Born in Missouri, USA. He began as a lab assistant at Paramount and after a period of apprenticeship as an assistant cameraman became a full cinematographer in 1934 (ELMER AND ELSIE and WAGON WHEELS). He worked for Paramount, MGM, and Fox, among other studios, collaborating a number of times with directors William A. Wellman and George Stevens. Some of his notable credits include ROAD TO SINGAPORE, TYPHOON and THE GREAT McGINTY (all 1940), WAKE ISLAND, ROAD TO MOROCCO and COMMANDOS STRIKE AT DAWN (all 1942), ABIE'S IRISH ROSE (1946), THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR... (1950), A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951), THE NAKED SPUR and THE AFFAIRS OF DOBIE GILLIS (both 1953), BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955), GIANT (1956), LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON and PEYTON PLACE (both 1957), THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and THE BEST OF EVERYTHING (both 1959), CRACK IN THE MIRROR (1960), WILD IN THE COUNTRY (1961), STATE FAIR and MR. HOBBS TAKES A VACATION (both 1962). He died of a heart attack while working on George Stevens' THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965) and was replaced by Loyal Griggs.  Cinematography (Black & White) 1951: A PLACE IN THE SUN  Nominated for Cinematography 1957: PEYTON PLACE  Cinematography (Black & White) 1959: THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK  Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1965: THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (w. Loyal Griggs) 4 nominations, 2 Awards