Oswald Morris facts for kids

Oswald Norman Morris (born November 22, 1915 – died March 17, 2014) was a famous British cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of the camera and lighting on a film set. They decide how a movie looks. His friends called him "Os" or "Ossie." Morris worked in movies for over 60 years.

Life and Career in Film

Morris grew up in Middlesex, England. He went to Bishopshalt School. He loved movies from a young age. In summer, he worked as a projectionist at his local cinema. This meant he operated the projector that showed the films.

After school in 1932, he started working at Wembley Studios. He began as an unpaid helper, also known as a gofer. He worked for famous directors like Michael Powell. Slowly, he moved up to become a clapper boy and then a camera assistant. By his twenties, Morris was a camera operator at Wembley and later at Elstree Studios. A camera operator is the person who actually operates the camera during filming.

Serving in World War II

His film career was paused by World War II. Morris joined the Royal Air Force. He first worked as a radio operator and navigator. Later, he became a bomber pilot. He flew Lancaster bomber missions over Italy, France, and Germany. He completed 30 dangerous flights. After this, he moved to a different part of the Air Force. Before leaving the military, Morris helped with the Berlin Airlift. This was a huge effort to deliver supplies by air. He became a flight lieutenant. He also received two important awards: the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross.

Return to Filmmaking

After the war, Morris worked at Pinewood Studios. He was an assistant to people like Ronald Neame and David Lean. He was the camera operator for Lean's film Oliver Twist (1948). His first job as the main cinematographer, called the director of photography, was for Golden Salamander (1950). Ronald Neame once said Morris was "probably the greatest cameraman in the world."

Working with John Huston

Morris worked with director John Huston on eight films. Their first movie together was Moulin Rouge (1952). Another famous film was Moby Dick (1956).

For Moulin Rouge, Morris used special techniques. He used soft, filtered light and bold colors. This made the film look very artistic and unique. Critics praised his new ideas. For Moby Dick, Morris created a special look. He wanted the film to look like old drawings from the 1800s. He used muted colors and a silvery shine. To do this, they printed color over a black-and-white image.

In the film The Entertainer (1960), Morris's name was even mentioned. A radio message in the movie talked about a fictional character named Sergeant Ossie Morris.

Awards and Later Life

Morris was nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. These nominations were for Oliver! (1968), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and The Wiz (1978). He won the Oscar for Fiddler on the Roof. His brother, Reginald H. Morris, was also a cinematographer in Canada.

Morris was a member of the Royal Photographic Society. In 1998, he was honored with the Order of the British Empire. He wrote a book about his life in 2006. It was called Huston, We Have a Problem: A Kaleidoscope of Filmmaking Memories. Later in his life, Morris helped teach a film course at Bournemouth University.

Morris was married twice. His first wife, Connie Sharp, passed away in 1963. They had three children: Gillian, Christine, and Roger. In 1966, he married Lee Turner. She passed away in 2003.

Oswald Morris passed away on March 17, 2014. He was 98 years old. He died at his home in Fontmell Magna, England. He was survived by his three children, 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

Honours and Recognition

In June 2009, a new building at the National Film and Television School was named after him. It is called the Oswald Morris Building. This was done to honor his amazing work in film.

Films Oswald Morris Worked On

• The Card (1952)
• Moulin Rouge (1952)
• So Little Time (1952)
• Beat the Devil (1953)
• South of Algiers (1953)
• Beau Brummell (1954)
• The Man Who Never Was (1956)
• Moby Dick (1956)
• Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
• A Farewell to Arms (1957)
• Look Back in Anger (1959)
• The Entertainer (1960)
• Our Man in Havana (1960)
• The Guns of Navarone (1961)
• Lolita (1962)
• The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
• Of Human Bondage (1964)
• Mister Moses (1965)
• The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1965)
• The Hill (1965)
• Life at the Top (1965)
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
• Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
• The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
• Oliver! (1968)
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
• Scrooge (1970)
• Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
• Sleuth (1972)
• Lady Caroline Lamb (1972)
• The Mackintosh Man (1973)
• Dracula (1974)
• The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• The Odessa File (1974)
• The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
• Equus (1977)
• The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1977)
• The Wiz (1978)
• Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)
• The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
• The Dark Crystal (1982)

Awards and Nominations

• 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)