Known to his colleagues by the nicknames "Os" or "Ossie",[1] Morris's career in cinematography spanned six decades.

Life and career[edit]

Morris was raised in Middlesex (now the London borough of Hillingdon) and attended the Bishopshalt School. His interest in film began at an early age; during summer vacations, he would work as a projectionist at the local cinema. After leaving school in 1932, he began working in the film industry at Wembley Studios as an unpaid gofer for Michael Powell, among others, eventually graduating to the positions of clapper boy and camera assistant on quota quickies. By his 20s, Morris was a camera operator, first at Wembley, and later at Elstree Studios.[2]

His career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as a radio operator and navigator before becoming a bomber pilot with the Royal Air Force,[3][4][5] flying Lancaster bomber raids over Italy, France and Germany. He completed 30 operational tours before being transferred to Transport Command for the duration of the war. Prior to his discharge and the resumption of his career, Morris participated in the Berlin Airlift.[2] He achieved the rank of flight lieutenant and winning both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross.[2][6][7]

After his war service, Morris worked at Pinewood Studios as an assistant to such people as Ronald Neame and David Lean at their company, Cineguild. He was the camera operator for Lean's Oliver Twist (1948). He first acted as director of photography on Golden Salamander (1950). Neame called Morris "probably the greatest cameraman in the world."[1]

Morris collaborated with director John Huston on eight films, beginning with Moulin Rouge (1952) and also including Moby Dick (1956). Although his previous experience with Technicolor had been limited, Morris devised many stylish effects for Moulin Rouge by employing diffused and filtered light, fog and bold color choices, and his innovations drew critical praise. For Moby Dick, Morris developed what David Peloquin has called a "retro-silvered pictorial" that "was designed to capture the look of nineteenth-century whaling prints with their muted colors and silver sheen."[8] Morris wrote in his autobiography that he and Huston wanted a "soft wash" effect "in which we would etch in the characters." To achieve this, in prints for the original release, colour was effectively printed over a black-and-white image using two negatives.[9] As cinematographer for John Osborne's The Entertainer (1960), his name was incorporated into the story in a scene in which a radio transmission mentions the fictional Sergeant Ossie Morris.

Morris received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on the musicals Oliver! (1968), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and The Wiz (1978), winning for Fiddler on the Roof. Morris' brother Reginald H. Morris was also a cinematographer based in Canada.[10]

Morris was a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and was named an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1998. He published his memoirs, Huston, We Have a Problem: A Kaleidoscope of Filmmaking Memories (ISBN 978-0810857063), in 2006. In his later years, Morris participated in a film course at Bournemouth University.[2]

Morris was married twice. His first marriage to the former Connie Sharp produced three children, Gillian, Christine and Roger. The marriage lasted from 1939 until she died in 1963.[11] In 1966, Morris married Lee Turner, a member of the continuity production staff on the Franco Zeffirelli film of The Taming of the Shrew (1967). This marriage lasted until she died in 2003.

Morris was among the interviewees in the book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A. Ellis.

Morris died on March 17, 2014, at the age of 98 at his home in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, England.[12] His survivors included his three children, 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.[2]

Honours[edit]

In June 2009, the recently completed central building of the National Film and Television School was officially named the Oswald Morris Building in his honour.

Additional credits[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

  • 1953 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (Moulin Rouge, winner)
  • 1956 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (Moby Dick, nominee)
  • 1965 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (The Pumpkin Eater, winner)
  • 1966 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, winner)
  • 1966 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (The Hill, winner)
  • 1967 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (The Taming of the Shrew, winner)
  • 1967 BAFTA for Best British Cinematography, Black-and-White (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, winner)
  • 1969 Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Oliver!, nominee)
  • 1971 British Society of Cinematographers Golden Camera (Fiddler on the Roof, winner)
  • 1972 Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Fiddler on the Roof, winner)
  • 1972 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (Fiddler on the Roof, nominee)
  • 1974 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (Sleuth, nominee)
  • 1976 BAFTA for Best Cinematography (The Man Who Would Be King, nominee)
  • 1979 Academy Award for Best Cinematography (The Wiz, nominee)
  • 1999 American Society of Cinematographers International Award (winner)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sweet, Matthew (19 October 2003). "Ronald Neame (2003 interview at the National Film Theatre)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 18 August 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Oswald Morris obituary; Oscar-winning British cinematographer who worked on a wide range of film classics. Baxter, Brian. The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  3. ^ Oswald Morris, Oscar-winning cinematographer, dies at 98. The Washington Post via Internet Archive. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  4. ^ Oswald Morris dies at 98; award-winning British cinematographer Los Angeles Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  5. ^ Oswald Morris, Artful Cinematographer, Is Dead at 98. The New York Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  6. ^ The Oscars Connection! Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  7. ^ Great Cinematographers; Oswald Morris www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  8. ^ Peloquin, David (June 2017). "John Huston's 1956 Film Moby Dick: A 60th-Anniversary Appreciation". Leviathan. 19 (2): 111–4. doi:10.1353/lvn.2017.0030. S2CID 149346554.
  9. ^ Morris, Oswald; Bull, Geoffrey (2006). Huston, We Have a Problem: A Kaleidoscope of Filmmaking Memories. Lanham, Maryland & Oxford, UK: Scarecrow Press. pp. 83–4. ISBN 9780810857063.
  10. ^ Dennis McLellan, "Oswald Morris, Oscar-winning cinematographer, dies at 98". Washington Post, 21 March 2014.
  11. ^ Hayward, Anthony (21 March 2014). "Oswald Morris: Cinematographer who developed a fruitful relationship with John Huston and worked on a host of classic films". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Oswald Morris dies at 98; award-winning British cinematographer". Los Angeles Times. 18 March 2014.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oswald_Morris&oldid=1223405458"