Born in Detroit, Michigan. A veteran cameraman (1925-36), he was appointed head of the special effects department at RKO in the early 1930s and, as such, worked on or oversaw special effects production for over 200 films, including unnominated work on such RKO classics as FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933), OF HUMAN BONDAGE and THE GAY DIVORCEE (both 1934), SHE and TOP HAT (both 1935), SWING TIME (1936), SHALL WE DANCE (1937), BRINGING UP BABY (1938), THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (both 1939), KITTY FOYLE (1940), CITIZEN KANE (1941), THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942), MURDER, MY SWEET (1944), THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S and THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (both 1945), NOTORIOUS (1946), SINBAD THE SAILOR and MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA (both 1947), and his last film, VARIETY TIME (1948).  Nominated for Special Effects 1940: SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON - Photographic  Nominated for Special Effects 1942: THE NAVY COMES THROUGH - Photographic  Nominated for Special Effects 1943: BOMBARDIER - Photographic  Nominated for Special Effects 1944: DAYS OF GLORY - Photographic 4 nominations