Entered films in 1912 and worked as an assistant cameraman while attending Stanford University. A director of photography from 1916, he developed in the 20s into one of the leading craftsmen in his trade, a creative lighting cameraman whose career spanned a half-century of Hollywood history, and proved capable of satisfying the exacting requirements of such diverse directors as De Mille, von Sternberg, Lubitsch, and Ford. He was far less successful in his stint as a director, from 1928 to 1932, and after turning out a number of mediocre low-budget productions, he resumed his distinguished career as a director of photography. Among the films he photographed were YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (1939), OUR TOWN (1940) and HOUSE OF WAX (in 3-D, 1953).  Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1939: DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (w. Ray Rennahan)  Nominated for Cinematography (Black and White) 1939: STAGECOACH  Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1941: DIVE BOMBER (w. Winton C. Hoch) 3 nominations